The State Board of Building Regulations and Standards will hold a public hearing to address proposals to the MA State

Building Code (780 CMR) that change the present baseline energy code requirements from a MA- amended International Energy Conservation Code-2009 (MA-amended IECC-2009) to a MA-amended IECC-2012.1 Scheduled Hearing Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 1:00 PM Location: One Ashburton Place, Ashburton Caf (Meeting Room), Boston, MA 02108 Talking Points in Support of Massachusetts Adoption of the 2012 IECC Adopting the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) will help maintain the Commonwealth of Massachusetts standing as a national leader2 in sensible and efficient building practices and the effective use of energy. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its citizens stand to benefit from the adoption of the 2012 IECC in many ways: The 2012 IECC is the final product of a well-developed, long-standing model code development process that involves the nations leading experts in energy efficiency, building design and product performance professionals, state and local governmental officials, product manufacturers, architects and builders, including representatives from DC. By adopting the 2012 IECC, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will stay on track of energy efficiency goals, and will provide benefits to its building and home owners and individual tenants for many years. New construction is the most cost-effective time to install better insulation, quality windows and doors, and efficient heating and cooling equipment that is properly sized. Construction costs should be reduced through economies of scale, as suppliers and retailers reduce inventories and streamline production to meet these new energy targets. The adoption of the 2012 IECC will facilitate compliance and enforcement of the code, as many of the provisions are simpler and easier to apply than previous versions. Builders and code officials can take advantage of free trainings, COMcheck and REScheck compliance software, and other programs through the Department of Energy. The benefits of these code changes will result in immediate and continuing savings for both businesses and residences throughout the Commonwealth that build or remodel. They also will hold down the increasing costs of energy from higher demand that would occur if not adopted, and reduce continued reliance on older and more expensive power generators, a leading contributor to high energy bills in our mid-Atlantic and Northeast states. Specific improvements incorporated into the 2012 IECC for residential buildings in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts include the following: Improvements to the permanent thermal building envelope, including better window requirements and stronger insulation requirements. The 2012 IECC improves requirements for better-insulated attics, walls, and crawl spaces. These measures are most cost-effective at initial construction, and will yield energy savings for the useful lifetime of the home. The 2012 IECC also offers, but does not mandate, a moderate limitation on solar heat gain (SHGC) in fenestration, typically at no extra cost for the window. SHGC can contribute to reduced HVAC equipment cost where equipment is sized properly. This will allow cooling systems to be sized smaller, and will keep homes more comfortable during the summer months. Curbing peak demand in homes will also help control the Commonwealth of Massachusettss growing summer peak electric demand, avoiding the need to build and site additional generation. Tighter thermal envelope from improved air leakage testing. Under the 2012 IECC, new homes will be tightly sealed, with tested air leakage meeting a reasonable performance standard. The testing is objective, much more reliable than
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http://www.mass.gov/eopss/consumer-prot-and-bus-lic/license-type/csl/notice-of-public-hearing-to-address-proposals-to-the-ma.html http://aceee.org/blog/2012/10/massachusetts-retains-top-spot-aceee-

visual inspection, and will reduce the burden on code officials for detailed inspections for air leakage. Energy savings in most cases will be substantial. Less duct leakage in HVAC distribution systems. As in the 2009 IECC, duct testing is required unless ducts and air handlers are located inside conditioned space. The improved duct tightness standard in the 2012 IECC will result in more efficient delivery of heated or cooled air to the entire house, reduce the amount of energy used to heat and cool, and help to avoid the need for occupants to adjust the thermostat to address discomfort. More efficient hot water systems. The 2012 IECC implements modest requirements for hot water distribution systems for the first time. Hot water pipes must be insulated, or the hot water distribution design must be more efficient. More efficient lighting. The 2012 IECC increases the percentage of lighting required to have high-efficacy bulbs from 50 to 75%. This relatively simple measure saves substantial energy. Builders are given the option to count either fixtures or individual sockets to comply. Consistency among IRC, IBC, and IECC energy requirements. For the first time in several cycles, the residential energy efficiency requirements are consistent among all the International Codes. This means that builders, inspectors and users of the IRC, IBC, or IECC will be applying the same energy efficiency requirements to all buildings. Specific improvements incorporated into the 2012 IECC for non-residential buildings in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts include the following: Improved thermal envelope. The 2012 IECC includes improvements to nearly every major component in the building, particularly the permanent building envelope that encloses conditioned space. A simplified fenestration table, improved insulation requirements, and improved air barrier requirements will ensure that buildings remain efficient for many years. Updated and improved equipment efficiency. The 2012 IECC tracks the latest technology for heating, cooling, and water heating equipment. Newly manufactured equipment will soon have to meet improved efficiency standards by the time the new code is implemented; manufacturers are already marketing these units throughout New England. New technical upgrades. For the first time, the IECC commercial chapter includes provisions for HVAC commissioning and new requirements related to the uses of skylights and daylighting. Innovative options. Users of the 2012 IECC will select and implement one of three new innovative options to bring additional energy savings to building projects: high performance lighting, high performance HVAC equipment, or the implementation of on-site renewable energy. MA Residential baseline main energy code changes IECC 2009 to IECC 2012 Code requirement Improved air sealing; modify Table 402.4.1.1 to separate insulation installation rqmts. Improved duct sealing Increased ceiling insulation default Basement/crawl space wall insulation default Window heat loss IECC 2009 Optional test, max 7 ACH@50^ or a visual inspection Max 12% /min air leakage R-38* R-10/13* U 0.35* IECC2012 Mandatory test, max 3 ACH@50^ Summary of Change Adopts testing widely used by Stretch Code, Energy Star and LEED homes

Max 4% /min air leakage R-49* R-15/19* U 0.32*

Not required if ducts stay inside insulated spaces 29% increase to easiest area trade-offs allowed From 4 to 6 cavity insulation or 2 to 3 of foam Improved to match current market standard

R-3 or shorter shortens time taken for hot water to arrive at thinner pipes faucet, saving water & energy Efficient lighting 50% of all hard wired 75% of all hard Code follows national phase-out of fixtures wired fixtures incandescent lights ^The air leakage test requirements change from no more than 7, to no more than 3 Air Changes per Hour measured at a pressure of 50 pascals abbreviated to 3 ACH@50. NEEP has proposed this air sealing requirements checklist be divided off from insulation installation to permit inspection/testing when it is possible to easily identify leaks and make corrections, before installing the insulation. *Insulation levels can be adjusted so long as the overall house is insulated to an equivalent level. (e.g.) the R-49 ceiling requirement can drop to R-38 by improving walls or windows instead. 75% lighting can be either individual bulbs (sockets) or individual fixtures (more than one bulb). MA Commercial Baseline main energy code changes IECC 2009 to IECC 2012 Code Requirement Increased efficiency of roofs, walls, floors, slabs, doors Window/wall glazing Reduced air leakage IECC 2009 Improvements over 2006 R-value efficiencies 40% prescriptive glazing Minimum requirements but strong glazed system performance criteria IECC 2012 Improvements over 2009 R-values efficiencies 30% prescriptive glazing Change Summary Some values change; none reduced. Overall improvement 18%+/Only daylighting gets to still use 40% glazing Major changes include air barrier criteria and better performance criteria for glazing

Hot water pipe insulation

Not required

Section re-written as a comprehensive unit dealing with all aspects of effective sealing HVAC controls Introduces mandatory, Adds automatic control Concentrates on performance simple & complex areas systems; lowers eqpt. size and correct sizing to simplify compliance thresholds HVAC commissioning (no requirements) Required for systems > Adds entire section to mandate 480kBtu cooling, 600kBtu installation & operation heating assurance Lighting Tightens lighting power Additional reductions to Further reduces lighting based on densities; good tables lighting values; exterior areas improved technologies & included; zones established controls from urban to park uses. Additional efficiency (no requirements) Adds 3 optional choices: One must be chosen: not always better HVAC, or lighting, or equivalent but add another 5% on-site renewables minimum efficiency All roofs; residential attics and walls; insulation requirements for slab edges and under slabs; opaque doors and upwardacting doors improve for 2012. Major improvements in where and how to achieve air sealing. 25% reduction in windowto-wall ratio (WWR) for glazing recognizes equivalent savings with the use of daylighting that will reduce operating energy requirements. HVAC improves ease of using and understanding systems by separating and identifying them. Commissioning brings verification of performance to systems that are large and complex, to achieve initial performance values the owner can maintain and benefit from. Lighting benefits from rapid advancements in lighting design and technology, with additional control strategies to limit unnecessary use of lighting. Additional efficiency brings three choices to larger projects that encourage better design and utilization of equipment capabilities, use of high-efficiency lighting strategies, or on-site renewable energy systems that reduce connected power needs.