Dallas BA Makes Case for Wiser Energy Codes at Congressional Summit
Dallas BA’s Director of Government Affairs, David Lehde, was a featured speaker at Congressman Michael Burgess’ 26th District Energy Efficiency Summit on July 27. Lehde spoke on responsible building energy codes and the danger overly stringent codes can pose to housing affordability.
Pointing to key data, he gave examples of how homes built beginning in 2010 are considerably more energy efficient than older housing stock. “When it comes to energy efficiency in newly constructed homes, we’re there,” Lehde said. He also pointed out how today’s use of third-party energy raters has increased the performance of new homes compared even to those built in or just after 2010.
There continues to be a nationwide focus on energy usage in homes. However, when considering that the U.S. housing stock is dominated by older less efficient homes, many of them prior to 1970, it does not make sense to continue to target new home construction with overly stringent codes. The vast majority of the nation’s housing stock was constructed before the modern codes and advanced building science we use today. Retrofitting older housing stock could have a significant impact.
Lehde also spoke on negative impacts some federal policies will have on American families, potentially pricing them out of the home market. Among them were electrification mandates that can increase the upfront cost of homes and result in increased utility bills, as well as a recent energy rule from HUD and the USDA that could harm the very market of home buyers that HUD was created to help. The latter could lock 3 in 4 first-time home buyers out of access to key insured loans.