1 of 2

United States Department of Energy

Building Energy Codes Program (BECP) Activities Framework

Vision 

A United States in which buildings use the minimum amount of energy required for occupant activities 

and comfort.

Mission

Support the building energy code and standard development, adoption, implementation and 

enforcement processes to achieve the maximum practicable, cost-effective improvements in energy 

efficiency while providing safe, healthy buildings for occupants.

Strategies

BECP will always fulfill its statutory obligations to provide determinations of the national model codes 

and conduct required rulemakings. In addition, BECP may engage in any or all of the following, as 

appropriate. BECP strives to always take an objective perspective, basing its activities and 

recommendations on publicly available analyses whenever possible. BECP activities are intended to 

catalyze larger change in the market; it recognizes that it does not have sufficient resources to provide 

everything needed to achieve its mission.

Empower BECP and others who seek to improve energy codes by:

 Conducting and disseminating research, technical and economic analyses, and related data

 Creating, updating and maintaining tools and materials

 Developing cost effective, technically evaluated code change proposals

 Establishing the value of energy codes among all stakeholders, including consumers

 Ensuring coordination of energy codes with other building codes

Establish a leadership position and encourage sharing of information by convening forums for 

discussing:

 State and local government activities to adopt and enforce energy codes

 Technical and economic analysis methodologies

 Best practices on adoption and compliance and supporting resources

 Code development proposals

 The relationship of energy codes to other building codes to ensure consistency and avoid

unintended health or safety problems.

 The future evolution of all aspects of energy codes

Participate in processes and forums in which:

 Energy codes are developed, discussed or approved

 BECP can provide information of benefit to others in advancing energy codes

 BECP can learn from others about more effective ways to achieve its mission

Ensure intended energy savings by: 

 Supporting state and national education, training and outreach activities, including tools and 

support materials, intended to increase compliance rates
2 of 2

 Creating methodologies to measure compliance and associated savings and provide 

scientifically defensible results

 Conducting compliance and energy savings measurement studies

BECP will always prioritize its activities to maximize its impact given available budget and resources. This 

means it may not undertake some activities even when they would benefit the program and mission.

BECP does NOT: 

 Create or enforce energy codes.

 Support activities that weaken energy codes or otherwise conflict with its mission to 

improve energy codes.

 Undertake initiatives that conflict with federal regulatory activities. 

 Provide analysis for third-party proposals except at BECP’s discretion when doing so directly 

supports BECP’s own program goals.