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 | Apr 2, 2019
Open offices reduce collaboration among employees
Counterintuitive finding makes value of wide open workspaces questionable.
Codes and Standards | Mar 29, 2019
New timber traceability LEED credit released
Pilot credit aims to reduce use of illegal wood in buildings.
Codes and Standards | Mar 28, 2019
Swinerton forms new mass timber business group
Will pursue new projects being developed with mass timber.
Codes and Standards | Mar 27, 2019
Shortage of skilled construction workers resulting in missed deadlines
Some 40% of contractors have turned down project offers.
Codes and Standards | Mar 25, 2019
ICC release 2019 guidelines for safe use of repurposed shipping containers
Provides in-depth, technical overview on how to design, review, and approve shipping containers as building elements.
Codes and Standards | Mar 22, 2019
Tool helps cities develop framework for life-cycle energy policies and track progress
Identifies policies, funding sources to address building energy use.
Codes and Standards | Mar 21, 2019
New York City contractors adding 5% to 10% to construction costs due to trade war
Tariffs on steel, aluminum, and other materials swell budgets.
Codes and Standards | Mar 20, 2019
Codes organizations to develop new guidelines on shipping containers as building components
Intl. Code Council and Modular Building Institute combine forces.
Codes and Standards | Mar 19, 2019
Plan for transformation of Lower Manhattan streetscapes unveiled
Pedestrian-friendly “Slow Streets” pilot starts on Earth Day 2019.
Codes and Standards | Mar 15, 2019
Newly developed building materials could have big impact on sustainability
Transparent wood, self-cooling walls, bricks that filter air pollutants among the technological breakthroughs.
