The State of Pennsylvania has joined the ranks of states and municipalities that have adopted the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) Energy Rating Index option. On May 1, 2018, the state of Pennsylvania updated its residential energy code to the 2015 IECC. Previously Pennsylvania’s energy code was based on the 2009 version of the IECC. The new state energy code includes the Energy Rating Index compliance option. The Energy Rating Index option of the IECC is based on the RESNET/International Code Council ANSI Standard 301. The option sets scores thresholds that the home’s energy rating must meet. In addition, the option requires that minimum envelope requirements and other mandatory measures are met. The RESNET HERS® Index is the most common of demonstration compliance method to the IECC Energy Rating Index. The State of Pennsylvania modified the Energy Rating Index scores to reflect the 2018 version of the IECC. Pennsylvania score thresholds are: Pennsylvania builders must meet the provisions of the new energy code on October 1, 2018. In 2017, there were 4,608 homes HERS® rated in Pennsylvania. The average HERS® Index Scores of homes rated in the state in 2017 was 60. This means that the state’s builders who have their homes HERS® rated are meeting the Energy Rating Index option in the new state code. There are now a total of fourteen states that now have adopted the Energy Rating Index option as a compliance option to their state energy code. The states that have incorporated the Energy Rating Index into their energy code are: Alabama Florida Hawaii Illinois Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Nevada New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Texas Utah Vermont RESNET and the International Code Council (ICC) have produced a video production explaining how HERS® can be used to demonstrated compliance to an energy code. To view the video, go to HERS® Index and Energy Codes.
