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Title: Mandating better buildings: a global review of building codes and prospects for improvement in the United States

Journal Article · · Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Energy and Environment
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.168· OSTI ID:1295092
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States). School of Public Policy
  2. City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Sustainability, Atlanta GA (United States)
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Energy and Transportation Science Division
+ Show Author Affiliations

This paper provides a global overview of the design, implementation, and evolution of building energy codes. Reflecting alternative policy goals, building energy codes differ significantly across the United States, the European Union, and China. This review uncovers numerous innovative practices including greenhouse gas emissions caps per square meter of building space, energy performance certificates with retrofit recommendations, and inclusion of renewable energy to achieve ‘nearly zero‐energy buildings’. These innovations motivated an assessment of an aggressive commercial building code applied to all US states, requiring both new construction and buildings with major modifications to comply with the latest version of the ASHRAE 90.1 Standards. Using the National Energy Modeling System ( NEMS ), we estimate that by 2035, such building codes in the United States could reduce energy for space heating, cooling, water heating, and lighting in commercial buildings by 16%, 15%, 20%, and 5%, respectively. Impacts on different fuels and building types, energy rates and bills as well as pollution emission reductions are also examined. WIREs Energy Environ 2016, 5:188–215. doi: 10.1002/wene.168 This article is categorized under: Energy Efficiency > Economics and Policy Energy Systems Economics > Economics and Policy Energy Policy and Planning > Climate and Environment

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; 4000105765
OSTI ID:
1295092
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1400509
Journal Information:
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Energy and Environment, Vol. 5, Issue 2; ISSN 2041-8396
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 12 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (23)

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Cited By (1)

Policy Monitor—Green Buildings: Economics and Policies journal July 2016

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Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
Commercial buildings
Building energy codes
Energy efficiency
Nearly zero-energy buildings
Energy modeling
Cost-benefit analysis