Cost Effectiveness of 2015 IECC Compliance Using the HERS Index

Primary Author(s)

Florida Solar Energy Center
Philip W. Fairey, Florida Solar Energy CenterFollow

Report Number

FSEC-CR-1981-14

URL

http://publications.energyresearch.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/FSEC-CR-1981-14.pdf

Keywords

Energy Efficiency; Buildings; EnergyGauge; Energy Codes; HERS Index; IECC compliance; Cost effectiveness; Building simulation

Abstract

The EnergyGauge HERS software tool is used to examine the 2012 IECC Standard Reference Design (IECC SRD) configuration for three-bedroom, one-story 2000 ft² and three-bedroom, two-story 2,400 ft² single-family homes in sixteen representative U.S. cities. The energy use of the 2012 SRD homes is compared against the energy use of homes complying with the 2015 IECC using the ERI compliance method. HERS simulations for each home are conducted for both a best case home orientation and a worst case home orientation. Improvements to the 2012 IECC SRD homes are made such that the HERS Index for the homes are at or below the ERI compliance scores prescribed by the 2015 IECC. The incremental improvement costs are estimated as the difference in cost between the SRD measure costs and the measure costs for the 2015 ERI compliant homes. Economic cost effectiveness calculations are performed in accordance with Section 4.6, ANSI/RESNET 301-2014. The analysis shows that the 2015 IECC ERI scores are cost effective in all of the 16 cities for all of the homes under all of the conditions studied. On a national basis, the climate zone weighted average net present value (present value life-cycle savings minus present value life-cycle improvement costs) for the cohort of homes is $5,219. This is significant considering the fact that the weighted average first cost of making the energy efficiency improvements is $3,338.

Date Published

8-1-2014

Identifiers

177

Subjects

Buildings--Energy conservation; Energy consumption; Cost effectiveness; Building laws; Computer software--Development

Local Subjects

Buildings - Energy Codes; Buildings - Energy Efficiency; Buildings - EnergyGauge

Type

Text; Document

Creator (Linked Data)

Fairey, Philip W. [LC]

Collection

FSEC Energy Research Center® Collection

STARS Citation

Florida Solar Energy Center and Fairey, Philip W., "Cost Effectiveness of 2015 IECC Compliance Using the HERS Index" (2014). FSEC Energy Research Center®. 177.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fsec/177