Building Energy Code Education Efforts Reach Out to New Homebuyers

December 2000

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reaching out to Iowa's prospective new homebuyer market in an effort to increase compliance with the state's building energy codes. The DNR is targeting this sector through a variety of avenues including demonstration projects and education of key stakeholder groups.

Through partnerships with statewide community and vocational technical colleges, demonstration projects will be established for use in collaboration with statewide workshops. Contracts are in place between the DNR and Indian Hills Community College (Centerville), Iowa Central Community College (Ft. Dodge), Iowa Western Community College (Council Bluffs), and Northeast Iowa Community College (Calmar). Each of the participating colleges is building its annual building trade project to meet or exceed the state's residential and/or commercial building energy code requirements.

In addition to energy-efficient cooling and heating systems, proper duct sealing, insulation and caulking methods, and proper ventilation methods, the demonstrations will highlight unique quality construction techniques and equipment such as insulated concrete form foundations and geothermal heat pump installation.

These demonstrations will augment other ongoing efforts to stimulate increased compliance with the state's building energy codes wherein the DNR is partnering with communities to host workshops for local real estate agents, mortgage lenders, first-time homebuyers, and city officials. The workshops will present the benefits associated with energy efficient construction — in terms of dollar savings, energy savings, and savings to the environment. Additionally, the DNR will be contracting with a circuit rider(s) to provide "traveling building official services" to rural communities.