Emphasis on Energy Code

By Brian Redlein

The DOB now reviews Energy Code on all projects, which means that getting your new building approved just got a little more complicated.

Energy Code is complex, and the larger the project, the more details are required for Energy Code approval. The Hub now has a dedicated examiner looking at only Energy Code, and all Energy Code comments must be resolved before a new building approval is issued.  We’ve experienced this first hand — over the last 6 months,  the last item needed on all new building submissions was the Energy Code approval.

Bringing Energy Code compliance earlier into the process is a smart move. This means incorporating an Energy Code package or a dedicated set of en drawings that have the com check along with all the supporting documentation (exterior wall details, roof details, mechanical and lighting).

Getting the Energy Code approval is all about the details. Feedback we’ve seen is that details don’t match up, or that key pieces of information are lacking or absent. With the new emphasis on Energy Code, these types of errors will trigger another submission, and always lost time.

We recently completed a project where we incorporated a en set, and the results were successful. This type of submission forces the professionals to concentrate on the details to match the com check. In this case, it helped to catch mistakes and missing information before the packet headed over to the DOB.  It’s more work in the beginning, but based on what we’ve seen, work that needs to be done.