Stretch Energy Code - coming soon to a town or city near you

Marc Breslow

Director of Transportation and Buildings Policy, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

View Marc's Complete Bio

Forty-five Massachusetts cities and towns have already adopted the “stretch code,” which requires higher energy efficiency levels in new construction and additions to residential and commercial buildings, and in major home renovations. Adopting this optional code has helped 35 municipalities become “Green Communities,” making them eligible for state grant funding.

Stretch code communities range from larger cities to suburbs and rural towns, including Lowell, Springfield, Worcester, Salem, Greenfield, Pittsfield, Belchertown, Arlington, Cambridge, Newton, and Easton. In Cambridge and Newton, it has already taken effect as the new building energy code and it will come online in the other cities and towns next year.

As a result of the Green Communities Act of 2008, the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2009), which is the latest model energy code in the US, became the energy portion of the state’s building code on July 1, 2010. Technically, the stretch code is an optional appendix to the state’s building energy code. The stretch code allows municipalities to save homeowners, landlords, and tenants even more money by cutting their annual utility bills, while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution from burning fossil fuels.

The building improvement measures needed to meet stretch code requirements are standard techniques that experienced builders and contractors are familiar with – installing high-efficiency heating systems, ensuring insulation is installed correctly, making sure air sealing is done well, and putting in highly efficient light fixtures and bulbs. Once they have seen the details, many contractors say it’s no problem at all:

“As a residential remodeler, being in the business for 37 years, the stretch code is not much of a stretch. It’s how we build responsibly anyway. It’s just smart building,” says Paul Morse of Morse Construction, Inc. in Somerville.

“I have completed over 25 homes in the past four years in Tyngsborough, Townsend and Acton that would meet the stretch code requirement. The energy efficient homes have sold faster than competitors in my market,” adds Carter Scott of Transformations, Inc. in Townsend.

Independent economic modeling done for the state estimates that, for a typical 2,700 square foot single-family home, building to the stretch code specs will reduce electricity and heating costs by about $500 a year over the IECC 2009 base energy code, while only adding $130 to annual mortgage costs - a substantial net savings beginning the first year of home ownership. (Calculation details: extra construction cost to meet the stretch code is about $3,000, out of which the Mass. Energy Star Homes program will rebate $1,300, for a net cost of $1,700. When rolled into a 30-year mortgage, the annual cost is around $130.)

The Department of Energy Resources’ Green Communities Program can help interested cities and towns understand the stretch code and plan a process for adopting it. The program has four coordinators covering different regions of the state, and is providing consultant support to over 100 communities. In addition, for builders and subcontractors, the state is sponsoring a second round of training that explains in detail the new base and stretch energy codes. Watch for local or regional forums near you. For more details, visit the DOER building codes page.

Comments

[Mark Sandeen]

Lexington was one of the communities that adopted the stretch energy code in March. Our Town Meeting members voted to adopt the stretch energy code unanimously.

As part of our campaign to adopt the stretch energy code, we put together a website (http://buildabetterfuture.org) that is dedicated to helping residents, builders, and town officials understand the benefits of the stretch energy code.

Stretch Energy Code complaint homes save residents money, increases the comfort and health of their homes, provides independent verification of construction quality, and on top of that improves the local economy and environment.

[Maura O'Gara]

The City of Quincy passed the Stretch Code last week at a special meeting of the City Council. The state’s Department of Energy Resources and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs played an important part in the process of adopting the code. They participated in multiple meetings (with city staff, the City Council, and the public), providing valuable information, answering questions, and addressing any concerns about the Stretch Code.

[Vernon Woodworth]

The "Stretch" code has gained recognition across the country for its innovative approach to enhanced building energy efficiency. As pioneering effort, questions are bound to arise. Here are a few that have come up for me:
1) As I read it the requirements of the "Stretch" code apply to all residential renovation but not to renovation or change in use of commercial buildings. However existing buildings are responsible for the lion's share of energy consumption in the built environment. Should renovations in commercial buildings be included in future versions of the "Stretch" code?
2) New commercial construction under 100,000 sf may choose among two compliance paths: prescriptive (IECC 2012 w/Core Performance enhancements) or performance-based (ASHRAE 90.1-2007). The latter path requires computer modeling, but does not, by my reading, require commissioning. The process of predicting energy use by computer modeling has been demonstrated to have limited accuracy, as follow-up analysis of LEED certified buildings demonstrates. However commissioning is rapidly becoming recognized as the single most effective step to achieving enhanced energy performance. Should future versions of the Stretch" code require commissioning for all commercial projects?
3) The "Stretch Code Q & A" document on the EOEA website states that, for commercial projects, most if not all of the prescriptive requirements will be adopted statewide when the 2012 IECC goes into effect, probably in the middle of 2013. Due to generous concurrency periods compliance with the "Stretch" code is currently only mandatory in two of the 45 adopting jurisdictions (Newton and Cambridge). The other 43 become mandatory on January 1, 2011, and any other jurisdictions that adopt between now and then will require mandatory compliance on July 1, 2011. Is the logical conclusion here that the "Stretch" code has an effective life of 2 1/2 years? Or are there plans in the works to either a) shorten the phase-in period after adoption, or b) increase the stringency of the "Stretch" code?

[Stephen Greene, Member City of Lowell Green Building Commission]

As a member of the City of Lowell Green Building Commission which worked with and had the full support of our City Council, adopting Stretch Code was the logical choice. In the long run it saves the owner and the City money and carbon respectively. Since it was coming anyway, adopting it sooner also positioned the City for Green Communities funds. A win win for all.

I personnaly think there is a hidden benefit to the Stretch Code that the owner will realize in the long run - the fact that more attention is being paid to contruction details that end up hidden from view.

[Dorian Alba]

Table 507.2.1(4) in the "stretch code" requires 90% efficiency. Does this table apply to rooftop gas-fired packaged VAV units? If so, has anyone found such a product? Currently 80-82% efficiency is the market maximum.

[Michael Greis]

In these difficult economic times, it's especially important to stress how "fiscally responsible" the stretch code is when it is in front of a Board of Selectmen and a Town Meeting. The stretch code is life-cycle costing at its best - accounting for the full costs and benefits of a project over its lifetime.

It's great to have some builders to reference, but another group I want to get on board is realtors. I can see and articulate benefits to realtors, but it would be much more powerful to find someone in the realtor community that could help me and people in other communities talk to this influential constituency.

[Richard Freeman]

how would someone become a inspector for this? is there a license that one can earn. or a test to take?

[Steve Martin]

Sounds to me it will bog down the process of a homeowner and contractor to get a project started and completed. Any homeowner and quality contractor will be taking effeciency into account from the beginning. Has anyone calculated the additional thousands of dollars this will add to a average project. To me it seems like another money grab for the city & town coffers.