PNNL

Abstract

Building energy codes are one of the most cost-effective tools to achieve energy efficiency in buildings. However, energy savings from stringent building energy codes cannot be fully realized unless buildings are constructed to completely comply with the code. Thus, building energy code compliance is the crucial link between the actualized energy savings and the efficiency prescribed by energy codes. The evaluation of energy code compliance is an irreplaceable mechanism to understand the status quo of code compliance of the construction practice and to guide the direc-tion for improving the code compliance. This paper reviews the code compliance evaluation studies in the last two decades, presents the methodology and metrics used to evaluate the building energy code compliance, summarizes the general elements and steps involved in the evaluation of building energy code compliance, discuss the common issues and findings from the studies, and reveals the trends in the code compliance evaluation from a historical compliance rate metric to recent energy consumption-oriented approaches.