Recent Projects

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

BMG staff delivered “brown-bag” trainings to the engineering and design industry in Idaho on using the energy elements of the USGBC’s LEED as a guide to designing high performance buildings.  The training provided an overview of the structure of LEED NC with a discussion on the energy elements contained in the applicable sections.  BMG also participated in the train-the-trainer sessions for New Buildings Institute’s Advanced Buildings Core Performance and provides training on the elements of the program to the design and engineering community.

Utah Energy Code Training Program/ Utah State Energy Program, Rocky Mountain Power Company, Questar Gas Company

Deployed 22 days of training on the 2006 IECC to the building, design and enforcement industry in the state of Utah.  Developed four training classes and accompanying handout materials for to the training focusing on the residential provisions of the IECC, a 2003 to 2006 IECC Update Class, a full-day commercial IECC course and a half-day field inspection class.  Technical assistance was provided to all interested and affected parties to increase the rated of compliance with the IECC for residential and commercial projects.      

Advancing Energy Code Adoption and Implementation and Best Building Practice in the State of Nevada (Phase 1, 2 and 3) /Nevada State Office of Energy / Nevada Power/Sierra Pacific Power/ U.S. Department of Energy/ and Idaho Division of Building Safety

Since 1999 BMG has provided leadership, technical resources, and training to the State of Nevada as they have worked towards continually more stringent standards for energy efficiency through the adoption of the 2003 and 2006 IECC.    BMG also provided leadership to the IECC Review Committee in Southern Nevada with the focus of adopting the 2006 IECC.

The project also focused on increasing the rate of implementation with their current code through education and providing technical resources and support, which included drafting code opinions, providing software certification, third party plan review and other assistance as, needed.  In an effort to increase builder participation in training, builder breakfasts were planned for both Northern and Southern Nevada working closely with the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association and the Southern and Northern Nevada Building Officials Association.  A cooperative training effort with the Nevada Energy Star Partners was conducted for representatives of the residential building and enforcement industry.  The training covered the air sealing requirements that will be proposed in the 2006 IECC and that were amended by the IECC Review Committee in Southern Nevada.  In addition, the air sealing requirements that are part of the new Energy Star Thermal Bypass Checklist were covered. 

California Title 24 Residential Energy Code Site Education Program/ North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA)

Implemented a site-education program for jurisdictions in California focused on on-site training for the plan review and inspection staff at 11 jurisdictions.  Prior to the site visit, BMG performed plan review on two residential projects to identify problems and issues with residential energy code compliance.  During the on-site visit, the results of the pre-plan review were covered with the plan review staff in addition to answering questions on the code and providing training.  The afternoon session was held onsite with the field inspection staff where problems and issues were discussed in addition to providing training sessions.  Information that can be used for the planning of future programs was collected during the visits.

 Colorado Training Needs Survey -  E-Star Colorado

Conducted a survey of twenty jurisdictions in the state of Colorado representing both rural and urban jurisdictions.  The primary objectives of the survey were to determine what the training needs were for the jurisdictions, what version of the IECC the jurisdiction would be adopting and the current levels of efficiency measures that were being installed in typical residential construction.

Technical Assistance and Training / 3^rd Party Plan Review - Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance / Association of Idaho Cities / Idaho Association of Building Officials

Since 2002 Britt/Makela Group has been working in conjunction with the Association of Idaho Cities, Idaho Association of Building Officials, Division of Building Safety, K energy and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, to provide training and technical assistance to the building, design and enforcement industry in the state of Idaho.  Technical assistance includes providing third party commercial plan review, answering questions concerning the application of certain provisions in the IECC, and interfacing with state and professional boards.  In addition, worked with the parties listed above to develop the Site Education program focused on improving education by providing education and support on a jurisdiction by jurisdiction basis through onsite visits.  This program will also be implemented in the State of Nevada in 2006 due to its success in Idaho.

Indiana Residential Energy Code Training and Video Development - Indiana Department of Commerce, Energy and Recycling Division, International Code Council

A builder video was developed that focused on building to comply with the Indiana Residential Energy Code (IREC).  The video focused on how to build to comply with the provisions of the IREC and also provided information on best practice.  The video was designed to be used as part of a 1/2 day class on the same topic.  The video won Best of Show Award for an Educational Technology at the U.S. DOE Codes and Standards Annual Conference in 2003.  A one-half day training session was also developed that focused on compliance with the energy code and the benefits of going beyond code.  The training session was deployed in the state of Indiana in partnership with the local home builder associations.  Training was also provided in the state of Michigan as part of the grant.  In addition to the training sessions in Michigan and Indiana, four full day training sessions were deployed in Kentucky in partnership with Southface Energy Institute.

Residential IECC Curriculum Development and Commercial Codes Training - E-Star Colorado

A one-half day training session was developed on the residential provisions of the 2000 and 2003 International Energy Conservation Code, incorporating provisions of the International Residential Code as applicable.  Building science principles and best practice were incorporated when applicable.  Five different modules were developed for different target audiences.  Modules were developed for builders, plan review staff, field inspectors, Home Energy Rating Providers and decision makers (e.g. members of city and county councils).   The training curriculum won Best of Show Award for an Educational Technology at the U.S. DOE Codes and Standards Annual Conference in 2003.

Development of IECC Code Notes / Webcast Development - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Building Energy Codes Program

Since 2002, BMG has been providing technical services to the U.S. DOE's Building Energy Codes Program.  BMG has been actively involved in the development of the Code Notes that have been distributed widely in states that have adopted energy codes.  Working in conjunction with PNNL staff, code notes that have been developed include advanced (Optimum Value Engineering) framing, single top plates, two stud corners and unvented crawlspaces to name a few.  In addition BMG developed training and instructed two webcasts -  Unvented Crawlspaces and Complying with the Vestibule Requirements in the 2003 IECC. 

2003 IECC Workbook:  A Study Companion - International Code Council

Principle author of the workbook focused on preparing an energy plans examiner to take the ICC Certified Energy Codes Commercial and Residential Plan Review exams.  The workbook covers the basic principles behind the provisions in the International Energy Conservation Code and also provides sample questions to prepare the examinee to take the exam.  The Workbook is available from the International Code Council.

Training Material and Workbook Development - Energy Systems Laboratory, Texas A & M University

Training materials were developed for use in instructing plan review and field inspection personnel on the provisions of the 2003 IECC.  The training materials covered the adopting legislation that brought the energy code into the state of Texas in addition to covering all aspects of residential commercial provisions in the energy code.  Two one-day training sessions were developed for the state.  In addition, Training Resource Manuals were developed for use in the residential and commercial training sessions.  The Training Resource Manuals provided descriptions of each of the provisions within the code.  In addition, self quizzes were included at the end of each session so that the class participant could practice on typical questions that could be found on the exam.

2003 IECC Commercial Train-the-Trainer Program - Northwest Energy Efficiency Partnership

A two-day Train-the-Trainer program was developed for perspective trainers in Pennsylvania and other states in the Northeast.  The goal of the training program was to focus on the technologies and principles behind the commercial provisions of the International Energy Conservation Code in addition to teaching the code.  It was important for the attendees to understand the issues and principles behind the formation of the energy code so that they could more effectively teach.  Instructors were brought in with specialties in fenestration and HVAC.  A training workbook was developed for the Train-the-Trainer program. 

2003 IECC Update Training / Training on the Maryland Energy Efficiency Standards Act - Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development

A one-half day training session and accompanying resource manual was developed to provide an overview of the new provisions within the 2003 IECC.  The training session provided a comparison between the 2000 and 2003 IECC for both residential and commercial occupancies.  In addition, a segment was developed to cover the requirements regulating energy using features of the building as described in the Maryland Energy Efficiency Standards Act.  Six half-day training sessions were presented throughout Training curricula was developed for a one-half day course to explain the concepts and technologies behind the commercial and residential provisions with the 2000 International Energy Code.  Topics that were covered included the refrigeration cycle, description of a BTU and the relationship between an R-value and U-factor to name a few.  The training sessions were deployed through the state of Maryland as part of the project. 

Advanced Energy Code Principles Curriculum Development - Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development

Training curricula was developed for a one-half day course to explain the principles behind advanced energy technologies including heat exchangers, high pressure residential duct systems, composting toilets, solar walls for commercial applications and glazing to name a few.   

Basic Energy Code Principles Curriculum Development and Training - Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development

Training curricula was developed for a one-half day course to explain the concepts and technologies behind the commercial and residential provisions with the 2000 International Energy Code.  Topics that were covered included the refrigeration cycle, description of a BTU and the relationship between an R-value and U-factor to name a few.  The training sessions were deployed through the state of Maryland. 

Indiana Commercial Energy Code Baseline Study and Commercial Training Project - Indiana Department of Commerce, Energy and Recycling Division, International Code Council

The goal of the Indiana Commercial Energy Code Baseline Study was to assess current commercial building practice (e.g. lighting levels and building envelope compliance margins) and how it compared to the 2000 International Code Council International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).  Due to the extended grant timeline, this comparison was modified to the 2003 IECC.  The Indiana Department of Fire and Building Services  worked in collaboration with the International Code Council (ICC) and Britt/Makela Group, Inc, under contract to ICC, to perform plan review and on-site field inspection of 55 new construction commercial buildings in key growth areas of Indiana. The review focused on determining if the building plans submitted for permit complied with the energy code, and then if the building constructed on-site was built to the plans and the code.  Code enforcement personnel, who do not currently enforce the commercial energy code, conducted the onsite inspections, collecting construction data to provide a baseline of “typical” commercial construction.  Problem areas in energy code compliance were identified and documented during this study.

Nevada State Residential Energy Code Baseline Study - Nevada State Office of Energy

The primary goal of the project was to increase code enforcement effectiveness for those jurisdictions that have adopted an energy code.  A secondary goal was to provide building code officials and home builders alike with information needed to understand how typical construction practice compares with the requirements of the 1992 edition and subsequent editions of the Model Energy Code and the International Energy Conservation Code.  The fundamental understanding is necessary to support considerations of code update adoption. The project partners consisted of the International Conference of Building Officials (now the International Code Council) serving as project principal investigator, with project cost share, oversight, and technical support provided by the Nevada State Office of Energy and Nevada’s sister investor-owned electric utilities, Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific Power Company.  A residential baseline study was conducted on 200 single family homes in Northern and Southern Nevada (eight building departments total) to determine how typical single-family homes in the state of Nevada compared to current energy codes and also to identify potential energy code compliance problems related to both plan documentation and building practices.  Training was provided to jurisdictions that participated in the study.

Iowa Energy Code Baseline Study - Iowa Department of Natural Resources

The primary goal of the grant was to determine the rate of compliance with the Model Energy Code and the International Energy Conservation Code within the state of Iowa and to provide informal training to the participating jurisdictions and builders to increase the rate of compliance with the current energy code.  The statewide energy code is the 1992 CABO Model Energy Code.  The project partners consisted of Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Energy and Geological Resources Division and the International Conference of Building Officials (now the International Code Council). A residential baseline study was conducted on 47 single-family homes, and 18 multi-family dwelling units, in Iowa to determine how typical single-family homes in the state of Iowa compared to current energy codes and to identify potential building practice and energy code compliance documentation problem areas.  Informal training was provided to jurisdictions that participated in the study.    The study collected energy efficient building data from the building plans and onsite data from the field. The U.S. Department of Energy’s MECcheck Energy Code Compliance software was used to analyze each of the buildings and compare them against the 1992 through 1995 Model Energy Code and the 1998 and 2000 International Energy Conservation Code.

Code Development

Since 2002 BMG has participated the review and comment on several proposed code changes to the International Energy Conservation Code and also the International Residential Code.  BMG is an active participant in code development and changes proposed by the Northwest Codes Collaborative in addition to acting as a reviewer for other members of industry.  Eric Makela has also been a member of the IECC Code Development Committee for the since 2004.  To eliminate conflict of interest, BMG does not accept funding for participation on the code development committee.