2015 IECC set for auto-adoption as Illinois state minimum efficiency for new homes
CHICAGO, Dec. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Illinois became one of the best states in the U.S. to buy a home when the state adopted the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code in 2013. In the coming year, the benefit to homeowners will improve further with the auto-adoption of the best building energy code in the country, which only a handful of states will have adopted.
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The new updates to the building code include tighter home enclosures (3 Air Changes per Hour during blower door testing, tighter than the current 5), and the addition of HERS Ratings as a compliance path for getting a permit.
HERS Rating (it stands for Home Energy Rating System) is a process of computer modeling a houseplan and simulating the dynamics of the energy use over time. Homeowners and builders today can know with reasonable accuracy how much it will cost to heat and cool a home, what home improvements make sense, and how fast an upfront investment will pay off in your mortgage.
HERS Raters are the quality control verifiers for the home construction industry, and perform plans analysis, construction inspections, and performance diagnostics with duct tightness testing fans and blower doors, all in the name of building homes that will perform well for the occupants. The Illinois Association of Energy Raters oversees the quality assurance of HERS Raters across the Midwest.
In conventional construction across the U.S., most building projects do not incorporate verification and testing to ensure everything works as planned- for example, the bathroom fan may never have been turned on before the new homeowner flips the switch. Most consumers have no idea how rushed and messy the construction of a home is, and the new energy code will help to protect against homes developing drafts and cold rooms, air quality problems like mold and mildew, and durability nightmares, not to mention energy bills that can match or exceed your mortgage payment.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO LOCATE A HERS RATER IN ILLINOIS: http://ilenergyraters.org
Contact IAER Executive Director Corbett Lunsford 773-271-5310