West Virginia's residential building code is mandatory statewide; however, adoption by jurisdictions is voluntary. The 2013 West Virginia Legislature passed and Governor Earl Tomblin signed into law a bill updating the state’s building energy code to follow the 2009 IECC for residential buildings. The West Virginia Fire Commission, which promulgates the state’s building energy code, set the effective date for the new residential code to become effective November 30, 2013.

Stakeholder Advisory Group: An informal partnership of stakeholders in W.Va.’s built community worked together to effect the adoption of the 2009 IECC, evidenced by a slightly later effective date for the code. Parties agreed to a later implementation date so that the WV Division of Energy could provide training on the new code to as many home builders as possible. This partnership was formalized at the “Next Steps” meeting on May 16, 2013, at the offices of the WV Division of Energy. Representatives from the home builders, code officials, architects and, importantly, realtors met to determine the next steps for continuing education, including CE credits for each industry, on the codes. Appraisers have since joined the effort.

ACEEE 's 2012 State Scorecard Ranking for WV: 49 Prior to 11/30/2013 Post 11/30/2013 ACEEE 's 2012 State Scorecard Ranking for WV: 46

Climate Zone 4 Values Ceiling R-value38 Wood Frame Wall R-value13 Mass Wall R-value5/10 Floor R-value19 Basement Wall R-value10/13 Slab R-value, Depth10, 2 ft Crawlspace Wall R-value 10/13 Fenestration U-Factor 0.35 Skylight U-Factor 0.60 Glazed fenestration SHGCNR 4 5 4

Building envelope must be caulked and sealed Slab-on-grade insulation is R-10 to a depth of 2 feet Supply ducts in attic must be insulated to R-8. Return ducts in attics and all ducts in crawl spaces, unheated basements, garages and otherwise outside building envelope must be insulated to R-6. All ducts must be sealed and either: Verified by pressure testing – the duct system must be tested and the air leakage out of the ducts must be kept to an acceptable maximum level. 6CFM/100 SF. Installed entirely with the building thermal envelope - testing is not required if all ducts are inside the building thermal envelope (for example, in heated basements), though the ducts still have to be sealed. 50% of the lighting in a building must be high-efficacy. CFLs qualify, standard incandescent bulbs do not.

Life Cycle Cost Savings ($)Simple Payback (years) 2009 IECC 2012 IECC $ 7, $ 1,996 5 Life cycle cost is the primary measure by which DOE assesses the cost- effectiveness of the IECC. These savings assume that initial costs are mortgaged, that homeowners take advantage of the mortgage interest deductions and that long-lived efficiency measures retain a residual value after the 30 year analysis period.

Blower Door The Blower Door is a practical and effective way to test parts of the home’s air barrier to locate air leaks. The fan pressurizes/depressurizes the home to a standard pressure. Gauges then measure air leakage. Desired leakage is 4-5 ACH (Air Changes per Hour).

Duct Leakage Test Duct leakage testers are actually small blower doors connected to the duct system of a home. They measure the severity of duct leakage and help to locate leaks. The average home has approx % duct leakage. Desired leakage is 4% of SF of house.

Infrared Camera Many energy auditors are now using infrared cameras to pinpoint air leakage areas in a home. IR cameras are not x-ray machines. They measure temperature differences. Many are sensitive enough to detect within.5° F or even less.

Missing insulationLacking insulation

Air Leakage through ReceptacleAir Leakage through Can Light

Air Leakage through Bath Exhaust Fan with Dysfunctioning Damper Air Leakage through Top Plate

Air Leakage through Light FixtureAir Leakage through Attic Access Door