SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By City of Santa Fe
Starting April 1, 2021, the Planning and Land Use Department will begin enforcing the requirements of the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code as approved and amended by the State of New Mexico on September 25t, 2020. All building permit applications received on or after April 1, 2021, will be subject to the 2018 IECC and related changes as applicable.
The adoption of the 2018 energy code is projected to make new homes and commercial buildings 20-30 percent more efficient than they were under the previous state code, and provides multiple paths to meet performance criteria for a wider range of construction types.
Residential construction will still be required to meet the City’s more stringent green code criteria without significant additional requirements or costs (typically less than 1 percent of the median home value in Santa Fe).
This is another way the City is working to achieve the goal of becoming the most sustainable city in America. Energy conservation codes are essential to increasing the energy efficiency of new and remodeled buildings by focusing on efficiencies to three primary aspects of a building including the thermal envelope, mechanical systems, and lighting. These codes ensure a high baseline standard for energy consumption, primarily through requirements that reduce heating, cooling, and lighting loads. Energy codes impact safety and comfort with requirements for indoor air quality and proper ventilation and help ensure lower direct utility costs, which can result in significant life cycle savings that particularly benefit the most economically disadvantaged users.
Contact: Jason Kluck; jmkluck@santafenm.gov.
