Building Energy Code

Much of the information presented in this summary is drawn from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program and the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP). For more detailed information about building energy codes, visit the DOE and BCAP websites. In 2006 Iowa enacted H.F. 2361, requiring the State Building Commissioner to adopt energy conservation requirements based on a nationally recognized building energy code. The State Building Code Commissioner, in conjunction with the State's Building Code Advisory Council, adopts rules and holds public hearings on the proposed rules. Effective June 1, 2014, the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) was adopted as the code for commercial and residential buildings with some amendments. Residential additions and renovations are exempt from the 2012 IECC.