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Stretch Code for Businesses

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1. How is the stretch energy code different than the existing energy code?

The stretch energy code is more stringent than the state’s base building code. For commercial buildings, it is similar to the latest International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2009), with enhancements that require about 20% greater building energy efficiency.

2. What is the anticipated cost of implementing a more stringent energy code?

Initial adoption of a higher performance standard for buildings is likely to result in slightly higher 1st costs for construction, estimated to be approximately in the 1% to 3% range for commercial buildings. However, after energy cost savings on heating and electricity are included, these higher performance standards save money.

In addition, the electric and gas utilities in the state provide financial incentives that further reduce the upfront costs of high performance buildings, and allow for faster returns on the investment in energy saving measures. Case studies of commercial buildings following the energy efficiency recommendations on which the commercial code changes are based have shown paybacks of 1 to 2 years, when standard incentives from electric utilities are included on the benefits side.

3. What kinds of technical and financial help are available to property owners and contractors?

In addition to the trainings that will be offered by the state, owners and contractors will have access to the energy efficiency services, including financial incentives and loan programs, accessible through NSTAR and National Grid.

4. What building types does the stretch energy code apply to?

The stretch code appendix applies to both residential and commercial buildings. The commercial parts of the stretch energy code apply only to new construction. Renovations of existing commercial buildings do not trigger the application of the stretch energy code.

The stretch energy code would apply to the construction of new commercial buildings over 5,000 square feet in size, including multifamily residential buildings over 3 stories. Specialized facilities with unusual energy usage requirements such as supermarkets, laboratories, and warehouses up to 40,000 square feet are excluded; they are covered by the base code.

Specialized facilities over 40,000 square feet are covered by the stretch code unless a waiver is obtained from the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS). Other building types with unusual energy usage profiles can also apply for a waiver from the stretch code from the BBRS.

5. Does the stretch code apply to major renovation projects as well as new construction?

It does not apply to renovation projects in commercial buildings. Due to the wide variety in types and conditions of commercial buildings, at this time there are no widely-accepted standards for renovating such buildings, so only new commercial buildings are covered by the stretch code requirements.

6. Does the stretch code apply to minor additions to existing buildings?

Additions to existing buildings that are large enough to require code compliance are treated in the same way as new construction for commercial buildings. Addition projects can elect to follow the performance approach to code compliance or a simplified prescriptive path.

7. What happens to buildings not covered by the stretch energy code?

Building types that do not fall under the stretch energy code scope, such as small commercial buildings less than 5,000 square feet, or specialized use buildings like small laboratories, will follow the existing base code requirements, which are also changing to the 8th edition of the Massachusetts Building Code in 2010.

8. What standards are the stretch code appendix based on?

The commercial stretch code for buildings from 5,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet is based on a comparison to the current edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2009), developed by the International Code Council (ICC), which will also be the new base energy code for Massachusetts. The energy saving improvements above the commercial IECC code are based on the New Buildings Institute (NBI) Core Performance program for commercial buildings, recently revised and published as the Core energy Code. Commercial buildings above 100,000 square feet are required to show a percentage improvement below American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1-2007 energy standards. This performance approach is also an option for smaller commercial buildings.

9. What is required for large new commercial buildings above 100,000 square feet?

The designed energy use in large commercial buildings is required to be at least 20% below the use expected based on the building code energy modeling standards contained in American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1 2007 (Specifically: ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, Appendix G), which is the latest version of the national model code for commercial buildings. This would be determined by computer modeling of the building, taking into account factors such as air sealing, insulation, and efficiency of the cooling and heating systems, ventilation, and lighting design. Builders have the flexibility to choose the set of energy efficiency features they prefer, as long as modeling shows that overall they yield the 20% reduction relative to the base ASHRAE 90.1-2007 requirements for the same building.

10. What is required for new commercial buildings between 5,000 and 100,000 square feet?

Builders of such buildings have 2 choices. First, they can use the same modeling as for buildings above 100,000 square feet, and meet the same standard of 20% below American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1 2007. Alternatively, they can choose a set of “prescriptive” requirements for particular efficiency measures, based on the new base energy code for commercial buildings (International Energy Conservation Code 2009), supplemented by cost-effective energy saving enhancements taken from the Core Performance program developed by the New Buildings Institute.

The Core Performance Program and the newly updated Core Energy Code are nationally-recognized standards already in use by Massachusetts gas and electric utility companies as the basis for providing financial incentives to commercial building developers.

11. What would be required of small new commercial buildings, below 5,000 square feet?

Such buildings would be exempt from the stretch code requirements.

12. How are new commercial buildings with special energy needs handled?

Supermarkets, laboratories, and warehouses above 40,000 square feet in size must meet the performance modeling requirements of the stretch code that apply to regular commercial buildings greater than 100,000 square feet. Since these buildings often have large and unusual energy loads, they are likely to be energy modeled, so meeting the standard of 20% below American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1-2007 via energy modeling should be a straightforward compliance approach.

Supermarkets, laboratories, and warehouses below 40,000 square feet are exempt from the stretch code requirements, but must still meet the base energy code. Other specialty buildings could apply for waivers based on evidence that they have unusual energy loads, and that they are not typically built using energy modeling.

13. How do the benefits and costs from the commercial stretch code standards compare to the baseline code?

Case studies of specific buildings by Massachusetts utility companies National Grid and NSTAR show that the savings in reduced energy costs far exceed the greater initial construction costs. If the costs are included in a mortgage, then owners would see immediate cash-flow savings. Moreover, the utilities offer generous incentives that make the efficiency improvements even more profitable.

For example, on one mid-sized office building in Warwick, Rhode Island, the additional cost was $91,000, while the annual energy savings were $29,500, for a 3-year payback. But NGRID provided a rebate of $63,100, reducing the initial cost to $28,000, which is covered by the 1st year’s energy savings. More generally, we anticipate that any additional upfront costs incurred in construction should be recovered from energy savings with a payback after rebates of less than 3 years.

14. What categories do multifamily residential buildings fall into?

Residential multifamily buildings that are above 100,000 square feet and at least 4 stories tall have to follow the same performance path (20% better than the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 90.12007) as other commercial buildings larger than 100,000 square feet. Residential buildings between 5,000 and 100,000 square feet and at least 4 stories tall would be classified with commercial buildings between 5,000 and 100,000 square feet. Multifamily buildings with 1 to 3 stories of any size fall under the residential stretch code standards. In the rare case of a multi-family building of 3 stories or less that is larger than 100,000 square feet, the developer may elect to be treated either as a residential or as a commercial building.

15. What training and materials are available on these standards?

In addition to the websites referenced, the state will provide training on the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2009) base energy code and an introduction to the stretch code appendix to all municipal code officials (at no cost), as well as to interested building professionals (at a cost). In addition, the major Massachusetts electric and gas utilities offer training on National Business Institute (NBI) core performance for commercial buildings.

16. How would the stretch code be implemented and enforced?

Once the stretch energy code is adopted by a town or city, it supplements the base energy code language and becomes the binding energy code language for building projects in that municipality. Implementation and enforcement of the code is similar to existing code, where the developer is responsible for submitting documentation of compliance to the Building Department for review, and the building inspector conducts a site review.

17. How does the stretch code work with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) buildings?

The commercial stretch code has 2 code compliance pathways. Both of these qualify for LEED new construction points, and require no additional work because of the stretch code. If pursuing the performance approach, then achieving the stretch code standard of 20% below American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1-2007 uses the same baseline and modeling as the 2009 LEED program and qualifies for 5 out of 19 LEED energy and atmosphere points. Many LEED buildings will go significantly beyond these energy efficiency requirements, in order to obtain additional LEED points. Similarly, meeting the stretch code through the core performance-based prescriptive approach qualifies for LEED points.

18. Does the stretch code require 3% renewable electricity or solar panels?

This question has come up because there is an option under the prescriptive path of the stretch code to meet the requirements of one section of the code with on site renewable electricity generation. However, this is not a requirement, it is merely 1 of 3 options under this code approach, and there is also the alternative to meet the commercial stretch code requirements using the 20% better than ASHRAE 90.1-2007 modeling approach.

The 3 options which appear in section 507 of the prescriptive code option for buildings between 5,000 and 100,000 square feet are:

• More efficient heating and cooling equipment – widely available and with utility rebates available to offset much of the incremental cost.
• More efficient lighting – also widely available and eligible for significant utility rebates.
• Providing at least 3% of the on site electric load from on site renewable generation – which qualifies for both large federal tax incentives and significant state renewable energy incentives from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust (MRET).

19. Where can I find and read more about the stretch code appendix?

The stretch code appendix language is freely available on the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) website.

Also available on the BBRS website is a 2-page summary of the code. In addition, the stretch code appendix 120.AA can be found with the rest of the Massachusetts energy code in the state bookstore. Because the stretch code is an appendix to the base energy code, it is best read together with the new base energy code document published as the International Energy Conservation Code, 2009 edition (IECC 2009) available from the International Code Council (ICC) website and other online bookstores.