New Energy Requirements
08.10.09 9:18 AMWith all the focus on Health Care (Insurance?) Reform, there hasn't been a lot of public discussion of the requirements of the House or Senate Energy bills (House - H.R. 2454: American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd) and (Senate - S. 1462, American Clean Energy Leadership Act energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm). Both would include mandates for greater efficiency in commercial and residential construction. Depending on what gets enacted after reconciliation, buildings meeting the national building code energy efficiency target will have a 30 percent reduction in energy use relative to the baseline code. By 2014 (residential) and 2015 (commercial), buildings meeting the national target will have a 50 percent reduction; and an additional 5 percent reduction will be required every three years thereafter, until 2029 and 2030 for residential and commercial buildings, respectively.
A mandated 30 percent increase in efficiency for residential construction would have a significant impact on construction costs and, presumably, price. Some sources cite a $4,000 price tag, but others point to a $500 net annual savings from lower energy costs, after the $4,000 is rolled into a 30-year mortgage. Developers and builders should be paying attention to these requirements, as design of developments will be important to achieving these reductions in ways that the market will accept. Lot size, orentation and other design matters have to be considered from the start, and not just as an architectural afterthought.
More to come later as these proposals move forward.
Leave a Comment
No comments yet. You should leave one!