Following the energy crisis in 1973, the United States began developing energy codes. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) created the first standard, published in 1975: Standard 90 -75 Energy Conservation in New Building Design.
However, the biggest impact came via the Energy Policy Act of 1992. This act required the Department of Energy (DOE) to be “actively involved in the development and deployment of building energy codes, with close collaborations with states, local governments, and building code communities.”
The DOE is also tasked with determining whether or not new versions of model energy codes save energy. ASHRAE Standard 90.1 serves as the basis for these determinations for commercial and high-rise multi-family residential buildings. The same act also lists the Council of America Building Officials (CABO) Model Energy Code (MEC) of 1992 as the basis for the DOE’s formal determinations of energy savings for low-rise residential buildings.
Since the early 1990s, the topic of efficient energy usage in the construction industry has become a staple in all building construction where specific codes must be followed. The subsequent paragraphs in our whitepaper will provide you an understanding of the influencers along with an overview of the codes and how they affect the roofing industry.