National Energy Codes Collaborative

energy codes

codes collaborative logoWhat is the Codes Collaborative? 

The National Energy Codes Collaborative is a nationwide network that empowers states and jurisdictions to effectively and sustainably implement updated building energy codes. The Codes Collaborative drives innovation and generates cross-functional resources through three core activities: 1) collaboration, 2) technical advisory and assistance, and 3) capacity building. By forging new connections and engaging stakeholders from the local to the national level, the states and jurisdictions who are members of the Codes Collaborative are supported along their own paths to advance their building codes, reduce environmental impacts, promote equity and ensure high quality careers.

COLLABORATION PLATFORMS

The Codes Collaborative kicked off in May of 2024 when we first convened state and local officials from across the country and their allies in effective code implementation. The Codes Collaborative engages and supports its members and the code community via:

• Annual in-person meetings
• Forums and workshops at other national and regional events
• Quarterly virtual meetings
• Virtual workspaces to access technical assistance, share resources and keep the conversation going

TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUPS

TAGs and working groups focus on resource gaps at the state and local level, providing sustained technical assistance between Codes Collaborative meetings and workshops. The Codes Collaborative facilitates TAGs to:

• Connect stakeholders on immediate energy code implementation challenges
• Identify areas where technical assistance is needed
• Peer review resources developed through the Codes Collaborative and by the Department of Energy
• Provide broader leadership and strategic direction in critical and emerging areas
• TAGs and working groups focus on resource gaps at the state and local level, providing sustained technical assistance between Codes Collaborative meetings and workshops

CAPACITY BUILDING

The Codes Collaborative is establishing several pilot capacity building programs with member states and across jurisdictions with the ability to expand across the country over time:

• Energy Code Implementation (ECI) Fellows position experienced practitioners as codes community leaders at the national, state and local level
• State-specific Roadmaps developed with the Codes Collaborative’s expert Leadership Team and implemented with dedicated in-state ECI Fellows are tailored to members specific needs for success
• Cross-jurisdictional ECI Fellows support building capacity in particular target areas identified by members across states and localities
• The Technical Assistance program is able to quickly contract for members smaller, targeted, timely technical assistance needs

building codes for energy efficiency

Resources

The Codes Collaborative is developing publicly available resources to support members and feed back into the core activities. Codes Collaborative resources include:

  • Energy Code Implementation Toolkits in technical assistance areas
  • Case studies on code implementation successes
  • Energy Code Implementation Roadmap templates
  • Generalized code modules and/or model code amendments
  • Timely and topical policy or technical briefs, white papers and blog pieces

Community Impact

The Codes Collaborative supports members in efforts to ensure the benefits of energy code implementation are shared by all communities, especially those that have traditionally been excluded and disinvested, like low-income communities and communities of color. Capacity building and technical assistance programs engage with local community and labor groups to incorporate their expertise in Community Benefits Roadmaps that feed directly into Energy Code Implementation Roadmaps. Leveraging existing initiatives, the Codes Collaborative is creating a repository of materials focused on the intersection of energy efficiency, equity, and workforce development, while ensuring that resources developed through the Codes Collaborative support an equitable distribution of benefits.

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WHO IS THE CODES COLLABORATIVE?

You. The core members of the Codes Collaborative are state and local officials working to implement energy codes, but the Codes Collaborative is open to the broader community necessary for successful implementation: community-based organizations and other non-profits; engineers, architects and builders; public and consumer advocates; industry organizations; and anyone else aligned with the Codes Collaborative’s mission. The Leadership Team responsible for ensuring the Codes Collaborative serves its members is led by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and its partners the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), and ASHRAE.

Our Partners

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