Toward a Future Model Energy Code for Existing and Historic Buildings

摘要

Advancements in the energy efficiency standards of building codes have made greatrnstrides in improving the energy efficiency of buildings. However, as energy codes become morernstringent and more widely applied, they can pose serious obstacles to achieving deep energyrnsavings existing buildings. Therefore, if we are to look to buildings for significant reduction inrnour total energy consumption, we will need a regulatory framework that can significantlyrnimprove the energy efficiency of existing buildings.rnPrescriptive codes are not as well suited to the constraints presented by existingrnconditions as they are to the relative design freedom afforded by new construction. The greaterrnflexibility afforded by alternate modeled performance compliance paths are not as valuable tornexisting buildings with their higher cost of model production as they are to new designs. Asrnproxies for actual performance, both of these can miss the efficiency strengths of existingrnbuildings and the particulars of specific and idiosyncratic conditions that affect actualrnperformance outcomes.rnThis creates the need for an additional, alternate compliance path that can not only morernably address the realities of existing buildings but also do more to produce greater energyrnsavings in existing buildings. An outcome-based compliance path would possess both of theserncharacteristics. It would bypass the obstacles presented by both prescriptive and modeledrnperformance compliance paths through focusing on outcomes. It also presents a way to advancerncode triggers that does not intensify those obstacles and goes farther than compliance triggersrnthat are tied to construction events do.