OAR 918-008-0250: Oregon Residential Specialty Code - Energy Code Proposal Process

(1) The purpose of this rule is to establish a consistent and predictable process for adopting the energy provisions of the Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC) to meet the energy efficiency goals of the state with technically and economically feasible code amendments. (2) Proposed code amendments to the ORSC that advance energy efficiency must include the following information based on a uniform set of facts and assumptions: (a) Modeled estimated energy savings based on the US Department of Energy’s Methodology for Evaluating Cost-Effectiveness of Residential Energy Code Changes (US DOE Methodology) established for its Building Energy Codes Program (BCAP) and for a 1,200 square foot single family home on a 6,000 square foot lot, including; (A) The building components, their associated input values, and their assumptions used for developing the average baseline code results, the proposed code amendment(s), and the data sources for those building components, input values and assumptions; (B) The data sources for the input values, beginning with the US DOE Methodology or other national standard(s), followed by the baseline code, then regional data, as appropriate, where national methodologies or standards do not apply; and (C) Weighting factors, provided by the division, based on foundation type, fuel type, and climate zone. (b) Increased construction costs above those of the base code that would result from the proposed amendments relative to the US DOE Methodology home and for a 1,200 square foot single family home on 6,000 a square foot lot, detailed and specific enough to allow for the reproduction of the analysis, based on the following factors: (A) A standard cost for different fuel types based on data provided by the division, or from the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) if not available from the division. These costs will be used in any analysis of code change proposals and the costs by fuel type will be used for the duration of the code adoption cycle; (B) Cost of labor; (C) Quantity of labor; (D) Cost of materials; (E) Quantity of materials; (F) Overhead costs; (G) Profit; and (H) Factors or conditions that would make an alteration, repair, change of use, or change of occupancy, or other code upgrade triggering event in an existing building more expensive to comply with, or would otherwise make the included cost analysis unreliable. Where the code upgrade triggering event would have a fiscal impact, an estimate of that increased fiscal impact must be based on the same assumptions as the initial code proposal. (3) To facilitate the needed uniform modeling, analysis, and comparison, prior to opening the period for collecting proposed code amendments, the division will, as is feasible, and in consultation with the Residential and Manufactured Structures Board, make available the following information: (a) The base code that the energy provisions of the ORSC will be based on; (b) Any division proposed code amendments; and (c) Modeling and cost data consistent with the methodology to be used for the public proposals. (4) In addition to the requirements of this rule, OAR 918-008-0030, and 918-008-0060, proposed energy code amendments must be submitted on the division approved form.