scope:

ABSTRACT

Codes and standards have, through the years, continued to change and improve in an honest and sincere attempt to create better buildings. However, data and history has shown little progress has been made in the actual reduction in the Energy Use Intensity (kBTU/SF) over the last 50 years. We must ask ourselves the question-WHY? This paper explores the reasons for this disconnect between codes and standards and the actual product (buildings) delivered to the marketplace and will discuss if a national effort needs to be undertaken to establish building professional accreditation, develop and enforce better quality control by building codes officials and municipalities and could/would these efforts result in buildings that would really perform to or better than the codes and standards currently available.