At least 30 major U.S. cities have adopted stricter building energy codes since 2017, according to the 2019 City Clean Energy Scorecard released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
Since 2017, nine cities adopted more energy efficient building energy codes: Las Vegas, Mesa, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Reno, San Antonio, St. Louis, and Tucson. Five cities successfully advocated for their states to adopt more stringent standards: Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Seattle.
Another eight cities adopted efficiency requirements for existing buildings: Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Reno, Salt Lake City, San José, and Washington, D.C. These changes will help address climate change, as residential and commercial buildings account for about 36% of total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions each year, ACEEE says.
Six states—Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—adopted updated codes that strengthened codes in 15 Scorecard cities. Three cities in the Northeast—Boston, New York, and Worcester, Mass., have all adopted stretch codes that go beyond baseline state codes.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jan 18, 2017
How green leases benefit owners and tenants
Agreements to spur efficiency upgrades are slowly gaining popularity.
Codes and Standards | Jan 17, 2017
Intl. Code Council looks into code changes for cross-laminated timber structures
Most codes limit CLT structures’ height.
Codes and Standards | Jan 16, 2017
Building codes for existing buildings evaluated in new white paper
The paper examines implementation, enforcement challenges, and changes needed in new code editions.
Codes and Standards | Jan 13, 2017
New BIM guide for owners released
National Institute of Building Sciences releases a manual for developing standard set of BIM documents.
Codes and Standards | Jan 11, 2017
OSHA prompts more proactive approach to construction site safety
Remote operated camera systems are being used to mitigate risk in real time.
Codes and Standards | Jan 10, 2017
Plunging solar power costs making PVs more compelling for owners, developers
Technical and manufacturing advances are driving down prices.
Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2017
Boston’s plans for new development at odds with flood projections
One plan calls for building in areas predicted to be flooded during high tides as sea levels rise.
Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2017
New LEED for Cities, LEED for Communities pilot certifications unveiled
Requires tracking of performance data and progress toward goals.
Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2017
China claims top ranking outside of U.S. for total LEED-certified space
Canada, India, Brazil, and Korea round out top 5.
Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2017
OSHA prompts more proactive approach to construction site safety
Remote operated camera systems are being used to mitigate risk in real time.