Wisconsin updated its Commercial Building Code from the 2009 to the 2015 International Building Code, representing a significant change in energy standards for the state that affects building plans submitted in all local jurisdictions after May 1. Commercial buildings of all sizes must now comply with automatic lighting shut-off using either time-switch scheduled controls or occupancy sensors.
Specifically, building façade and landscape lighting must automatically shut off between dawn and dusk, as well as shut off in sync with a facility’s opening and closing hours. It also must have independent controls from all other exterior lighting. And for hotels, guest room lights must automatically turn off when occupants leave.
On Oct. 1, Pennsylvania builders will be required to comply with new residential and commercial energy regulations that align with the 2015 model International Energy Conservation Code, which is 25 percent more efficient than Pennsylvania’s prior energy code dating back to 2009. That means the energy bills in a home built to the 2015 code in Pennsylvania will be more than $8,100 lower than in a home built to the 2009 code (over a 30-year period).
In the nonresidential sector, construction costs will actually be reduced for some Pennsylvania commercial building types due to the need for fewer lighting fixtures and the use of smaller HVAC units required for lower heating and cooling loads, according to a U.S. Department of Energy analysis.
