New TN Building Code Aims to Save Energy

Tennesseans have the second-highest energy use per home in the country. But a statewide building code aims to change that.

The code that goes into effect July 1 of next year would set building standards in the state's counties and cities that currently have none.

The Tennessean reports the U.S. Department of Energy estimates homes built in areas without building codes consume 30 percent to 50 percent more energy than those built in areas with codes.

In Tennessee, 60 of the state's 95 counties have no residential building codes at all.

The statewide code was a recommendation from a task-force appointed by Gov. Phil Bredesen and is part of his plan to encourage conservation and green energy in the state.

The concept for the code was passed by the state legislature in June, but the new rules have not yet been written.

It will be based on International Code Council standards, the same as most other building codes in the state. The state Department of Commerce and Insurance is currently talking with local governments about what should be included.

Officials said the code will increase the cost of new construction, but homeowners should recoup that cost in energy savings within a few years.

Tennessee consumers currently waste much of the electricity they pay for. Although the state has some of the cheapest energy in the country, Tennessee households pay about $100 a month more in electric bills than the residents of 35 other states, according to data compiled by the U.S. government.

The average Tennessee household consumes 1,301 kilowatt hours of power a month -- more than double that of a home in New England. Proponents of the new code say it could cut that consumption by around 30 percent.

"It may cost a little bit on the front end, but it's going to be paying back for years," said Alex Tapia, a Tennessee-based program manager for the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance.

Builders generally have no complaints about the code.

"We love it," said Susan Ritter, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Tennessee. "We can't have one county next to another, where one county has a building code and another doesn't."

Bob Pitts, Tennessee senior policy adviser for Associated Builders and Contractors, said the code should not greatly affect commercial construction, most of which takes place in areas that already have building codes.

Counties and cities that have their own codes are exempt from the new law. Local governments can also opt out of the standards by a two-thirds vote.