Minnesota State Snapshot

MINNESOTA CURRENT CODE

Residential: Minnesota State Building Code, chapter 1322 based on the 2006 IRC. Commercial: Minnesota State Building Code, chapter 1323 based on ASHRAE 90.1-2004 DEMOGRAPHICS Population: 5,220,393 Total Housing Units: 2,132,632 ENERGY CONSUMPTION Residential Sector: 391.7 Trillion BTU Commercial Sector: 347.1 Trillion BTU 68% of the state’s natural gas supply is used for heating the home. Natural gas is the largest consumed source of energy for the state’s residential sector. Residential use of natural gas in Minnesota costs up to $8.26/thousand cu ft.

CODE CHANGE CYCLE No set schedule

Minnesota will receive $54 Million from the federal government if the state adopts the latest energy codes:  IECC 2009 (International Energy Conservation Code)  ASHRAE 90.1 2007 (American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers) Accumulated residential sector savings, 2009 to 2030, would be:  13.8 trillion Btu of energy  894 thousand metric tons of CO2 (Equivalent to annual greenhouse gases for 163,736 passenger vehicles) 

$112 million 

$112 million would more than pay the full undergraduate tuition of current students at private universities in Minnesota.

FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES: In February 2009 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated $3.1 billion for U.S. Department of Energy’s State Energy Program (SEP) to assist states with building energy efficiency efforts. As one of the requirements to receive SEP grants, state governors must certify to DOE that their state will implement energy codes of equal or greater stringency than the latest national model codes (currently IECC 2009 and Standard 90.1-2007). Thus, it is in the state’s best economic interests to adopt these standards statewide and begin enjoying the benefits of an efficient building sector. CODE ADOPTION AND CHANGE PROCESS: Regulatory: Authority for adopting the state energy codes has been given to the Department of Labor & Industry. The state's Administrative Procedures Act provides for a minimum update process of 18 months. Its procedures require a formal public hearing only if requested by 25 or more individuals. The Building Codes and Standards Division delivers an executive summary of the proposed rule changes to the office of the Governor. After the Governor and State Reviser's Office approve the rule changes, a Notice of Adoption is published in the state register.

For more information please consult the Building Codes Assistance Project (www.bcap-energy.org) or Nick Zigelbaum ([email protected])

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