Texas recently adopted the 2000 International
Residential Code (“IRC”) energy chapter and the
2000 International Energy Conservation Code
(“IECC”) as its residential building energy code for
new construction and existing homes.
The range of code compliance options in the new
Texas code spans from simplified prescriptive
methods on one end to more complex performance
(whole building) methods on the other.
This paper addresses how energy code
compliance is much simpler through the use of
simplified, easy-to-follow prescriptive compliance
options, particularly in a state like Texas, which
historically has had no uniform building codes. This
paper also provides samples of simplified
prescriptive energy code compliance aids that could
make it easier for energy code compliance in Texas
