IEA EBC

Working Group on Building Energy Codes

Status: Ongoing (2019 - 2026)

Operating Agent

Meli Stylianou
Manager, Housing & Buildings R&D
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa ON K1A 1M1
CANADA
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Co-chairs

 

Michael Donn
Director, Centre for Building
Performance Research
Victoria University Wellington
Wellington 6140
NEW ZEALAND
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Stanford Harrison
Manager, Commercial Buildings Policy
Industrial Energy Efficiency Branch
Energy Security and Efficiency Division
Department of Climate Change Energy the Environment and Water
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
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Overview

It is widely recognized that building energy codes (also known as building energy standards) are an effective policy tool for improving the energy efficiency of buildings, residential and commercial alike. However, even in communities and other jurisdictions with extensive history in this area, building energy codes are facing key issues, including:

  • A need for faster and easier methods to check the compliance of buildings with the code
  • A need for greater reliability in the evaluation of code compliance
  • The substantial amount of time it takes for building codes to integrate research and technology breakthroughs, limiting the energy savings potential of building energy codes
  • The long-life of buildings and thus attending to the resulting challenge of incorporating energy efficiency into major retrofits of older buildings and the role of buildings energy codes in this
  • The need to meet ambitious policy objectives including zero net energy construction standards, passive ventilation, etc.
  • The challenge of integrating various distributed energy resources including distributed solar, electric vehicles, and grid-interactive and flexible technologies

In June 2019, the International Energy Agency’s Energy in Buildings and Communities Programme (EBC) approved the creation of a Working Group (WG) dedicated to the consideration of building energy codes to foster stronger collaboration addressed at these issues.

Objectives

  • To enhance understanding of impactful options and practices regarding building energy codes across different countries.
  • To provide methods for cross-national comparison that lead to meaningful information sharing.
  • To foster collaboration on building energy code issues that leads to enhanced building energy code programs by incorporating new issues and practices.

A new beginning

Building on the very successful first phase of the Working Group on Building Energy Codes, experts from Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States formed a forum to share their experiences in building energy codes.

A number of challenges have been identified including:

  • Overheating in codes
  • Effective compliance for new construction
  • Dealing with existing buildings
  • Tools for cost-benefit analysis and affordability
  • Digitalization
  • ...

The working group will be meeting to present each country’s efforts to overcome these challenges and discuss each of the items identified. The operating agent will be collecting these presentations and will be preparing a summary report that can be consulted by both the participants and visitors to this website.

Inaugural meeting: Reframing the Building Energy Codes Working Group

The committee has had its inaugural meeting, with participation of experts from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United States. The meeting summary and the recording of the meeting are available below.

Reframing the Building Energy Codes Working Group.

Meeting Summary of the Inaugural Meeting of the Building Energy Codes Working Group.

Recording of the Inaugural Meeting of the Building Energy Codes Working Group.

A number of priorities were identified, the first of which—overheating in residential buildings—will be discussed at the next meeting.

Second meeting: Workplan Sketch for the BEC-WG

The Advisory Committee held its second meeting on Tuesday 24 February 2026, with continued participation from its panel of international experts. The slides, meeting summary, and the recording of the meeting are available below.

Workplan Sketch for the BECWG

Meeting Summary of the Second Meeting of the Building Energy Codes Working Group.

Recording of the Second Meeting of the Building Energy Codes Working Group.

The committee explored key challenges and opportunities across code compliance, overheating, electrification, and digitalization, and will develop a work plan for themed discussions as next steps.

Third meeting: Exploring Overheating and the codes I

The Advisory Committee held its third meeting on Thursday 26 March, with continued participation from its panel of international experts. The slides of the presentation by Karine Jan on the French program Adapt Bâti Confort and meeting summary are available below.

Meeting Summary of the Third  Meeting of the Building Energy Codes Working Group

Adapt Bâti Confort: Initiative to deal with overheating in existing buildings

The committee explored Overheating in building codes and will continue the discussion of this important challenge in a warming climate on its next meeting.

Fourth meeting: Exploring Overheating and the codes II

The Advisory Committee held its second meeting on Wednesday 29 April 2026, with continued participation from its panel of international experts. The slides, meeting summary, and the recording of the meeting are available below.

Meeting Summary of the Fourth Meeting of the Building Energy Codes Working Group

Code considerations on overheating - Australia

Code considerations on overheating - Brasil

Code considerations on overheating - England

Recording of the Fourth Meeting of the Building Energy Codes Working Group

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