Building Energy Code Development, Compliance, and Enforcement Training & Resources

Energy codes set minimum energy efficiency requirements for building design and construction. Energy code development, compliance, and enforcement are essential components of mitigating the long-term energy use, utility costs, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over a building’s lifetime. To meet the requirements of a building infrastructure as outlined in the Clean Energy Fund (CEF) Codes Chapter and, longer-term, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), NYSERDA supports training and resources to improve energy code enforcement and compliance, develops and advances energy codes with higher performance standards, and assists with state and local energy code adoption.   

Our funding supports a number of activities, including:

• State Energy Code training and resources: NYSERDA offers free and low-cost training and support services to code enforcement officials, architects, engineers, building energy professionals, and members of the construction trades—all designed to improve compliance with the State Energy Code.
• NYStretch Energy Code (NYStretch) development: NYStretch-2020 is a supplement to the State Energy Code, developed by NYSERDA and available for voluntary adoption by local governments as a more stringent local energy code.  On average, the NYStretch-2020 supplement improves the State Energy Code’s efficacy by roughly 10%. NYSERDA plans to revise NYStretch over time, in an effort to continue advancing building efficiency.

Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about NYSERDA’s Building Energy Code activities, see additional details on our website or contact [email protected] for more information.