Answering the Tough Questions About Energy Codes

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Featuring

Gayathri Vijayakumar

Gayathri Vijayakumar is a Principal Mechanical Engineer at Steven Winter Associates, Inc, with over 18 years of experience supporting high-performance multifamily buildings. She graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Engineering Science and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a MS in Mechanical Engineering and a Graduate Certificate in Energy Policy and Management. Gayathri currently provides technical support to the EPA’s Indoor airPLUS program and ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction programs. She currently is a voting member of the 2024 IECC Residential Consensus Committee and Chair of RESNET’s Standards Development Committee, SDC300.

Karla Butterfield

Ms. Butterfield is a Sustainability Director at Steven Winter Associates, Inc., working with residential buildings. Her expertise is in sustainable consulting services, program certification support and implementation of high-performance building technologies. With architects, developers, builders, and homeowners, she develops specific sustainability strategies for both new construction and renovations.

William Zoeller

As Director of the Building Enclosure Services team at Steven Winter Associates, Bill has managed projects ranging from masonry restoration of landmarked buildings and deep-energy retrofits of historic properties to new construction Passive House residential towers.

Dylan Martello

Dylan is a Senior Building Systems Consultant and Certified Passive House Designer with Steven Winter Associates, Inc. specializing in Passive House and Net Zero projects. Dylan works with project architects and engineers to assist in the design of extremely energy efficient buildings. His direct project experience on large-scale Passive House certified or pre-certified projects comprises a wide range of use types such as high rise multifamily, core and shell offices, hotels, and industrial facilities.

Host: Robb Aldrich

Robb focuses on building energy systems: researching new technologies, monitoring performance, and helping practitioners create better, healthier, more efficient buildings.

What happens when you put four sustainable building experts involved in energy code development in a room and ask them to bring their favorite—and sometimes, most controversial—topics for discussion? You end up with more questions than answers!

In this roundtable episode hosted by Robb Aldrich, our guests ask each other these tough questions related to our nation’s energy codes:

• Performance Metrics: How can energy codes be simplified? Is energy use intensity (EUI) a viable alternate metric?
• Gas Bans: If jurisdictions cannot ban gas, how can we put electrification in the energy code?
• Embodied Carbon: How should embodied carbon accounting be incorporated into energy codes?
• Robb’s Bonus Question #1: How are building inspectors dealing with complicated energy codes?
• Robb’s Bonus Question #2: Should there be electric vehicle (EV) charging requirements in energy codes?

Episode Information & Resources

IECC:

• 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) – CHAPTER 4 (iccsafe.org)
• Getting Ready for the 2024 IECC: The Requirements Proposed for Residential Buildings

Massachusetts:

• 225 CMR 22.00: Massachusetts Stretch code and specialized code for low-rise residential — 2023 residential low-rise amendments to IECC2021 and IRC 2021 chapter 11: energy efficiency
• Cambridge Article 22 Green Building Requirements
• Boston Article 37 Green Building and Climate Resiliency Guidelines

Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by SWA Academy!

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We Want to Hear From You!

Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.

About Buildings and Beyond

Buildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.

Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.

Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby

Production Team: Heather Breslin | Alex Mirabile | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr