BECP Energy Code Webinar Series

As the U.S. housing stock electrifies and decarbonizes in the coming decades, hundreds of millions of new electric loads will be added to new and existing dwellings. The cost and burden of this transition will depend, in part, on the need to upgrade the nation's electrical infrastructure. The National Electric Code (NEC) is used nationally to calculate electrical loads and size service infrastructure and has been identified as an obstacle in addressing existing dwellings. LBNL has led an effort funded by the U.S. DOE to review the existing electrical code for barriers to household electrification, which led to an analysis by LBNL of sub-metering data to support proposed changes to the code. This session will address NEC requirements around solar PV, home batteries, and Energy Management systems. Speakers will summarize the barriers identified in the current electrical code, present an overview of project data analysis, and review proposed code changes.

With fewer building department staff, longer distances to travel between job sites, and less opportunity for workforce education and training, energy code enforcement can present unique challenges in rural communities. This webinar will highlight some of these specific challenges faced by code officials and others in the field and describe existing solutions and new opportunities to help improve code enforcement and compliance.

There is a great opportunity to make an impact by addressing the energy use and performance of existing buildings. In this webinar, speakers will discuss the use of Building Performance Standards (BPS) and outline best practices, tools, and financial incentives that can be leveraged to support BPS implementation.

Learn about current energy code compliance best practices and case studies. Presenters from across the country will draw on experience from the field to introduce and explain how to successfully implement field studies, circuit riders, and other compliance strategies.

Discover what's new in ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2022. Speakers on the 90.1 Standing Standards Project Committee and various subcommittees will highlight major changes in ASHRAE requirements. Specific topics will include building envelope, power, lighting, and renewables, energy cost budget method, mechanical equipment, total system power ratio, and additional efficiency requirements (energy credits).

Hear from workforce development professionals on techniques to grow and expand the energy codes workforce in a way that prioritizes equity. This webinar will examine the specific issues facing the codes workforce and highlight programs and partnerships seeking to address them. Speakers will introduce regional challenges to growing a diverse workforce and discuss innovative outreach and training efforts for contractors, HVAC professionals, whole-home retrofit experts, and more.

With the growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, understanding the resilience benefits of building codes is more important than ever. By improving the energy efficiency of buildings, energy codes help enhance occupant safety comfort and reduce energy costs, use, and emissions. In addition, they contribute to individual and community resilience by improving grid reliability, and in the event of a power outage, enhancing passive survivability in buildings, thereby keeping occupants safer for longer. In this webinar, presenters will explore research findings from a recent DOE report and federal, state, and local activities related to the resilience benefits of building codes and energy efficiency.

Register in advance for this webinar.