FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 2, 2014) – As part of a statewide effort to advance energy efficiency in buildings, the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence (DEDI), the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) and the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) are conducting a three-year study to evaluate and improve energy code compliance in Kentucky. Energy codes are designed to provide safety and improve energy efficiency in the construction of residential buildings. The $1 million project is provided through MEEA, the primary recipient of the grant from the U.S. Department of Energy in partnership with DEDI and DHBC. The goal of the Kentucky Code Compliance Improvement Study is to move the state toward full energy code compliance by 2017. “This grant has the potential to provide valuable information on the level of code compliance in the state and to provide much-needed resources to support builders and code inspectors to do their job relative to current code requirements,” said DHBC Commissioner Ambrose Wilson IV. The three-year project will occur in three phases. The first phase will include a survey of newly built homes to measure their code compliance in Kentucky. Field inspections will be conducted in 63 residential buildings across the state. This will identify specific areas of weaknesses and provide a rate of compliance with the energy code. The second phase provides a plan for improvement in energy code implementation by targeting code components through training and technical assistance programs for builders and code officials. The code improvement programs will be developed with input from building code officials, municipal and state officials, homebuilders, utility providers, architects and other industry advocates. The third phase includes a follow-up survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the code improvement campaign by providing a comparison to the initial baseline studies. Results of the three-year study will also evaluate the impact energy codes have on building performance, including cost saving and reduced energy usage. Phase I of the project is scheduled to begin before the end of this year and the full program will wrap up in late 2017. “New residential buildings built today will be in use for the next 70 to 80 years. Investing in good construction practices will not only save energy and increase safety and comfort, but also save Kentuckians money every year,” said Stacey Paradis, deputy director of MEEA. For more information about the Kentucky Code Compliance Improvement Study, contact Lee Colten, [email protected], at the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence.
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