Building energy codes contain minimum energy efficiency provisions for residential and commercial buildings and can include requirements for the efficiency of the windows, the levels of insulation, and the efficiency of the heating and cooling equipment used. Energy codes can have either a prescriptive approach, followed as prescribed, or a performance approach, where efficiency measures in one area can be traded off with other areas.
The value of energy efficiency in the form of energy codes is recognized as a simple and cost-effective way to reduce energy consumption, reduce energy bills, make housing more affordable, reduce air pollution and improve air quality. Energy codes are important because it is much cheaper and easier to save energy before the building is constructed. Buildings consume 40% of the world's raw materials and energy and today's buildings may be around for 75 years. Therefore, if energy efficiency components are not incorporated in new construction, we lose savings opportunities over the lifetime of the building.
Building Energy Codes in the Midwest
MEEA's Building Energy Codes Program works to promote the adoption and implementation of energy efficient building energy codes throughout the Midwest.
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MEEA partners with state and local energy code officials, building professionals, utilities, and other code experts to increase accessibility to the latest code-related information and technologies, keep all stakeholders up to date on the latest activities across the Midwest, and coordinate code related activity across local and state jurisdictions as well as at the regional and federal level.
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MEEA provides factual technical and policy information and analysis on the potential energy savings of energy codes; consumer benefits, including cost savings; the cost of proposed revisions and cost effectiveness; the market availability of new technologies and techniques; and, the issues around measuring compliance with building energy codes.
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MEEA also works to improve and increase access to training on the energy codes through partnerships with the International Code Council and other institutions and organizations, through web-based seminars, and through the development of innovative policies such as the use of specialized code inspectors.
An information sheet about MEEA's Building Energy Codes Program is available in our Publications section.
Current Midwest Energy Codes
The following images show the current status of building energy codes in the Midwest. Click the image for an enlarged version.
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Residential
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Commercial
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Detailed information about each state's specific energy codes can be found via our Midwest Policies section.
Keep track of current developments in Midwest Energy Codes
with our biweekly codes updates!
