ASHRAE awarded major grant for energy code training

US engineering body ASHRAE has earned a US$2.85 million (AUD$4.17 million) grant from the US Department of Energy Building Technologies Office for Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI).

The program invests $225 million over five years, to “enable sustained cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes.”

The award will fund the “Energy Code Official – Training & Education Collaborative” (ECO-TEC), a project led by national model code organisations, ASHRAE and the International Code Council (ICC), with support from other bodies.

“The ECO-TEC will significantly contribute to advancing energy efficiency and resilience in our buildings, ultimately leading to a more sustainable future,” says ASHRAE Executive Vice President Jeff Littleton. “By empowering code officials and professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills, we can effectively transform the built environment and promote sustainable practices nationwide. We are thrilled to partner on this important project.”

ASHRAE has partnered with seven other organisations as part of the initiative.

The ECO-TEC is designed to increase energy code enforcement activities through a multi-module training targeted to building energy code officials (ECOs). An important component of the project will include connecting with disadvantaged and rural communities through new communication channels to expand the workforce and providing career opportunities to those populations through training stipends.

RECI is a part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provides an opportunity to advance the efficiency and resilience of buildings through implementing updated energy codes in states and local jurisdictions throughout the US.