In an attempt to facilitate the sharing of experiences, best practices, and resources within the building-energy-codes community, the Building Codes Assistant Project (BCAP)—an initiative of the Alliance to Save Energy, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy—has launched the "Ten Places to Watch in 2010" campaign, recognizing states and localities demonstrating true commitment to energy-efficient buildings.
Cities and states gain recognition from the BCAP by such actions as adopting the latest versions of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings; providing compliance training; running enforcement programs; and promoting above-code innovation.
So far, nine of the 10 places have been selected. They are:
Austin, Texas, chosen for commissioning, residential testing, and model-energy-code adoption.
Georgia, chosen for model-energy-code adoption, training, and third-party inspections.
Idaho, chosen for model-energy-code adoption, the Idaho Energy Code Collaborative, and statewide implementation strategies.
Kansas, chosen for commissioning, residential testing, and model-energy-code adoption.
Massachusetts, chosen for IECC 2009 training, its residential-building "stretch code," and community grant programs.
New Hampshire, chosen for model-energy-code adoption and its roadmap for meeting the 90-percent-compliance-by-2017 requirement in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
New York City, chosen for "greener, greater building laws" and the Green Codes Task Force.
Rifle, Colo., chosen for training, model-energy-code adoption, and municipal outreach.
Santa Fe, N.M., chosen for its Residential Green Building Code, citywide sustainability plan, and water conservation.
