Founded in 2000 as the nation’s first energy efficiency utility, Efficiency Vermont promotes the efficient use of energy across the state by helping residents and businesses build more energy-efficient buildings. The utility can show town officials how to meet or exceed Vermont’s energy codes, useful information that can be passed on to builders and home or business owners.
All new construction projects are required to meet residential or commercial building energy standards (RBES or CBES, respectively, sometimes referred to simply as “energy code”). Under Act 89 – a law passed by the Vermont Legislature in 2013 – when an application for a municipal land use permit seeks approval of a structure, the “administrative officer shall provide the applicant with a copy of the applicable building energy standards….” Act 89 also mandates that a municipality must receive a signed RBES or CBES certificate prior to issuing a Certificate of Occupancy and allows municipalities to adopt a “stretch” code that is more stringent than a baseline energy code. (Stretch codes are explained on the Department of Public Service’s website, www.publicservice.vermont.gov/energy_efficiency/rbes.) Once a stretch code is adopted, residential buildings will gain a presumption of compliance with the energy conservation criterion of Act 250 by complying with the stretch code.
Efficiency Vermont has been helping cities and towns meet their responsibility of reporting new construction and renovation projects as they pertain to Vermont’s energy codes. “As a rule,” says Residential Energy Consultant Steve Spatz, “very few municipalities – let alone the builders doing the work – understand their role in meeting the tenets of the law.” Therefore, the utility developed informational materials that can help them with compliance:
- Municipal Guide to Vermont Energy Codes and Above-Code Vermont Municipalities and Energy Efficient Construction
Builder Information Packet, which contains everything a builder or home/business owner needs to comply with the energy code and to participate in Efficiency Vermont’s Residential New Construction (RNC) program.
The RNC program can help enrollees with code and above-code compliance. Enrollees receive personalized technical consultation and performance testing, and they may be eligible for up to a $3,000 completion award for projects that meet one of Efficiency Vermont’s performance levels. Buildings that meet or exceed the energy code have reduced energy usage and provide greater comfort and lower utility bills to their occupants. Efficiency Vermont’s services are available to any electric utility customer in Vermont (in partnership with Burlington Electric Department and Vermont Gas Systems).
Several towns have begun to include energy code compliance language and procedures into their permitting documents. Weathersfield recently updated its zoning permit application form to include links to the RBES/CBES standards. Sven Fedorow, Weathersfield Land Use Administrator, says he reviewed Milton’s Zoning Permit Application with Steve Spatz. Together, they selected the language and design from Milton’s document that would best suit their town. Sven hopes that referencing the standards in the application will improve awareness of them and encourage more compliance.
Planning Program Manager Regina Mahony is currently working on an audit of the Essex zoning regulations to identify impediments to developing affordable housing. “I reviewed a number of provisions including the density bonus section in the Planned Unit Development section,” she says. According to the town’s zoning regulations, “All units in any development that is granted a bonus density must meet the Energy Star standards as defined by Efficiency Vermont.” Regina also consulted with Steve Spatz to figure out exactly what that standard is and how it relates to the required RBES. “Steve was very helpful in explaining the variety of standards that are out there and what role Efficiency Vermont plays in each of them,” she says, including EPA’s Energy Star standards, Efficiency Vermont Certified Home, Stretch Energy Code under Act 250, and VT RBES.” Regina ultimately noted in her report that Essex should clarify the standard they are aiming for in their regulations because, she says, “there really isn’t an Energy Star standard defined by Efficiency Vermont.”
As of press time, Regina was wrapping up her work on the project, so it’s too soon to gauge how Essex will implement her recommendations. “But it was great for me to get a better
understanding of the various building standards,” she adds. “I’m guessing there is a quite a bit of confusion out there.”
And the City of St. Albans recently worked with Efficiency Vermont using their Deep Retrofit Program, which helped with upfront costs and gave additional incentives based on reductions in energy use. “This was part of a larger renovation of our historic City Hall,” says Saint Albans’ Director of Administration Tom Leitz.
“In the early stages of the project, Efficiency Vermont assisted with sourcing new equipment that was appropriately sized to the building. They provided an additional layer of expertise that was quite useful, and helped ensure we maximized longterm savings.”
In the final analysis, St. Albans achieved approximately a 42 percent reduction in energy consumption for the facility – which, naturally, comes with an ongoing reduction in utility costs.
“Efficiency Vermont staff also worked with the City, so we are educated with respect to the heating and cooling systems we now have in place,” says Tom. “We have educated guidance on when to switch on and off the varying systems, which helps to ensure we remain at the 42 percent.” He characterized the process as seamless “and their staff were excellent to work with.”
To obtain copies of the municipal guide and builder information packet, or to learn more about Efficiency Vermont’s RNC program and energy code services, contact Efficiency Vermont at 888-921-5990. The utility hopes to have this information available on its website in the near future. “We are here to continue to offer support beyond these guides and packets,” says Steve.
Paul Markowitz and Steve Spatz, Efficiency Vermont
David Gunn, VLCT News