Residential Energy Code Compliance in The Southeast: Georgia and Arkansas
- Southeast Efficient Energy Alliance (SEEA), Atlanta, GA (United States)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program launched a series of research studies in 2014 across several U.S. states to investigate typical energy efficiency practices in residential buildings and identify opportunities to reduce household utility bills. A primary goal of the study was to help document baseline practices in new single-family construction, target areas for improvement relative to the state energy code, and quantify related savings potential. This information was intended to assist states in measuring energy compliance with their codes and to identify areas of focus for future education and training initiatives. Following the original baseline studies, project teams in each state conducted a series of education, training and outreach activities aimed at improving compliance with the state residential energy code. A second baseline study was then implemented in each state with the objective of determining whether the investment in education, training, and outreach programs had produced a significant and measurable change in statewide residential energy use. Through the program, DOE planned to establish a sufficient data set to represent baseline construction trends across states and detect significant changes in energy use resulting from education and training activities. The three basic phases employed in the study were as follows: I. Pre-Study: A baseline study to identify the energy use in typical single-family residential buildings in a given state and opportunities for improving energy efficiency II. Education & Training: Education, training, and outreach activities targeting issues identified through the baseline study III. Post-Study: A second study to identify the change in energy use following the education and training activities This report outlines the application of the study in the states of Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia with a focus on the experiences of the project team across the “Pre-Study” and “Education and Training” phases. Data gathered through Phase I has been submitted to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for analysis. Findings available to date are published as PNNL technical reports on the DOE Building Energy Codes Program website with Post-Study analysis pending publication in 2019.
- Research Organization:
- Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), Atlanta, GA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office
- Contributing Organization:
- Advanced Energy Corporation; Georgia Dept. of Community Affairs; Southface Energy Institute; Viridiant
- DOE Contract Number:
- EE0006758
- OSTI ID:
- 1493345
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-SEEA-6758
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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