scope:

Introduction

Codes and Standards can have a significant impact on a manufacturer's ability to sell products. For instance, some states have adopted building codes that discourage (or even prohibit) the use of electric resistance heating in new buildings.

Making matters more challenging, there are many different organizations that develop codes and Standards including the International Code Council (ICC), the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the National Fire Protection Association NFPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Energy Commission (CEC), and others. These organizations all operate independently. Accordingly, their schedules are not coordinated and often result in conflicts.

NEMA actively participates on behalf of its members in these various codes and Standards processes.

The paper provides a brief overview of the codes and Standards landscape and, in the process, will identify certain codes and Standards (particularly energy efficiency codes and Standards) that are key for the electric resistance heating industry.