August 28, 2024 | Jim Meyers, Buildings Program Director
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The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) Buildings team supports energy codes across six southwestern states, with some additional support in California. Throughout 2024, I have been actively involved in the process of updating local municipalities across the Southwest to adopt the latest International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). In one particular region, a committee composed of building officials, builders, tradespeople, architects, engineers like myself, and public members held numerous meetings to discuss potential amendments to the code.
However, this time, I noticed a new stakeholder at the table — an affordable housing developer, a group not typically present in discussions to develop local amendments. We have often collaborated with affordable housing developers on code adoptions in other jurisdictions, so I initially thought, “Together, we can fully adopt the 2024 IECC, possibly even with some stretch requirements.” As the meetings progressed, however, I was shocked by the developer’s proposals — deleting code requirements, removing entire sections, weakening provisions meant to protect health and safety, and completely exempting affordable housing from energy efficiency improvements.
While there is a pressing need for more affordable housing across the United States, developers and policymakers often overlook that affordability isn’t just about the cost of constructing these homes. It also involves the cost of living in them. Energy codes set the minimum standard for energy efficiency in building design, which directly leads to lower utility bills and ensures that these homes remain affordable throughout their lifespan.
Energy efficiency and newer energy codes are critical for affordable housing. Families living in affordable housing often have limited financial resources, so reducing monthly energy costs can significantly improve their ability to afford other essentials like food, education, healthcare, and transportation. Beyond financial benefits, energy-efficient buildings also create healthier living environments for these families.
In these hearings, however, the developer’s proposed amendments were solely focused on reducing initial construction costs. This narrow focus frustrated me and many other participants, as it ignored the long-term impact of higher energy costs on future residents. Some of these proposals would have also eliminated efficiency standards for other building occupancy types covered by the same section of the code.
A frequent point of contention was the requirement for building testing, such as increasing air leakage rates to seven air changes per hour, even in extreme winter or summer temperatures. Fortunately, many building officials and other committee members disagreed with these proposals, and they were either rejected or withdrawn.
Environmental impacts would have been completely disregarded if a few of us hadn’t insisted on keeping this aspect of the building equation in the discussion. As we know, buildings are one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately a third of U.S. energy-related emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. By adhering to new, more stringent energy codes, affordable housing developers can help mitigate climate change by reducing the carbon footprint of new residential buildings.
Since one of the developer’s main complaints was about construction costs and how they would be passed on to occupants, I reached out to ICAST, a nonprofit organization that supports improving energy efficiency and decarbonizing affordable housing in many states. ICAST’s Executive Director, Ravi Malhotra, explained, “One of the myths in the affordable housing industry is that it cannot afford to build very high-performance, all-electric properties. The reality is that eliminating natural gas, along with its associated infrastructure and ongoing costs, from the building design typically reduces the construction budget by thousands of dollars per unit, even before factoring in incentives available from utilities, state, and federal programs.”
During several proposal discussions, we had the opportunity to educate the developer on energy code options and explore the many different compliance paths available for their projects.
As the demand for affordable housing continues to grow, the importance of energy codes and affordable energy bills will only increase. With each new iteration of the IECC, there’s an opportunity to push the boundaries of energy efficiency, sustainability, and long-term cost savings. Moving forward, policymakers, developers, and advocates must collaborate to ensure that energy codes for affordable housing are not only maintained but strengthened. This will require a commitment to investing in new technologies and construction practices that deliver greater energy savings without increasing housing costs — and a commitment to educating developers on these advancements. Moreover, it’s crucial to recognize that energy codes are just one piece of the puzzle. By taking a holistic approach to affordable housing, we can create communities that are not only affordable but also resilient, healthy, and environmentally responsible.
