November 17, 2021
Keeping up with Northwest Energy Codes
Over the past year, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington have all adopted new energy codes. To help building industry professionals keep up and align with the changes, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, all publish their own suite of resources to help you navigate applicable energy codes. BetterBuiltNW encourages professionals working in these states to review the available resources, listed in the table below, and bookmark them for future reference.
State |
State Code Support |
Idaho |
Official Code Site: |
Montana |
Official Code Site: |
Oregon |
Official Code Site: (codes.iccsafe.org/content/ORRSC2021P1) Code Support Resources: State of Oregon Codes and Standards Support (www.oregon.gov/bcd/codes-stand/Pages/residential-structures.aspx) |
Washington |
Official Code Site: (sbcc.wa.gov/state-codes-regulations-guidelines/state-building-code/energy-code) Code Support Resources: |
Additional Resources
In addition to the general support offered above, states often produce updates that explain how codes are being adopted and interpreted. In Washington state for instance, a recent emergency ruling was posted regarding supply chain impacts to heat pump compressors and the energy code. In Oregon, a new technical bulletin has recently been released regarding HVAC ductwork installation and insulation. In addition to the websites listed above, BetterBuiltNW recommends signing up for state specific-newsletters and distribution lists, shown in the table below, to stay up to date on how the energy codes apply and are interpreted.
Note, these additional resources may include technical bulletins, answers and opinions, and emergency rulings in addition to newsletters, so please review the contents of each page.
State |
Link |
Idaho |
Send an email to energy@idaho.org and ask to subscribe to the code newsletter. |
Montana |
To view previously posted newsletters: https://deq.mt.gov/energy/Programs/code Send an email to carl.little@littlewise.net and ask to subscribe to the code newsletter. |
Oregon |
Click the link below and follow on-screen prompts to subscribe: |
Washington |
Click the link below and see the ‘For Assistance and Updates’ heading to subscribe: |