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Regional Solutions to Code Adoption and Implementation

Supporting the Community Energy Challenge in Illinois

Introduction
Energy code adoption and implementation is increasing in Illi-
nois. For many years, the state lacked uniform statewide en-
ergy codes due to a liberal home rule policy that made adop-
tion a purely local concern. Recently, however, the state has
taken a more active role. With pressure from national and re-
gional advocacy groups and incentives from the American Re-
covery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the state legislature
preempted home rule authority and adopted the Illinois En-
ergy Conservation Code, based on the 2009 IECC and ASHRAE
90.1-2007, effective January 29, 2010. Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons, Credit

The Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus (MMC), with funding from Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) and the Illinois Clean En-
ergy Community Foundation (ICECF), has undertaken an Advanced Residential Energy Code Adoption/Implementation
Project (the Project). The goal is to provide programmatic design, adoption, and implementation assistance, as well as
technical support, to eleven regional municipalities taking part in the ComEd/Illinois Department of Commerce and Eco-
nomic Opportunity (DCEO) “Community Energy Challenge” (CEC) Program.
In the context of changing dynamics for energy code adoption in the state, the MMC Project provides an excellent oppor-
tunity to identify regional solutions for code adoption and implementation in Illinois.
Overview
The MMC is an association of 270+ mayors in the Greater Chicago area focused on development, housing, energy, and
other socioeconomic issues. It has been a strong voice for cost-effective building energy efficiency policies in the state.
In August 2008, Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) staff presented at an ICECF meeting, followed by presentations
in October 2008 to the MMC and the Peoria Sustainability Commission. A number of local energy code stakeholders at-
tended these presentations, which covered advanced energy code adoption and implementation issues and future code
development.
With its 2007 Greenest Region Compact, the MMC had already set residential water conservation as a policy goal. Encour-
aged by the BCAP workshops, the MMC saw the CEC as an opportunity to improve energy and water efficiency at the
same time through model and advanced energy codes. BCAP assisted the MMC in putting together a proposal for ComEd
and ICECF to support the participating communities in adopting and implementing the 2009 IECC—at that point still not
mandatory statewide—including additional research and guidance for the adoption of extra provisions that would make
the 2009 IECC ten percent more stringent.
BCAP’s Role
Since 2003, BCAP and the MMC have worked together to improve building energy efficiency in Illinois, with BCAP primar-
ily serving as a catalyst for advancing the energy code. Both prior to and during this particular collaboration, BCAP per-

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 The Online Code Environment and Advocacy Network | Navigating the World of Energy Codes

formed a number of vital functions to support the MMC and its partners in developing a strategic plan for supporting mu-
nicipal adoption and implementation.
This process begins with education. Through presentations in the late summer and fall of 2008 and subsequent interac-
tions, BCAP staff provided state energy officials, utility representatives, building industry members, advocates, and other
local leaders with relevant national and regional information on code adoption and implementation challenges, including
training, enforcement, and green and advanced code strategies. Given Illinois’ history of home rule authority, local stake-
holder awareness of how to approach implementation and compliance without mandates from the state becomes all the
more crucial. Local jurisdictions must familiarize themselves with how the process worked—and sometimes did not—in
other parts of the country and adapt those approaches that fit a municipal system.
Having hosted a presentation, the MMC then approached BCAP staff about collaborating on its proposal to ComEd and
the ICECF. Of particular interest to the MMC was how an advanced code, such as the 2009 IECC plus ten percent, in-
creases energy and water efficiency, a subject BCAP had covered in its workshops. Brought in as an advisor, BCAP was
able to add further insight on this topic and a number of others, especially the second phase of the Project regarding how
to establish a viable local code compliance and enforcement infrastructure through education, outreach, and training.
Ultimately, BCAP helped the MMC design a realistic set of strategies that would guide the participating communities to-
wards achieving ComEd/DCEO incentive levels and, more importantly, help them create the critical energy code infra-
structure necessary for capturing the full potential for energy savings in new construction and significant renovations.
Status of the Project
With the state’s recent adoption of the 2009 IECC, the focus of the Project has shifted from adoption of the 2009 IECC to
its implementation. As of February 2010, none of the towns had adopted the advanced 2009 IECC plus ten percent code,
but this remains a possibility and a Project objective.
Shaw Environmental, Inc., a local environmental consulting firm, is in the process of conducting gap analyses for each of
the eleven participating towns. Primera Engineers Ltd., a Chicago-based engineering and design management firm, has
also begun a training and education program. It held its first group training session on implementation of the 2009 IECC
for municipal building officials, local homebuilders, developers, and architects. Over the next few months, Primera will
conduct eight hours of on-site training for these parties in each town.
Conclusion
The CEC ends in May 2010. At that time, ComEd and DCEO will evaluate each municipality’s energy plan and rank them
using projected energy savings and the integration of sustainability practices. The community with the best result will re-
ceive a $100,000 award from ComEd. Of course, the more significant outcome is that each of these towns will have
adopted the 2009 IECC plus ten percent and put together an ambitious, yet realistic roadmap for achieving high levels of
compliance. Not only will they reduce energy use in their buildings and lower utility bills for their citizens and businesses,
their model will serve as an example for towns across the state—and the country—to follow.
Indeed, BCAP is following the results of the CEC and the Project closely and has been impressed with the early results. The
work that the MMC and its partners are doing could become a template for conducting needs assessments, training, and
other implementation strategies throughout the country.
The MMC represents over eight million residents who collectively produce a substantial energy and carbon footprint. To
improve the energy performance of our buildings and reduce the environmental impact of our communities, it is critical
that similar regions demonstrate an equal commitment to working together on the municipal level to adopt and imple-
ment the model energy codes.

BCAP
Dedicated to the adoption, implementation, and advancement of building energy codes
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