According to the US Department of Energy, "buildings consume almost 40% of the nation's energy". Clearly that is a huge chunk of energy usage and it behooves everyone to learn the how's and why's of reducing energy consumption. The building energy codes put forth by the US Department of Energy are not just meant for use by large structures such as office or apartment buildings. The codes apply to homes as well, both single and multi-family dwellings. Of course building energy codes are not light reading for the average person, but any respected contractor will know them inside and out. Let's explore why these codes are so important to the future of the country and its resources.

The most important reason building energy codes exist is to bring all buildings up to a certain level of energy efficiency. Owners of older homes built with materials and methods that do not provide effective energy savings, can use the building energy codes as a guideline for improvement. New construction projects for residential and commercial purposes will now be able to use the codes as well, thereby creating a whole generation of energy efficient buildings.

By adhering to the recommended building energy codes, contractors and builders are creating enclosed environments that do not require as much use of fuel. Without an excess of fuel consumption there are fewer emissions released to the environment during collection, refinement and delivery of the fuel.

Through continuing research into the effectiveness of building energy codes, jobs are created. Studying the scope of the outcome of the codes, and enforcing them create jobs as well. Providing training and education to industry workers enhances the skills of the workforce, thereby ensuring their continuing ability to keep a job.

Having a universal set of building energy codes provides a common platform for education. New recruits to the industry will receive the same information as seasoned experts. In addition, all trades and levels of expertise can use the same codes whether they are engineers, architects or electricians.

Most homeowners know the costly effects of mold and mildew in the home, especially if they are not taken care of quickly. Updating older homes according to the building energy codes will help prevent the formation of undesirable things like mold, moisture damage, pests etc. By ignoring the codes or putting them off, future renovation costs could end up being much larger than the updates. New building projects completed in accordance to the codes help safeguard owners from future repairs as well.

Using community incentive programs to promote the building energy codes and energy consumption awareness helps to increase the use of energy efficient technology. Resources are freed up and focused on additional research. In this way, additional new technologies can be studied and tested for a greener more efficient world.

Through a reduction in the nation's energy consumption, lower utility costs emerge and the cost of owning and managing a building or home decreases, making ownership more affordable for many people. When more people can purchase and keep a home or building, a more stable economy is created. Of course there are other factors, but awareness and energy efficiency are a large part of the equation.

By now it must be very clear just how necessary building energy codes are. The best part is by working together as a nation to reduce costs and protect our structures; we are prolonging the life of the planet, fuel sources, homes, our economy and creating jobs. The only downside, if there is one, is that it takes patience to see the long term benefits. For those of us who manage the utility bills each month, the cost savings will be fairly immediate. The larger more long term benefits come later, but they do come.

Aside from the building energy codes, there are things every homeowner can do to make their home more energy efficient. Begin by exploring the attic spaces, soffits, basement and areas where there are voids of space. Any gaps in walls, door frames and window frames are spaces where air leakage can occur. Air leakage means a loss of cooling or heating dollars. Improperly insulated attics, soffits and roofs create spaces where more heating and cooling dollars are lost. Voids in walls become pockets of cold air in the winter, thereby making heating efforts inefficient. All of these issues can be remedied with state of the art polyurethane foam insulation. Spray foam is unique from the regular pink batt because it stops up the smallest gaps and in the closed cell form is moisture resistant.

Building energy codes are not as scary or bureaucratic as they sound. They can be the savior of the homebuilding and design industry to come, in terms of making structures last longer. Talk to your contractor about the codes, they know how to interpret them.