Final Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code Package & Webinars
Final Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code Package
The final Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code package was published on June 1, 2023. The package includes the final code language, an explanatory version with annotated notes for various sections of the code, and a final code report that outlines the statutory requirements for the code and an overview of the process and discussions of the Energy Code Board.
View the Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code package
CEO Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code Informational Webinars
The Colorado Energy Office will be hosting two informational webinars on the Energy Code Board’s model electric ready and solar ready code. These webinars will provide an overview of the final provisions that are included in the code, and give the public an opportunity to ask questions. The webinars will be held on the following dates:
June 2, 2023 from 10:00 AM -12:00 PM MT – register via Zoom
June 8, 2023 from 9:30 - 11:30 AM MT – register via Zoom
Please note that both sessions will provide the same overview of the code, though members of the public are welcome to attend both sessions if they wish.
Building Energy Codes Legislation
The Colorado General Assembly passed the Building Energy Codes law (HB22-1362 Building Greenhouse Gas Emissions) in May of 2022 to improve energy use and efficiency in buildings. An updated energy code is an important tool to increase building efficiency and meet the state’s economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 50% by 2030, from a 2005 baseline. 2020 Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap.
This law advances this progress by directing the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) and the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to jointly appoint and convene the newly created Energy Code Board to review, approve, and recommend energy codes for new buildings and retrofits to existing buildings. The bill specifies the composition, objectives, and operating procedures of the new Board. The legislation directs the Energy Code Board to perform the following work:
- Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code - the Energy Code Board will develop and adopt a model electric ready code and solar ready code with the intent to prepare new homes and buildings for electric vehicles, rooftop solar, and high efficiency electric appliances. These codes must be adopted by the Board on or before June 1, 2023. Cities and counties with building codes must adopt at least the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) when they update other building codes between July 1, 2023 and July 1, 2026. This adoption must include the electric and solar ready provisions in the model electric ready and solar ready code.
- Model Low Energy and Carbon Code - the Energy Code Board will develop and adopt a model low energy and carbon code with the intent of minimizing overall carbon dioxide emissions associated with new and renovated homes and commercial buildings, based on either the 2021 IECC or the 2024 IECC, plus any appendices and the model electric ready and solar ready code. This code must be adopted by the Board on or before June 1, 2025. Cities and counties with building codes must adopt the model low energy and carbon code when they update other building codes after July 1, 2026.
In addition to the work of the Energy Code Board, the Colorado Energy Office is directed by this legislation to perform the following work:
- Model Green Code - CEO will promote a model green code that local governments may voluntarily adopt, in addition to the required energy code. The model green code addresses building attributes such as materials, water use, and indoor air quality.
- Code Training Assistance and Building Upgrades - the Legislature appropriated $4 million for CEO to provide code training and assistance, along with $21 million to support decarbonization of public buildings and communities with a focus on incentives for lower income households and historically disadvantaged communities.
If you would like to receive updates about the Energy Code Board, including the meeting schedule and agendas, please sign up for the Energy Code Board contact list.
CORA/Records Requests
The Colorado Energy Office is committed to transparency and open government in accordance with the Colorado Open Records Act (“CORA”) (§ 24-72-201 to 206, C.R.S.). All CORA requests to the office should be submitted to CEO_CORA@state.co.us. CEO is a non-regulatory department within the Governor's Office - more information about CORA is available here.
The Energy Code Board (ECB) created in the Building Energy Codes law was to be selected and seated by October 1, 2022. The Energy Code Board and its executive committee were jointly selected by the Directors of CEO and DOLA. The Board consists of 21 members representing specific interest groups and are listed by their appointments as follows:
Appointed by the Colorado Energy Office:
- The director of CEO or the director's designee
- One member representing an urban county
- One member representing a rural municipality
- Two members representing environmental or sustainability groups
- One member who is a solar power expert
- One member who is an energy efficiency expert
- One member representing professional engineers with experience working on systems for buildings
- One member representing an electrical utility, a gas utility, or a combined electric and gas utility
- One member representing architects
- One member who is a building energy code expert
Appointed by the Department of Local Affairs:
- The director of DOLA or the director's designee
- One member representing a rural county
- One member representing an urban municipality
- Two members representing affordable housing operations
- One of these members must represent a for-rent nonprofit builder who serves populations with incomes under eighty percent of an area's median income
- One of these members must represent a nonprofit affordable for-sale housing builder
- Two members who hold an electrical license, plumbing license, or a professional credential in the mechanical trades, at least one of whom is a member of a labor organization
- One member representing a statewide organization for home building professionals
- One member with building operation expertise
- One member who is a contractor who provides mechanical, electrical, or plumbing services or represents a statewide association that represents mechanical, electrical, or plumbing contractors
Of these 21 members one of the four local government officials must be a building official, and to ensure geographic diversity, each of the three major climate zones in the state must be represented. In addition, all State boards appointing authorities are required to consider gender and ethnic diversity.
Please email Adam Berry (adam.berry@state.co.us) if you have questions about the Energy Code Board.
In line with the requirements of HB22-1362, the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) directors have appointed the following Energy Code Board members:
| Board member | Appointment | Board Seat | Climate Zone & County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director Rick Garcia or his designee (TBD) | DOLA | N/A | N/A |
| Aaron Martinez, VP of Operations and Sustainability, Urban Land Conservancy | DOLA | Affordable housing representative - nonprofit for-rent housing builder | Climate Zone 4/5, City and County of Denver |
| Lauren DeBell, Chief Strategy Officer, Elevation Community Land Trust | DOLA | Affordable housing representative - nonprofit for-sale housing builder | Climate Zone 4/5, Larimer County |
| Cody Davis, Commissioner, Mesa County | DOLA | Building operations expert | Climate Zone 4/5, Mesa County |
| Zachary Esquibel, Licensed Electrical Journeyman | DOLA | Licenced mechanical, electrical or plumbing trade representative | Climate Zone 4/5, Jefferson County |
| Sean Wyatt, Business Manager, Denver Plumbers Local #3 | DOLA | Licenced mechanical, electrical or plumbing trade representative whom is a member of a labor organization | Climate Zone 4/5, Weld County |
| Thomas Riead, Mechanical Engineer, Tolin Mechanical Systems | DOLA | Mechanical, electrical or plumbing services contractor OR statewide association representative of such contractors | Climate Zone 4/5, Douglas County |
| Andrew Harris, Senior Officer, Richmond American Homes of Colorado, Inc. | DOLA | Statewide home building professionals organization representative | Climate Zone 4/5, City and County of Denver |
| Don Suppes, Commissioner, Delta County | DOLA | Rural county representative | Climate Zone 4/5, Delta County |
| Tim Pate, Chief Building Official, City and County of Broomfield | DOLA | Urban municipality representative | Climate Zone 4/5, City and County of Broomfield |
| Director Will Toor or his designee (TBD) | CEO | N/A | N/A |
| Kevin Eronimous, Licenced Architect, SAR+ Architects | CEO | Architect | Climate Zone 4/5, City and County of Denver |
| Brad Smith, Project Manager, Utility Energy Services, City of Fort Collins | CEO | Building energy code expert | Climate Zone 4/5, Larimer County |
| Rob Buchanan, Product Portfolio Manager, New Residential Construction, Xcel Energy | CEO | Electric, gas, or electric & gas utility representative | Climate Zone 4/5, City and County of Denver |
| Kristen Taddonio, Senior Climate and Energy Advisor, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development | CEO | Energy efficiency expert | Climate Zone 7, Grand County |
| Kim Wheels, Professional Mechanical Engineer, representing EcoAction Partners | CEO | Environmental or sustainability group representative | Climate Zone 6, San Miguel County |
| Chris Menges, Director of Climate Action, The Nature Conservancy | CEO | Environmental or sustainability group representative | Climate Zone 7, Pitkin County |
| Elizabeth Gillmor, Licensed Architectural Engineer, Energetics Consulting Engineers, LLC | CEO | Professional engineer with experience working on building systems | Climate Zone 4/5, Arapahoe County |
| Carolyn Elam, Sustainability Senior Manager, Energy Systems, City of Boulder | CEO | Solar power expert | Climate Zone 4/5, Boulder County |
| Jason MacMillan, Mayor Pro-Tem, Building Code Update Committee, Crested Butte Town Council | CEO | Rural municipality representative | Climate Zone 7, Gunnison County |
| Ron Flax, Chief Building Official, Boulder County | CEO | Urban county representative | Climate Zone 4/5, Boulder County |
Additionally, HB22-1362 required the appointment of an 5-member Executive Committee, which is to include the Directors of CEO and DOLA, as well as the Board's building code expert and one representative each from the county representatives and municipal representatives. The Executive Committee members that have been appointed are:
| Executive Committee Members | Executive Committee Seat |
| Will Toor | Executive Director of CEO |
| Rick Garcia | Executive Director of DOLA |
| Brad Smith | Building code expert |
| Ron Flax | County representative |
| Tim Pate | Municipality representative |
Energy Code Board & Executive Committee Meeting Materials
The full Energy Code Board met 15 times between October 2022 and March 2023 to develop the model electric ready and solar ready code. Additionally, the Executive Committee of the Energy Code Board met three times in April and May 2023 to consider and vote on remaining elements of the model electric ready and solar ready code that failed to reach 2/3rds support from the full Energy Code Board. To comply with Open Meetings laws, the Energy Code Board recorded and livestreamed all meetings and deliberations. All Energy Code Board and Executive Committee meeting materials are publicly available through the link below. The recording of each meeting is available on CEO's Youtube Channel.
The Energy Code Board, established in the 2022 Colorado Legislative Session (HB22-1362), is developing model energy codes for adoption by Colorado jurisdictions, including municipalities and counties. The Board is tasked with adopting two different model energy codes - first, a model solar ready and electric ready code, and second, a low energy and carbon code. The solar ready and electric ready code must be adopted by any jurisdiction updating their building codes after July 1, 2023, and the low energy and carbon code must be adopted by any jurisdiction updating their building codes after July 1, 2026.
The Energy Code Board is soliciting comments from the public about the proceedings of the Board, including comments on supplemental information or perspectives the Board should consider in developing the solar ready and electric ready code and the low energy and carbon code. The Board is also soliciting any proposals for language to include in either the solar ready and electric ready code or the low energy and carbon code.
Any comments or code proposals submitted through this platform will be posted publicly on the Colorado Energy Office website. No personal identifying information will be included with publicly posted comments and proposals.
Members of the public wishing to provide comments or code language proposals may submit those here.
To view comments submitted to the Board, click here. To view code proposals submitted to the Board, click here.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Adam Berry, adam.berry@state.co.us.