RESNET and International Code Council enter into agreement to foster enhanced energy code compliance

The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and the International Code Council entered into a formal agreement to build a stronger relationship between the two organizations and to improve energy code compliance. The goals of the agreement are for RESNET and the Code Council to work to position HERS® Raters as a resource in improving energy code compliance, cooperation on advocacy and public policy matters, which both organizations support; exploration and implementation on joint business opportunities that benefit both organizations members; collaboration on ways to jointly optimize the development of codes and standards to improve safety, affordability and energy efficiency in the built environment; and raise the stature of each organization among their respective stakeholders. The elements of the agreement are to:

ICC IECC/HERS Compliance Specialist designation — The Code Council will maintain and promote its IECC/HERS Compliance Specialist designation. The designation is for certified RESNET HERS Raters and Rating Field Inspectors who have passed and been certified by the Code Council for residential energy code compliance. RESNET will market to HERS Raters and Rating Field Inspectors the value of receiving such a designation and the Code Council will educate code officials on the value of the designation. The Code Council will conduct an education effort on this program to code officials.

Development of reports and resources to assist in demonstrating compliance to the IECC — Starting with the performance option (Section 405) of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), RESNET and the Code Council will jointly develop compliance documentation reports based on the IECC to assist HERS Raters. To participate in this effort, HERS Raters must receive the ICC IECC/HERS Compliance Specialist designation. The compliance reports generated are to be uploaded to the RESNET National Registry and subject to the RESNET quality assurance provisions. RESNET will also create an online portal to enable code officials to access these reports in the RESNET registry. RESNET and the Code Council will collaborate on a multi-year education effort to HERS Raters, Rating Field Inspectors, building code departments and code officials. Once Section 405 is completed RESNET and the Code Council will work together to incorporate this into the other sections of the IECC.

Joint ICC-RESNET HERS rating company membership — RESNET HERS Rating company members will be designated as RESNET/ICC members upon renewal of their current RESNET membership. New RESNET HERS company members will automatically be designated as joint RESNET/ICC members. The joint RESNET/ICC HERS Rating company members will receive ICC benefits equivalent to those of an ICC Participating Member Category.

RESNET ANSI standards development and publishing — The Code Council and RESNET will collaborate on future RESNET American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards, including updating the existing RESNET/ICC standards.

ICC being designated as a RESNET Sustaining Partner — RESNET will recognize the Code Council as a “RESNET Sustaining Partner.” This designation will be prominently posted on the RESNET website and at conferences and other events.

ICC will be a sponsor of the annual RESNET building performance conference — The Code Council will be a sponsor of RESNET’s annual building performance conference and help promote it through its website.

RESNET will work with IAS to pursue accreditation of its program — RESNET will actively work to seek accreditation of its rating programs by applying for accreditation through the International Accreditation Service (IAS).

International Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO, commented, “The International Code Council is excited about our collaboration with RESNET. This partnership provides more code compliance resources for local governments whose budgets are stretched while significantly assisting in raising the level of energy efficiency through the compliance of adopted energy codes and standards. While we continue to improve the energy efficiency requirements in model codes, we cannot ignore the fact that the most critical component of these codes is their proper enforcement. Code officials will have an opportunity to leverage certified IECC/HERS Compliance Specialists as individuals with knowledge and experience in the building sciences and the inspection and testing of a home’s energy performance.”

Steve Baden, RESNET’s executive director, stated, “This collaboration is a win for HERS Raters and home buyers. HERS Raters with the certification from ICC will have a new opportunity to expand their business offerings and consumers will gain with the certainty of the energy performance of the homes they will be living in.”

To learn more about the opportunities that energy code compliance presents to certified RESNET HERS Raters visit HERS Raters and Energy Codes: A Viable Path for Enhanced Energy Code Compliance.