Current Energy Code TAG Status

The Washington State Energy Code Technical Advisory Group (TAG) had a public meeting on January 5th to review the first draft of the 2018 Code. This draft includes only amendments that have come down from the national level (International Code Council), which is the model code for Washington State. The first meeting was only able to review through the Envelope and Mechanical provisions, with a future meeting to be set to review the remaining sections.

Overall, it would appear that the national code has not made any huge strides towards increasing energy efficiency, so it will likely be up to Washington State at a local level to develop new strategies to continue towards the goal of energy reduction set by the Governor. If you have any new innovative ideas or maybe just something you do on every project because it makes sense and could benefit other projects, you’re encouraged to create a Code change proposal.

A final note on timeline. This Code cycle is adopting a new timeline that will allow for a longer review period than previous Codes. The 2018 WSEC is being developed through 2019, but will not go into effect until July 2020. The new Code should be available for review sometime in late 2019 (timeline not yet set) and there will be opportunities for public review to catch any editorial mistakes or problems before the Code hits the street.

Robby Oylear, PE, LEED AP
Mechanical Engineer | Associate
MAZZETTI+GBA
D: 425.712.2183
www.mazzetti.com