A 1991 study of compliance in a randomly drawn sample of roughly 200 buildings in Oregon and Washington concluded that compliance with the commercial energy code was roughly 50 percent in both states. The energy code compliance study emphasized the need for strong energy code enforcement and this became an important element of the NREC revision and implementation effort. The revised NREC was greatly simplified over previous versions of the code to make it easier to comply with and enforce. The program was purely voluntary. The emphasis on enforcement and certification in the Implementation Plan was due to the desire of the utility funders to make sure their investment in the 1994 NREC resulted in increased compliance with the energy code.
Certification assures that inspectors have a minimum level of knowledge.
Long-term Professional Development. Certification establishes professional standards and benchmarks. It provides those in the industry with the opportunity to raise their professional competency and to receive recognition and credentials for doing so. Marketing Energy Codes. Certification increases the penetration and credibility of a code.