Codes + standards

 

We provide expert knowledge and guidance to advance and enforce energy codes.

Local and state government control of energy codes has the potential to be one of the largest drivers of energy savings in the coming decade. Our research team uses deep knowledge of building design and codes to provide guidance for these initiatives. We focus on code advancement from a few angles:

Codes and standards programs

Local governments are interested in moving energy codes both further and faster. In order to do so, significant technical support is needed to determine and justify these accelerated pathways. We laid some technical foundation for these efforts. We also investigated the ability of utility programs, and their associated funding, to be a primary technical support source for ongoing efforts. Our research includes:

Code compliance

Without code compliance, there’s no energy impact. The compliance challenge increases as codes become more stringent. Slipstream investigates how code compliance and enforcement work in different jurisdictions. We provide recommendations for policies, approaches, and programs to support the building design and construction community to reach the highest rate of compliance possible. Our work includes:

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commercial building plans
Research

Codes push building performance forward. Efficiency programs don’t need to be left behind.

Minnesota raised the bar on commercial building energy performance with historic code advancements. Utilities still have a vital role to play in the commercial new construction market. But how will the utility role change? More
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multifamily building
Research

Low-rise multifamily code compliance. Can we do better for people and programs?

Compliance with building energy codes is key to ensure home and business owners benefit from the intended energy savings. If we don’t use effective methods to understand energy code compliance, we can’t establish accurate baselines for energy efficiency programs or understand what energy savings are left on the table. Compliance insight will equip program managers to make the case for compliance improvement and enhancement programs. This is especially important for low-rise multifamily buildings. More
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Blueprint
Research

ASHRAE actual performance of 90.1-2010 building

How can future versions of the ASHRAE 90.1 energy standard drive more energy cost savings? No studies have been conducted that determine the energy cost savings for buildings that comply with ASHRAE’s standard 90.1-2010 vs. the 2004 version based on utility bill data and building surveys. Slipstream will address this gap by documenting the energy performance of two building types. Then we’ll explore how to improve future versions of the standard to drive energy cost savings. More
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photo of building professionals
Research

Minnesota codes and standards efficiency programs

What is the best way to accelerate the development and adoption of energy efficient technologies? Codes and standards programs are the most cost-effective of all the program options utilities can choose, according to a recent LBNL report. Why? Because standards can impact all major equipment, and codes can impact all buildings, giving the program the widest possible deployment footprint. More
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contractors discussing plans
Research

Energy and new homes in Minnesota

About 13,000 new homes and several hundred multifamily buildings are built in Minnesota each year and many existing homes are added on to or renovated. How do these projects compare relative to energy code? What kinds of beyond-code energy savings opportunities are still out there and how might utility conservation programs help to capture them? More
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New York City skyline
Blog

How to Prepare for Building Performance Standards: An Interview with New Buildings Institute

The standards experts at NBI explain how building owners and developers can get ready for ambitious clean-energy ordinances happening in cities and states throughout the U.S. More
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Close-up of an industrial exhaust fan
Blog

The Fan Energy Index changes how we think about fans

We explain how the new metric will boost energy efficiency by helping designers choose a fan to meet a building's specific needs. More
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photo of building professionals
Research

Illinois code advancement

Can utilities affect changes to building codes to improve energy savings? How feasible is it for utilities to increase cost-effective energy savings by influencing state or local building codes? We worked with an Illinois utility to find out. We reviewed information on how other states, most notably California, incorporated code programs in their portfolio. We investigated methods for attributing savings from these programs and interviewed Illinois stakeholders for their perspective on opportunities for code programs. More
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Publication
Publication

City of Providence building energy code compliance process review

Code compliance: the only path to energy savings from advanced codes Many cities lean on advanced building energy codes to meet climate action plan goals. Energy savings that drive reduced emissions and bill savings for businesses and consumers are two great benefits. But are all buildings under construction following code? The City of Providence, RI partnered with Slipstream to find out. More
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News
News

Slipstream contributes to ambitious U.S. DOE initiative advancing productivity and resilience in the built environment

Slipstream’s team of researchers, with support from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grants, will illuminate the future of energy productivity - both inside buildings and on the evolving grid. By partnering with DOE, our team will be on the front lines of needed change in the flexible building technology space which includes heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and lighting. This research will: More
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