Integrating Renewable Energy Requirements into Building Energy Codes

paper summarizes PNNL’s preliminary recommendations to DOE on the implementation of renewable energy requirements in the model building energy codes. This document provides a summary of many of the issues associated with a renewable energy requirement and provides a roadmap for short- and long-term adoption of a requirement. The inclusion of a renewable energy requirement in the model building energy codes has the potential to dramatically increase the volume of renewable energy installations in the US in the next 10-20 years. However, if a renewable energy requirement is not implemented carefully the requirement may have a negative impact on the perception of renewable energy for many years. The complexity of this issue is summarized in this document. The overall strategy advised is consistent with the figure, below. As the price of renewable energy, specifically photovoltaic (PV) is reduced the stringency of the renewable requirement should be increased based on cost effectiveness. The requirement could also be increased as the efficiency of PV systems increase. At the same time the flexibility of any renewable energy requirement must initially be very high and may be slowly reduced as public acceptance increases and renewable energy becomes pervasive. This flexibility is important to build confidence in the technology and will allow the repercussions to the national electric grid and renewable markets to be monitored. Section 3.0 of the report provides an overview of the existing renewable requirements in US and global jurisdictions. The examples found include incentive programs and mandator