scope:

This code establishes minimum prescriptive and performance-related regulations for the design of energy-efficient buildings and structures or portions thereof that provide facilities or shelter for public assembly, educational, business, mercantile, institutional, storage and residential occupancies, as well as those portions of factory and industrial occupancies designed primarily for human occupancy. This code thereby addresses the design of energy-efficient building envelopes and the selection and installation of energy-efficient mechanical, service water-heating, electrical distribution and illumination systems and equipment for the effective use of energy in these buildings and structures.

Exception: Energy conservation systems and components in existing buildings undergoing repair, alteration or additions, and change of occupancy, shall be permitted to comply with the International Existing Building Code.

Exempt buildings. Buildings and structures indicated in Sections 101.2.1.1 and 101.2.1.2 shall be exempt from the building envelope provisions of this code, but shall comply with the provisions for building, mechanical, service water heating and lighting systems.

Separated buildings. Buildings and structures, or portions thereof separated by building envelope assemblies from the remainder of the building, that have a peak design rate of energy usage less than 3.4 Btu/h per square foot (10.7 W/m2) or 1.0 watt per square foot (10.7 W/m2) of floor area for space conditioning purposes.

Unconditioned buildings. Buildings and structures or portions thereof which are neither heated nor cooled.

Applicability. The provisions of this code shall apply to all matters affecting or relating to structures and premises, as set forth in Section 101. Where, in a specific case, different sections of this code specify different materials, methods of construction or other requirements, the most restrictive shall govern.

Existing installations. Except as otherwise provided for in this chapter, a provision in this code shall not require the removal, alteration or abandonment of, nor prevent the continued utilization and maintenance of, an existing building envelope, mechanical, service water-heating, electrical distribution or illumination system lawfully in existence at the time of the adoption of this code.

Additions, alterations or repairs. Additions, alterations, renovations or repairs to a building envelope, mechanical, service water-heating, electrical distribution or illumination system or portion thereof shall conform to the provisions of this code as they relate to new construction without requiring the unaltered portion( s) of the existing system to comply with all of the requirements of this code. Additions, alterations or repairs shall not cause any one of the aforementioned and existing systems to become unsafe, hazardous or overloaded.

Historic buildings. The provisions of this code relating to the construction, alteration, repair, enlargement, restoration, relocation or movement of buildings or structures shall not be mandatory for existing buildings or structures specifically identified and classified as historically significant by the state or local jurisdiction, listed in The National Register of Historic Places or which have been determined to be eligible for such listing.

Change in occupancy. It shall be unlawful to make a change in the occupancy of any building or structure which would result in an increase in demand for either fossil fuel or electrical energy supply unless such building or structure is made to comply with the requirements of this code or otherwise approved by the authority having jurisdiction. The code official shall certify that such building or structure meets the intent of the provisions of law governing building construction for the proposed new occupancy and that such change of occupancy does not result in any increase in demand for either fossil fuel or electrical energy supply or any hazard to the public health, safety or welfare.

Mixed occupancy. When a building houses more than one occupancy, each portion of the building shall conform to the requirements for the occupancy housed therein. Where minor accessory uses do not occupy more than 10 percent of the area of any floor of a building, the major use shall be considered the building occupancy. Buildings, other than detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, with a height of four or more stories above grade shall be considered commercial buildings for purposes of this code, regardless of the number of floors that are classified as residential occupancy.