# Presentation: 432847

## Washington State
Energy Code Experience
Karen Messmer
visit us on the web at www.energy.wsu.edu

**Washington State**
**Energy Code Experience**
**Karen Messmer**
**visit us on the web at www.energy.wsu.edu**

## Genesis of Energy Codes In Washington

**Began in 1978 at time of severe perceived energy supply constraints for electricity and natural gas**
**Revised in 1980, 1985**
**Residential Code Last Updated 1990**
**Non-Residential Code Last Updated 1993**
**Substantial financial support from utilities for 1990, 1993 code implementation**

## Ask the Energy Code “Bozos”                           180 Years of experience

**What were the successes and mistakes?**
**Who was** **influential****?**
**What is needed to sustain the code?**

## Successes

**Non-Residential Code**** **
**Special Plans examiner / inspector **
**Acceptance as common practice**
**Residential Code**
**Changing the window market**
**Acceptance as common practice**

## Mistakes

**Non-Residential Code**
**Needed stronger partnerships**
**Need to plan ongoing support for**** ****Special Plans Examiner/Inspector**
**Residential Code**
-  **Need to sustain training and political support**

## How are we doing now?                                Status of Code “Compliance”

**Residential construction doing well for both SF and MF**** **
**Commercial construction - better compliance in areas using Special Plans Examiner/Inspector**
**Ventilation Code - survey showed it as most common builder complaint**

## Who was influential?                                       Code Adoption and Upgrades

**17 different people named**
**Organizations named**
- Energy office
- State Building Code Council
- NW Power Planning Council
**One legislator - “champion”**

## Most Influential                                                Implementation and Enforcement

**Seattle Code staff - John Hogan**
**22 other individuals including**
-  John Devine and Bruce Carter
**Five organizations named**
- State Energy Office named most - “training”

## Valuable tools

**Builder’s Field Guide**
**Inspection Forms**
**Training**
**WATTSUN compliance software**

## What is needed to sustain the code?  

** ****Education of building officials**
** ****Education of builders**
** ****Policy makers need to be convinced     it is in the public interest**

## Current Washington Code Activities

**Proposal submitted for improvements to gas part of code**
**Proposal submitted for Ventilation code simplification**** **
**Builder’s Field Guide published on web**
**Residential building official training will be on web**

## What next?

**In the past two years:**
- Wholesale natural gas prices have tripled;
- Wholesale electricity prices have doubled;
**Will energy codes increase in importance to address energy efficiency needs?**
- Many lessons from past work with codes

## www.energy.wsu.edu

**© ****1998**** Washington State University Cooperative Extension Energy Program. The is a presentation publication of the ****Washington**** State University Cooperative Extension Energy Program. This presentation publication contains material written and produced for public distribution. You may reprint this written material, provided you do not use it to endorse a commercial product. Please reference by title and credit Washington State University Cooperative Extension Energy Program.**

- www.energy.wsu.edu