Type of Building Code

Type of Building Code

• Cooling Based
• Prescriptive Codes
• Trade Off

  Building Design by Component Performance Approach.

• Performance Codes for Refurbishments
• Performance Codes for New Builds
• Energy Declaration
• Model / reference Building

  Building Design by Systems Approach, for the entire building and its energy-using sub-systems which may utilize renewable energy sources. The proposed building's annual space heating , space cooling and domestic hot water heating energy use does not exceed the annual space heating, space cooling and domestic hot water heating energy use of a standard building. For Non-residential and Multifamily Residential buildings a baseline building design shall be modeled with the same number of floors.

• Mix of different models / Hybrids

Energy Covered

Basis for Energy Requirements

• Overall performance frame

  Partially, Building Design by Systems Approach - Energy targets are based on site energy compared with expected energy use of a standard building.

• Final Energy

  Site Energy

• Primary Energy
• Life Cycle Assessment considered (embedded energy)

  Partially, some governmental buildings such as schools are required to perform life-cycle assessments.

Energy Uses and Functions Covered by the Code

• Heating

  Minimum equipment efficiency standards for each category of heating equipment, but no baseline performance requirement. An absolute performance standard may be enacted in a future Seattle code.

• Cooling

  Minimum equipment efficiency standards for each category of cooling equipment, but no baseline performance requirement. An absolute performance standard may be enacted in a future Seattle code.

• Dehumidification

  Residential Humidity Control. If a system is equipped with a means for adding moisture to maintain specific selected relative humidities in space or zones, a humidistat shall be provided. Humidistats shall be capable of being set to prevent new energy from being used to produce space- relative humidity above 30%.

• Ventilation

  Minimum equipment efficiency standards for each category of ventilation equipment. Specific requirements for location and insulation of ducting.

• Airtightness

  Residential Building envelope air leakage control shall be considered acceptable when tested to have an air leakage less than 0.00030 Specific Leakage Area (SLA) when tested with a blower door at a pressure of 50 Pascals (0.2 inch w.g.). Seattle's 2009 code mandates air barriers and blower door testing for all non-residential buildings. The leakage standard (in US units of measurement) is 0.40 cfm/SF @ 75 Pascals

• Thermal bridging

  Thermal bridging has been addressed by requiring continuous insulation outside of the building frame and foundation, and by limiting the area of metal penetrations through that continuous insulation. No linear value available

• Hot water

  Minimum energy efficiency requirements that depend on the system installed and the fuel type used.

• Technical installations
• Lighting

  Interior Lighting: A minimum of 50 percent of all luminaires shall be high efficacy luminaires.

• Appliances
• Design, position & orientation of building
• Heat recovery

  Heat recovery from exhaust air is mandated for most non-residential buildings, with a standard of 50% effectiveness. Heat recovery from waste water is not mandated, although it may be in future codes.

• Passive solar

  Solar shading requirements. Solar Shading and Access: Building designs using passive solar features with 8% or more south facing equivalent glazing to qualify shall provide to the building official a sun chart or other approved documentation depicting actual site shading for use in calculating compliance under this section. The building shall contain at least 45 Btu/°F for each square foot of south facing glass.

• Passive cooling

  Partially.

• Natural ventilation
• Solar protection

  Partially.

• Daylighting requirements

  Daylight lighting controls requirements to reduce energy used by electric lighting systems.

• Renewable Energy (solar, PV, others)

  Seattle has a requirement for a very small amount of renewable energy. Energy derived from renewable sources may be excluded from the total annual energy consumption. All new buildings and additions of more than 5,000 ft2 to existing building projects shall contain on-site renewable energy systems that provide the annual energy production equivalent of 500 Btu/ft2 of gross conditioned floor area.

• Local renewable sources
• Energy Offsets/Green Certificates

Enforcement

Type of Enforcement

• Local enforcement
  The State Building Code Act requires that each local jurisdiction enforce the State Building Code within its jurisdiction. Any jurisdiction can contract with another jurisdiction or an inspection agency to provide the mandated enforcement activities. For commercial buildings, the city or county, or its designated enforcement agency, can enforce the code or require the building owner to hire a certified nonresidential energy special inspector to perform the plan review and/or field inspection.
• Third party inspection
  Smaller jurisdictions with limited staff often retain third-party plan review services. Certain critical installations require continuous monitoring by a third-party engineering firm.
• Central enforcement
• Accreditation of applicants
• Post Occupancy control

On-site Inspections Occur

• On-site inspections
• During construction
• Post completion
  For energy intensive systems only.
• Post occupancy

Certification to Support Enforcement of Code

• Energy Performance Certificate support BC
  No.
• Positive labeling for building beyond the minimum BC level
  No.
• Existence of EPC register database at national level
  No.
• Inspection of boilers
  At the completion of construction, no ongoing requirements.
• Inspection of HVAC systems
  At the completion of construction, no ongoing requirements.

Penalties for Non-compliance

• None
• Fine
  Very rarely, fines have been imposed for violations of safety regulations, but never for energy use issues.
• Imprisonment
• Refusal of permission to occupy
  The main enforcement tool is controlling when a building permit is issued and when a Certificate of Occupancy is issued at the end of construction. Similar to IECC and ASHRAE
• Refusal of permission to construct
• Demolition

Measures Supporting Enforcement

• Commissioning requirements
  At the completion of construction. Considering enacting rules to require periodic retro-commissioning of systems, but have not yet formally introduced such legislation.
• Airtightness testing required prior to compliance
  Blower door testing requirements for all non-residential buildings. Testing shall occur at any time after rough in and after installation of penetrations of the building envelope, including penetrations for utilities, plumbing, electrical, ventilation, and combustion appliances and sealing thereof. When required by the building official, the test shall be conducted in the presence of department staff.
• Mandatory Computer Modeling
  For Non-residential and Multifamily Residential buildings compliance through the performance rating method
• Training of Inspectors
  Training and certification are available from ICC and other organizations.
• Other

Values for New Buildings

Code History and Future Targets

• How far in advance are future targets set?

  3-5 years
• Are stakeholders informed of future targets far in advance?

  Yes

Zero Energy Targets

• Definition of nZEB/ZEB/Plus Energy etc

  Partially, no official definition.

• Are all end uses considered in the target?
• Is there a realistic roadmap towards ZEB
• National Target date for nZEB

  Target for net-zero energy new buildings by 2030, and for the City to be fully carbon-neutral by 2050.

• Special Requirements for public buildings

Supporting Measures

• Incentives/Rewards to Encourage People to go beyond Minimum Level?
• Involvement of Stakeholders in the Development of Codes
• Level of Training Provided to Stakeholders Following Implementation of Code?
• Provision of Appropriate Information for General Public
• Supporting Certification Schemes
• Codes Free to Access?
• Text on Code Access