EERE Home Programs & Offices Consumer Information

DOE » EERE » BTO » BECP » Regulations Site Map Printable Version

Contacts Web Site Policies U.S. Department of Energy USA.gov

Last Updated: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 - 3:45pm Building Energy Codes Search Help 

# Building Energy Codes Program
HOME NEWS EVENTS ABOUT

D EVELOPMENT 

### A DOPTION 

### C OMPLIANCE 

### R EGULATIONS 

### D ETERMINATIONS 

### F EDERAL 

### B UILDINGS 

### M ANUFACTURED 

### H OUSING 

### R ESOURCE

### C ENTER 

## Energy Efficiency Standards for Federal Buildings The Energy Conservation & Production Act (ECPA) established minimum energy effi ciency requirements for federal buildings. Newly constructed commercial and residential federal buildings must meet or exceed these efficiency stan dards, which are based on the model energy codes. DOE is directed to update the federal standards regularly based on model code re visions, and to ensure energy efficiency across the federal building stock. (42 USC 6834 & 6835). Requirements established for new federal commercial buildings are included in 10 CF R Part 433, while the requirements for new federal residential buildings are include in 10 CFR 435.

• Commercial
• Residential 

## Commercial Buildings The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is directed to upd ated provisions regulating the construction of new fede ral commercial buildings, including high-rise residential buildings. These buildings must be designed to achieve energy consumption levels that are at least 30 percent belowthe levels established by the referenced baseline edition of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standa rd 90.1, which is the national model energy code for co mmercial buildings. The current federal standard for commercial buildings is based on Standard 90.1-2013, effective January 5th, 2016 . (80 FR 68758) For more information regarding current federal energ y efficiency requirements, please see the final rule or 10 CFR 433
. 

## Residential Buildings The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is directed to upd ate provisions regulating the construction of new federal low-rise residential buildings. These buildings must be designed to achieve energy consumption levels that a re at least 30 percent below the levels established by the referenced baseline edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which is the national model energy code for residential buildin gs. The current federal standard for residential buildings is based on the 2009 IECC, effective August 10th, 2012 . (76 FR 49279) For more information regarding current federal energ y efficiency requirements, please see the final rule or 10 CFR 435
. 

## Implementation of Federal Building Energy Efficiency Standards New federal buildings are required to perform 30 percent better than the baselinestandard when doing so is cost-effective within the lifecycle of the building. If this additional savings threshold is not cost-effective for a particular buildin g, an implementing agency must evaluate the cost and savings of alternate designs at successive decrements (e.g., 25%, 20%, etc.) to identify the most co st-effective design. Lifecycle costeffectiveness is to be established using the methodology defined in the CFR. The DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides guidance and support to agencies in complying with the federal buildi ng energy efficiency standards. FEMP develops training, including webcasts and several resou rces surrounding the Standards and life-cycle costing. 

# Page 1 of 1 Energy Efficiency Standards for Federal Buildings | Building Energy Codes Program

3/23/2016 https://www.energycodes.gov/regulations/federal
-building
- standards