A. Applicability: This section is a supplement to the other adopted international codes and is not intended to be used as independent construction regulations or to abridge or supersede safety, health or environmental requirements under other applicable codes or ordinances. All commercial and residential new construction, additions and alterations shall comply with the standards of this section, unless otherwise stated herein.
1. Referenced Codes And Standards: It is the expressed intent of this section to require higher minimum standards relating to building performance than the corresponding minimum standards set by the referenced codes and standards, and in such cases, the higher minimum standards of this section shall take precedence.
2. Other Laws And Codes: The provisions of this section shall not be deemed to nullify any provisions of local, state or federal laws and codes.
3. Residential New Construction Exemptions: U.S. green building council's leadership in energy and environmental design for homes certification level or National Association Of Home Builder's green building program bronze level project are exempt from the build better program requirements. Either exemption must verify that the project is compliant with the IECC, using a HERS index or the alternative method described in subsection C1a(2) of this section. The exemptions listed above must show intent to meet the requirements at the building permit review stage through plans and an initial HERS score based on the proposed design. Prior to receiving a certificate of occupancy, copies of all program documentation and a final HERS score shall be submitted to the building department.
4. Commercial New Construction Exemptions: U.S. green building council's leadership in energy and environmental design for new construction minimum certification level projects are exempt from the build better program requirements, provided the applicant verifies that the project meets the minimum energy efficiency requirements for commercial buildings, as identified in subsection C2a of this section. The applicant must identify the intent to meet U.S. green building council's leadership in energy and environmental design for new construction certification level, at a minimum, at the building permit review stage with an indication on the plans and with a written narrative what leadership in energy and environmental design points will be achieved. Prior to receiving a certificate of occupancy, copies of all program documentation shall be submitted to the building department.
5. Exemptions For Commercial And Residential Alterations And Additions: In addition to the exemptions listed in section 101.4 of the IECC, the following projects are exempt from this section:
a. Window, glass only replacements of the same size and location.
b. Bathroom remodel projects limited to the replacement of fixtures and cabinets.
c. Kitchen remodel projects limited to the replacement of cabinets, countertops, plumbing fixtures and appliances.
d. Electrical work associated with permits issued only for electrical work.
e. Plumbing associated with permits issued only for plumbing.
f. Replacement of HVAC appliances associated with permits issued only for appliance replacement.
g. Reroofs.
h. Additions less than five hundred (500) square feet of conditioned floor area.
i. New construction or additions of any size that do not include any conditioned floor area.
j. Alterations that do not affect the integrity of the building envelope.
k. Alterations that do not require a building permit.
l. Tenant and ADA improvements required by the building department.
m. Structures listed on the national historic register.
n. Modular buildings built off site and inspected by the Idaho department of building safety with the official insignia affixed to the modular building.
o. Manufactured home built off site and inspected by the Idaho department of building safety with the official insignia affixed to the modular building.
Any commercial or residential alteration or addition which is not otherwise exempt shall comply with the requirements of this section to the greatest extent possible, unless the administrators find that compliance with all or part of the provisions of this section would: 1) create an undue hardship on the applicant; and 2) not materially advance the goal of this section to conserve energy, water and other natural resources.
B. Definitions: For the purpose of this section, the following words and phrases shall apply as defined herein, in addition to definitions found in chapter 2 of the IECC:
ADMINISTRATORS: City staff from the building and planning departments who administer this section, the build better program.
CERTIFIED HERS RATER: A home energy rating system provider who has current and valid certification under residential energy services network (RESNET) and who adheres to the RESNET defined standards of practice and code of ethics.
COMCHECK ENERGY ANALYSIS: A software used to verify commercial code compliance and above code requirements with the IECC.
COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULB OR CFL: A fluorescent light bulb that has been compressed into the size of a standard issue incandescent light bulb, known for its long life span and superior energy efficiency when compared to incandescent lights.
ENERGY STAR ADVANCED LIGHTING PACKAGE OR ALP: An Energy Star certified home that includes a comprehensive set of Energy Star qualified light fixtures that at a minimum consist of sixty percent (60%) Energy Star qualified hardwired fixtures and one hundred percent (100%) Energy Star qualified ceiling fans where installed.
ENERGY STAR BUILDER: A builder who has completed Energy Star's partnership agreement, has selected a home energy rater, and who is listed on the Energy Star website as an Energy Star partner.
ENERGY STAR INDOOR AIRPLUS OR IAP: An Energy Star certified home that includes a number of construction practices and technologies to decrease the risk of poor indoor air quality, including careful selection and installation of moisture control systems, heating, cooling and ventilation (HVAC) equipment, combustion venting systems and building materials that are tested and verified by an independent party.
ENERGY STAR NORTHWEST PROGRAM: An independently tested and verified home energy certification program that ensures homes are built fifteen percent (15%) more energy efficient compared to current code building homes.
ENERGYPLUS: Software used to evaluate and analyze building energy performance.
EQUEST: A software used to evaluate and analyze building energy performance.
FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL CERTIFIED OR FSC CERTIFIED: A label that verifies a chain of custody certification that wood that has been grown in a manner that meets the FSC's sustainable forestry practices and standards.
HOME ENERGY RATING SYSTEM AUDIT OR HERS AUDIT: A comprehensive visual and technical energy analysis of a home using residential energy services network's (RESNET) protocol and a REM/RateTM energy analysis and includes a prioritized list of suggested improvements and their associated energy and financial savings. At a minimum, the audit evaluates the following, to determining the rating of the home: blower door test, duct blaster test (if applicable), an inventory of the lighting, appliances, insulation, solar orientation and heating and cooling equipment.
HOME ENERGY RATING SYSTEM INDEX OR HERS INDEX: A scoring system established by the residential energy services network (RESNET) in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS reference home scores a HERS index of one hundred (100), while a net zero energy home scores a HERS index of zero. The lower a home's HERS index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS reference home.
LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL OR LEED AP: A person who has successfully passed a test on the LEED process, points and documentation requirements, in accordance with the U.S. green building council's specifications.
LIGHT EMITTING DIODE OR LED: An electronic device that emits light when an electrical current is passed through it, known for its long life span and superior energy efficiency when compared to incandescent lights.
MINIMUM EFFICIENCY REPORTING VALUE OR MERV: A rating method used for comparing the efficiency of an air filter; the higher the MERV rating, the better the filter is at removing particles from the air.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDER'S GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM: A program based on the International Code Council 700-2008 National Green Building StandardTM and is a third party tested and verified green building program.
NATURAL AIR CHANGES PER HOUR OR NACH: The natural movement of the total volume of air in a given space that is exchanged over a period of one hour, measured using a blower door test at fifty (50) pascal.
NEW CONSTRUCTION: Any building with less than fifty percent (50%) of its exterior walls and foundation remaining or that is being built on a vacant building envelope, where no previously built structure exists at the time of building.
REM/RATETM ENERGY ANALYSIS: A residential code compliance and rating software developed specifically for the needs of HERS raters, that calculates heating, cooling, hot water, lighting, and appliance energy loads, consumption and costs for new and existing single- and multi-family homes.
RESCHECK ENERGY ANALYSIS: A software used to verify residential code compliance and above code requirements with the IECC.
RESIDENTIAL ENERGY SERVICES NETWORK OR RESNET: An industry not for profit membership corporation that is the national standards making body for building energy efficiency rating systems.
STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANELS: High performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs for residential and light commercial buildings. The panels are typically made by sandwiching a core of rigid foam plastic insulation between two (2) structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB).
U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL'S LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN FOR HOMES OR LEED FOR HOMES: A consensus developed, third party verified, voluntary rating system which promotes the design and construction of high performance green homes.
U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL'S LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION OR LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION: A rating system designed to guide and distinguish high performance commercial and institutional projects, including office buildings, high rise residential buildings, government buildings, recreational facilities, manufacturing plants and laboratories.
VERIFICATION OF ACCOUNTABILITY BY RESPONSIBLE PARTY: A form furnished by the administrators for the use of verifying, by the building owner, contractor or other responsible party, that points have been met in accordance with the requirements of subsection E, "Points Menu", of this section.
WATERSENSE PROGRAM: A water conservation program with oversight by the U.S. environmental protection agency that requires all toilets, urinals, faucets, showerheads and other products labeled under the program to undergo independent third party testing to ensure that water conservation is at least twenty percent (20%) greater than conventional items in the respective category.
WHOLE HOUSE FAN: A type of fan installed in a building's ceiling, designed to pull hot air out of the building and increase building cooling.
ZONED HYDRONIC RADIANT HEATING: A heating system using a boiler to heat water and a pump to circulate hot water through radiant floor panels, wall radiators or baseboard convectors. The pipes, embedded in the floor, carry heated water that conduct warmth to the surface where it broadcasts energy to separated radiant heat zones, which are controlled by a thermostat and served by a manifold which distributes the flow of warm water to the individual circuits of tubing within each zone.
C. Energy Efficiency: All commercial and residential new construction and additions shall comply with the IECC.
1. Residential Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency shall meet the IECC requirements for new construction, additions, and alterations with conditioned space, five hundred (500) square feet or greater.
a. New Construction: Energy efficiency shall be verified by a RESNET certified HERS rater using a REM/RateTM energy analysis and IECC section 405 criteria. Applicants shall submit an initial HERS index score based on the proposed design with a building permit application. Prior to receiving a certificate of occupancy, a final HERS index score shall be submitted to the building department, verifying that the project is compliant with the IECC with a score of seventy (70) or less.
(1) New residential construction certified under the current Energy Star northwest program is exempt from this subsection C1, providing the building plans and the constructed building are certified Energy Star northwest.
(2) New residential construction is not required to be verified by a HERS rater if a ninety two percent (92%) AFUE furnace or equivalent system is installed, a 0.62 EF water heater or equivalent system is installed, all lights are LED or CFL, and air sealing tests verify four (4) air exchanges per hour at fifty (50) pascals.
b. Additions: A RESNET certified HERS rater shall conduct a certified HERS audit of the entire building associated with the addition, unless a previous certified HERS audit has been conducted and submitted to the building department within the last five (5) years. The energy efficiency of the addition itself shall be verified by a REScheck energy analysis. Applicants shall submit a REScheck energy analysis based on the proposed design with a building permit application. Prior to receiving a certificate of occupancy, the specifications of the REScheck energy analysis will be verified by the building department during routine inspections. The REScheck energy analysis shall confirm compliance with the IECC.
c. Alterations: A REScheck energy analysis shall be submitted to the building department verifying that the alteration meets the energy efficiency requirements of the IECC or by calculating the energy efficiency rating of a specific component that affects energy efficiency associated with the alteration.
2. Commercial Energy Efficiency:
a. New Construction: Buildings less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of conditioned space shall verify energy efficiency using a COMcheck energy analysis and buildings twenty thousand (20,000) square feet or larger shall verify energy efficiency using an energy model.
(1) For buildings under twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of conditioned space, applicants shall submit a COMcheck energy analysis based on the proposed design with a building permit application. Prior to receiving a certificate of occupancy, the specifications of the COMcheck energy analysis will be verified by the building department during routine inspections. The COMcheck energy analysis shall confirm compliance with the IECC.
(2) Buildings twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of conditioned space or larger shall be energy modeled by a licensed engineer using building department approved energy modeling software. Approved software includes, but is not limited to, the most recently published version of the following: eQuest, Trace, Carrier HAP and EnergyPlus. The model shall verify compliance with the IECC and shall be submitted to the building department with the building permit application. Prior to receiving a certificate of occupancy, the specifications of the energy model will be verified by the building department during routine inspections.
b. Additions: An energy audit shall be conducted by an Idaho licensed engineer on the entire building associated with the addition, unless an energy audit by an Idaho licensed engineer has been conducted and submitted to the building department within the last five (5) years. Energy efficiency shall be verified by a COMcheck energy analysis or modeled in accordance with subsection C2a(2) of this section if the addition is greater than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of conditioned space or larger. Applicants shall submit a COMcheck energy analysis based on the proposed design with a building permit application. Prior to receiving a certificate of occupancy, the specifications of the COMcheck energy analysis will be verified by the building department during routine inspections.
c. Alterations: A COMcheck energy analysis shall be submitted to the building department verifying that the alteration meets the energy efficiency requirements of the IECC or by calculating the energy efficiency rating of a specific component that affects energy efficiency associated with the alteration.
D. Water, Indoor Air, Construction Waste, Durability And Assurance (WICDA): The provisions of WICDA apply to residential and commercial new construction only.
1. Water Conservation: All faucets, showerheads and toilets installed in a building for domestic use and restroom facilities, shall use twenty percent (20%) less water (faucets, 1.5 gpm, showerheads, 2.0 gpm, and toilets 1.28 gpf or less) than standard fixtures or be labeled by the WaterSense program, which use at least twenty percent (20%) less water than standard fixtures. WaterSense labels or equivalent documentation shall be submitted to the building department or provided during final inspection for verification.
2. Indoor Air: The applicable sections of the most recent edition of the international mechanical code shall be met to ensure proper ventilation.
3. Construction Waste: In addition to waste receptacles, bins for cardboard and metal shall be provided and sorted accordingly on site during construction and will be verified by the program administrators during regularly scheduled inspections.
4. Durability And Assurance: Details and specifications shall be submitted in the drawings, details, or in packet form with the building permit in order to promote durability, and high performance of the building enclosure and its components and systems through appropriate design, materials, selection and construction practices.
a. Under the following categories, the program administrators shall specify what items shall be applicable and provide a list of these items with the building permit:
(1) Foundations;
(2) Walls;
(3) Roofs;
(4) Air infiltration;
(5) Heat loss.
b. Before the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, applicants shall sign a declaration that states all items are installed to manufacturer's specifications and plan details. (Ord. 1270 § 2, 2020; Ord. 1176, 2015; Ord. 1170, 2015; Ord. 1147, 2014; Ord. 1120, 2013; Ord. 1105, 2012; Ord. 1074 § 2, 2010)