March 11th, 2019
by Michelle Britt

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $1.1 million grant for a two-year energy efficiency study on building industry standard practices. The University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Florida Solar Energy Center in partnership with the International Code Council and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) will lead the study. The study team will focus on driving homebuyer awareness and expectations of efficient construction, provide solutions-based support to users, and create tools for enhanced plan review and inspection.

“Energy efficient construction allows homeowners to maximize energy savings and reduce their carbon footprint. The International Energy Conservation Code provides important health and safety benefits to families and increases the resiliency of the structure,” said the Code Council’s Director of Energy Programs Michelle Britt. “We are honored to partner with national leaders in residential building efficiency research to assist with this innovative research and help advance the standard practice of residential building construction.”

Specifically, the Code Council will focus on:

  • Leading the effort to investigate how labeling for energy code compliance may impact consumer expectations in new home purchases.
  • Convening a Technical Advisory Committee to identify code official requirements for quality assurance with respect to third-party code inspection and verification entities. The Code Council will produce a set of minimum requirements and specifications that can be used by code authorities such as states or municipalities for creating uniform systems.
  • Leading a comprehensive effort to identify code issues which impact or impede implementation, or are perceived to limit effectiveness of each compliance path — gathering information from membership submitted code interpretation requests, plan review issues, membership and the DOE Building Energy Codes Program help desk. The Code Council will synthesis the findings and offer technical solutions.

More about the project, “Transitioning to Market Driven Residential Energy Codes: Model Residential Building Energy Code Effectiveness in a Changing Technological Environment — A New Paradigm” can be found here.

About the Author
Michelle Britt
Michelle Britt is the former director of energy programs at the International Code Council. She has more than 15 years of experience impacting building energy use and broader sustainability and has served national, state and local governments; industry; and non-profits across the U.S. and the Pacific. Her broad background in land use and transportation planning and environmental impact analysis brings a holistic approach to her work in building energy. Previously, she was a partner with the Britt/Makela Group and a senior research scientist with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a master’s degree in architecture.