Codes

Oak Park, IL Initiates Benchmarking to Be Climate Ready

On February 6, 2023, the Village Board of Oak Park (Village) unanimously passed an energy and water benchmarking ordinance for commercial and multifamily buildings. This benchmarking ordinance is one of the steps identified as necessary to achieve community-wide net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as set forth by the Village in Climate Ready Oak Park.

Tags

13th Annual Midwest Building Energy Codes Conference Recap

MEEA’s 13th Annual Midwest Building Energy Codes Conference took place earlier this month, running from Tuesday, November 8 through Thursday, November 10, 2022. The virtual conference had no shortage of lively discussion and useful information presented. 

 

Pre-Conference Day 

Energy Benchmarking Heats Up in the Midwest

Summer is just getting into full swing, and across the country some communities are already roasting. Perhaps uncoincidentally, the process to adopt energy benchmarking policies is also heating up. Because buildings contribute to a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions, benchmarking policies are often part of city and state energy and climate plans. By tracking reliable and consistent energy consumption data, these policies can enable better decision-making around building energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

Tags

Conference Recap: 11th Annual Midwest Building Energy Codes Conference

Last month, MEEA hosted the 11th annual Midwest Building Energy Codes Conference. This year’s conference was held virtually October 20-22, and while the event felt a little different than previous years, participants new and old still relished insightful sessions and discussions from our top-tier speakers and attendees.

Day 1

The conference kicked off with welcoming remarks from MEEA’s Building Program Director, Chris Burgess. MEEA shared insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our region, including how it has influenced policymaking efforts, code effective dates and energy efficiency jobs in the region.