Alliance To Save Energy Joins White House Initiative To Incorporate Resilience Into Building Energy Codes

Updated Building Energy Codes Contribute To More Resilient, Energy-Efficient Buildings And Climate Adaptation And Mitigation

Washington, D.C. – May 11, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — The Alliance to Save Energy joined over 30 organizations and agencies in a series of commitments aimed at strengthening the U.S. building sector by pledging to promote resilience in the built environment through our work promoting the development and adoption of building energy codes. Building energy codes increase energy productivity, and reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to unprecedented and unpredictable climate trends and extreme weather events.

Today’s commitments, featured at an event convened by the U.S. National Security Council, serve as a catalyst to begin the discussion of preparation for more extreme weather events and the hardening and improved resilience of nation-wide residential and commercial buildings.

Specifically, the Alliance commits to:

• Leading the thorough documentation of general and specific barriers to the adoption of building energy codes that would reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to unpredictable and unprecedented climate trends and extreme weather events;
• Incorporating resilience into existing Alliance building energy code education, development, and implementation efforts;
• Featuring resilience experts in future Alliance events aimed at promoting building energy code development and implementation; and
• Documenting and publishing in printed and online media the Alliance’s work accomplished in the service of this commitment for policy makers, building energy code stakeholders and the public.

Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan said, “We applaud the administration for undertaking an effort to improve our built environment. A building constructed today will stand for 50, 75 or even 100 years, which is important because we expect to see more extreme weather in the coming decades. Because of the inherent unpredictability of climate trends, we do not know how severe the ‘worst-case’ scenarios will be.

“We are, however, certain that updated building energy codes and the resulting energy efficiency gains will help our natural environment be healthier and our built environment be more resilient,” continued Callahan. “Strong building energy codes lead to lower emissions – which will mitigate global climate change and have a positive effect on reducing extreme weather events. And more efficient buildings are more productive and better equipped to handle extreme heat and cold.”

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David Lanham