Public Meeting Notice  BBRS Energy Advisory Committee Meeting - 7.27.26

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In accordance with the provisions of G.L. c. 30A § 20, notice is hereby given that the Board of Building Regulations and Standards 11^th Edition Energy Advisory Subcommittee will be convening a regular meeting. 

If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in the meeting, please reach out to Cheryl Yebba at 617- 701-8711. The Agency will make best efforts to accommodate requests received in a timely manner.

In accordance with the provisions of G.L. c. 30A § 20, the Board of Building Regulations and Standards Energy Advisory Committee convened a regular monthly meeting on:

Microsoft Teams Meeting July 27^th, 2026

The topics shown below were discussed at the aforementioned meeting: 10:02 AM Chair Ian Finlayson called the open meeting to order.

Informational note: All votes were taken by roll call. Where each member voted in favor, the vote will be reported as unanimous.

Committee Members Present:

• Ian Finlayson
• Rebecca Ansolabehere
• Michael Browne
• Paulette McGhie
• Brianna Skowyra
• Nathan Darling (joined at 10:13 AM)

Committee Members Absent:

• Tarica Leskiw, BBRS Member
• Vineet Nair, BBRS Member
• Rebecca Rahmlow, Architect

DOL Members Present:

• Tammy Gropman, Executive Director
• Charles Kilb, Senior Board Counsel
• Andrew Chase, Associate Executive Director

Acknowledged Public Attendees:

• Shilpa Surana, DOER

1. Reviewed and Voted Meeting Minutes: 
   1. May 18, 2026 – Michael Browne motioned to approve meeting minutes, seconded by Brianna Skowyra. A roll call vote was held, none opposed, none abstained. Motion passed unanimously. 
   2. June 1, 2026 – Michael Browne motioned to approve meeting minutes, seconded by Paulette McGhie. A roll call vote was held, none opposed, none abstained. Motion passed unanimously. 
   3. June 22, 2026 – Michael Browne motioned to approve meeting minutes, seconded by Rebecca Ansolabehere. A roll call vote was held, none opposed, none abstained. Motion passed unanimously. 
2. Reviewed, Discussed, and Voted Code Change Proposals and Front-End Amendments
   1. IECC 2024 C402
      1. Members reviewed proposed front-end amendments to IECC C402 concerning tapered above-deck roof insulation, cold-formed steel assemblies, spandrel panels, and fenestration U-factors. Members discussed IECC C402.1.3.2 and related new language permitting insulation thickness to be averaged when determining roof assembly thermal performance. Concerns were raised that averaging could allow roofs with numerous drains or substantial variations in insulation thickness to receive the same calculated performance as roofs with more uniform insulation. Members considered language already used in the stretch code that establishes a minimum insulation thickness and limits the thickness that may be credited in the R-value or U-factor calculation. Members noted that using the stretch-code language would provide consistency among the base, stretch, and specialized codes.
      2. Members also reviewed new IECC provisions for cold-formed steel assemblies that referenced AISI S250 and new default values for spandrel panels. Members discussed deleting these provisions to avoid limiting designers to one calculation method or set of default values, while retaining the underlying requirement to demonstrate compliance. Members further noted that existing Massachusetts fenestration U-factors of 0.30 and 0.32 were more stringent than the corresponding IECC 2024 value and had already been implemented successfully. Michael Browne motioned to approve Section 402, seconded by Nathan Darling. A roll call vote was held, none opposed, none abstained. Motion passed unanimously.
      3. Members then reviewed the accompanying code change proposal form. The form was revised to state that IECC 2024 introduces new above-deck insulation language and that the proposed amendment would align above-deck insulation requirements with the stretch code. Michael Browne motioned to approve code change proposal with edits, seconded by Nathan Darling. A roll call vote was held, none opposed, none abstained. Motion passed unanimously.
   2. IECC 2024 C403
      1. Members reviewed proposed amendments to IECC C403 relating to demand-control ventilation, dedicated outdoor air systems, energy recovery, fan power, fan efficiency, and duct-leakage testing.
      2. Members discussed proposed changes to IECC C403.7.1 based on the IECC 2027 public comment draft. The proposed language would expand demand-control ventilation requirements to additional high-occupancy spaces and determine applicable floor-area thresholds using the occupant outdoor-airflow component, expressed in cubic feet per minute per 1,000 square feet. The calculation would rely on occupancy densities and outdoor-airflow rates from the International Mechanical Code. Members noted that the proposed language also referenced ASHRAE 62.1 and simplified the existing exceptions.
      3. Members reviewed language moving dedicated outdoor air system requirements from the optional additional-efficiency provisions in IECC C406 into the mandatory provisions of IECC C403. Members discussed that dedicated outdoor air systems were considered broadly cost-effective for buildings with sufficient operating hours and therefore appropriate as a base-code requirement.
      4. Members reviewed amendments to IECC C403.7.4 and related energy-recovery provisions. The proposed amendments clarified sensible energy recovery ratio and enthalpy recovery ratio requirements, required outdoor air to be delivered directly to dwelling units, and required compliance to be demonstrated using ratings certified at design conditions and airflows. Members also reviewed an increase in sensible recovery efficiency from 65 percent to 67 percent, consistent with the IECC 2027 public comment draft and a related residential-code proposal.
      5. Concerns were raised regarding circumstances in which moisture transfer through an energy-recovery ventilator may not be desirable, including systems serving bathrooms and kitchens or buildings using dedicated dehumidification. Members discussed whether an exception could permit an engineered system that otherwise controls summertime humidity without requiring enthalpy recovery. Members agreed that additional language should be developed at the advisory committee level before the amendment is advanced.
      6. Members reviewed energy-recovery ventilation thresholds for non-transient dwelling units and other spaces, including the addition of Climate Zone 5A to the applicable table and a threshold based on a design supply airflow greater than 4,500 cubic feet per minute. Members also reviewed updates derived from ASHRAE 90.1-2025 concerning fan-power calculations. Members discussed the Fan Energy Index metric and its relationship to federal requirements in 10 CFR 431, together with proposed fan-efficacy increases for balanced ventilation systems, energy-recovery ventilators, and heat-recovery ventilators from 1.2 to 1.6 or 1.7 cubic feet per minute per watt.
      7. Members discussed duct-leakage testing requirements in IECC C403.14.2.4 and C403.14.2.5. The proposed language required testing representative sections totaling not less than 25 percent of the duct area and applied leakage limits based on measured leakage per 100 square feet of duct surface and test pressure. Concerns were raised that testing conducted under SMACNA procedures may focus on limited straight sections of sheet-metal ductwork and may not adequately address joints, transitions, and connections to other system components. Members considered allowing the ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction duct-testing procedure as an alternative because it applies testing to the complete exhaust system, although members noted that its leakage limit is less stringent and that its scope does not consistently include supply systems.
      8. Members also raised concerns regarding who would perform the testing, who would furnish the documentation, the qualifications required of the tester, and how a building official would evaluate the submitted documentation. Members discussed incorporating qualification and third-party testing language similar to that used in the stretch code. Members also considered whether “furnished” should be replaced with “provided” or “submitted,” but determined that a terminology change was unnecessary unless the language was otherwise rewritten.
   3. IECC 2024 C405 and NAIOP Electric Vehicle Comments Submission
      1. Members reviewed amendments to IECC C405 concerning electrical power, renewable-energy systems, interior and exterior lighting power allowances, on-site renewable energy, and electric-vehicle-ready parking.
      2. Members reviewed lighting-power-density tables derived from the IECC 2027 development process. The updated allowances represented an average reduction of approximately 6.5 percent, reflecting increased luminaire efficacy and revised lamp-lumen-depreciation values. Members discussed a new table column consolidating additional allowances for specialty lighting, such as retail display lighting, which had previously been located in separate provisions. Members also reviewed revised exterior-lighting tables and clearer descriptions of Lighting Zones 0 through 4.
      3. Members discussed the IECC 2024 requirement for renewable energy on new commercial buildings. The proposed amendments retained on-site renewable-energy requirements but deleted options requiring off-site renewable-energy procurement, renewable-energy certificates, or power-purchase agreements. Concerns were raised that enforcement of off-site contracts and renewable-energy certificates would require building officials to monitor agreements and reporting beyond the normal permitting and inspection process.
      4. Members reviewed electric-vehicle-ready requirements in IECC C405.17 and proposed retaining Massachusetts language already used in the stretch and specialized codes. Members discussed exceptions for fast-charging installations, vehicle dealerships, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and parking not intended for long-duration storage. Members also discussed allowing Level 1 charging for certain overnight residential parking applications to reduce electrical-panel demand while permitting a larger number of spaces to be made EV-ready.
      5. Members reviewed IECC C405.17.2 and discussed branch-circuit sharing and load management. Members noted that multiple parking spaces could share a higher-capacity circuit because all connected vehicles would rarely charge at their maximum rate simultaneously. This approach would permit wiring to be installed at each space while reducing the total electrical-service capacity and utility infrastructure required.
      6. Michael Browne motioned to approve Section 405, seconded by Nathan Darling. A roll call vote was held, none opposed, none abstained. Motion passed unanimously.
      7. Members then reviewed the accompanying code change proposal form, which summarized the lighting-power allowances, elimination of off-site renewable-energy and renewable-energy-certificate requirements, and revised electric-vehicle-ready provisions. No edits were proposed. Michael Browne motioned to approve code change proposal, seconded by Nathan Darling. A roll call vote was held, none opposed, none abstained. Motion passed unanimously.
   4. IECC 2024 C406
      1. Members reviewed extensive proposed amendments to IECC C406 concerning additional energy-efficiency, renewable-energy, and load-management credits. Members discussed simplifying the IECC structure, which contains numerous tables differentiated by occupancy and climate zone, into two primary tables appropriate for Massachusetts. Members noted that Massachusetts uses one applicable climate zone and that several occupancy groups had similar point allocations. The proposed amendments also removed multiple incremental options for individual measures, relocated dedicated outdoor air system requirements to IECC C403, and retained an overall level of stringency comparable to IECC 2024 while reducing the number of tables and permutations.
      2. Members reviewed proposed voluntary embodied-carbon credit options, including mass-timber construction, concrete mixtures with reduced embodied carbon, and lower-embodied-carbon insulation. Members noted that the options were included as elective credit pathways rather than mandatory requirements.
      3. Members discussed commercial and residential kitchen equipment credits. The proposed commercial-kitchen provision would require electric equipment and would provide credit where at least 75 percent of cooktop heating elements use induction technology, together with qualifying fryers, ovens, and dishwashers. The residential-kitchen provision similarly required at least 75 percent induction cooktop elements and referenced ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2025 equipment.
      4. Members also reviewed renewable-energy and load-management options, including on-site renewable generation, battery-electric storage, HVAC load management, shading, and service-water-heating energy storage. Concerns were raised about whether smaller buildings would be able to participate economically in utility demand-response programs. Members discussed that the HVAC load-management provision remained an optional compliance path and that projects could instead select other measures, such as shading or service-water-heating storage. Members further discussed that many new buildings using heat-pump systems could obtain efficiency credits through those systems, and that the proposed tables retained multiple compliance pathways.
      5. Michael Browne motioned to approve Section 406, seconded by Nathan Darling. A roll call vote was held, none opposed, none abstained. Motion passed unanimously. 
      6. Members reviewed the accompanying code change proposal form, which described the significant expansion of IECC C406, the proposed reduction to two principal tables, the addition of embodied-carbon options, and the retention of comparable stringency with fewer compliance permutations. No revisions to the form were proposed. 
      7. Michael Browne motioned to approve the code change proposal form as drafted, seconded by Nathan Darling. A roll call vote was held, none opposed, none abstained. Motion passed unanimously. 
   5. IECC 2024 Commercial Chapter 5
3. Members reviewed changes in IECC Commercial Chapter 5 governing additions, alterations, repairs, and changes of occupancy or use. Members noted that IECC 2024 requires certain additions and alterations to obtain additional energy-efficiency credits under Table C406 and requires qualifying additions to provide renewable-energy systems. Members also reviewed expanded provisions addressing the building thermal envelope, roofs, above-grade and below-grade walls, floors, air barriers, mechanical-system acceptance testing, duct testing, controls, and system sizing. Members noted that much of the expanded language provides more explicit direction for existing-building projects rather than establishing entirely new requirements. Members reviewed proposed Massachusetts amendments that would clarify references to “this code” by identifying the specific applicable compliance pathways in IECC C401 and Chapter 5. Members also considered adding the EnerPHit compliance pathway for existing buildings.
4. Members discussed exempting additions of less than 20,000 square feet from the additional-efficiency-credit requirement. For larger additions, the proposed amendment would replace the IECC requirement to obtain 50 percent of the new construction credits with a requirement to select at least one measure from a simplified table. For alterations, the proposed requirement would apply to buildings larger than 20,000 square feet only when the work also met the IECC definition of a substantial improvement. Members discussed using both building area and substantial-improvement value because the affected floor area can be difficult to determine for work such as window replacement or HVAC-system replacement.
5. Members also reviewed IECC C505 governing changes of occupancy or use. IECC 2024 introduced energy-use-intensity rankings of low, medium, and high and would trigger requirements when a change of use increased the applicable ranking. Members initially discussed whether the ranking system provided useful guidance. The proposed Massachusetts amendment instead directed changes of use that increase energy consumption to comply with the alteration requirements of IECC C503, thereby using one consistent compliance method for alterations and changes of use.
6. Review/Discuss IECC Commercial Chapters
   1. IECC 2024 Commercial Chapter 6 – Item not discussed. 
   2. IECC 2024 Commercial Chapter 2 – Item not discussed. 
7. Discuss Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated 48 Hours in Advance of the Meeting
   1. No matters were discussed. 
8. Adjournment – The next meeting will be held on August 10^th, 2026. 
9. Nathan Darling motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Michael Browne. A roll call vote was held, none opposed, none abstained. Motion passed unanimously. 
10. Meeting adjourned at 12:01 PM.

Items Relied Upon

• Meeting Agenda
• Draft Meeting Minutes
• 2024 IECC Chapters 4 with possible 780 CMR amendments
• IECC 2027 public comment draft excerpts

It is anticipated that the topics shown below will be discussed at the aforementioned meeting: 

1. Review/Vote Minutes of the following Energy Advisory Meetings: 
   1. May 18, 2026
   2. June 1, 2026 
   3. June 22, 2026
2. Review/Discuss/ Vote Code Change Proposal Forms and Front-End Amendments
   1. IECC 2024 C402
   2. IECC 2024 C406
   3. IECC 2024 C403
   4. IECC 2024 C405 
      1. NAIOP Electric Vehicle Comments Submission
   5. IECC 2024 Commercial Chapter 5
3. Review/Discuss IECC Commercial Chapters
   1. IECC 2024 Commercial Chapter 6 
   2. IECC 2024 Commercial Chapter 2
4. Discuss matters not reasonably anticipated by the chair, 48 hours in advance of the meeting

Adjournment – the next scheduled meeting is August 10, 2026