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In this Newsletter:
- Upcoming Webinars
- Save These Dates!
- Texas Codes Legislative Update
- Noteworthy
- What We're Reading
- In Case You Haven't Heard the News
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Climate-Proofing Texas Homes: HVAC and Energy Code Best Practices for Resilience
Join us for an in-depth session on how to enhance home resilience through weatherization, energy-efficient practices and HVAC system improvements. This webinar will cover essential updates in energy codes, climate-proofing techniques, and best practices for HVAC contractors, focusing on the crucial role of energy codes in mitigating climate extremes.
When: May 21st, 2025, 10:00 AM Central Time
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Houston GBRC Webinar: "Weatherization Training for Homeowners or Contractors"
Join the Houston Green Building Resource Center as SPEER's Senior Manager of Building Performance, Randy Plumlee, will provide a 1-hour overview on weatherization, a crucial step in improving energy efficiency, reducing utility bills, and enhancing indoor comfort.
This training is designed for homeowners and contractors looking to understand and implement effective weatherization techniques. Participants will learn how to identify common sources of energy loss, such as air leaks, insufficient insulation, and outdated windows and doors.
The course covers best practices for sealing air leaks, adding insulation, and upgrading ventilation systems to ensure energy efficiency without compromising indoor air quality. Contractors will also gain insight into industry standards, diagnostic testing methods, and proper material installation for maximizing energy savings. By the end of this training, attendees will have the knowledge and skills needed to improve home energy performance, lower heating and cooling costs, and create a healthier indoor environment.
When: May 22nd, 11:00 AM Central Time
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Features and Benefits of Utilizing Heat Pumps - Featuring Mitsubishi Technologies
Join us for an informative and engaging webinar where we will explore the advantages of incorporating heat pumps into residential and commercial buildings. This session will feature Mitsubishi Technologies, a leading name in the HVAC industry, as we dive into the features, performance, and sustainability benefits of heat pump systems.
Key Topics Include:
- Understanding the technology behind heat pumps and their versatility in heating and cooling
- Benefits of heat pumps for energy efficiency, cost savings, and environmental impact
- How heat pumps align with building energy codes and sustainability goals
- Best practices for inspecting and verifying heat pump installations for compliance
- Mitsubishi’s advanced heat pump models: Features, performance, and installation considerations
Sign up today and gain a deeper understanding of heat pump technologies and how they are shaping the future of sustainable construction and energy performance!
When: May 27th, 2025, 10:30 AM Central Time
| | Meeting Announcement: OUBCC Technical Committee IRC Chapter 11 Review | | |
The Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Committee (OUBCC) Technical Committee will meet on Wednesday, May 28th, to review proposed amendments to the residential building code, focusing on energy efficiency. This is a key opportunity to bring Oklahoma’s energy codes up to much improved standards.
Anyone is welcome to attend. We urge attendees to ask the committee to update Oklahoma’s codes, which lag behind national standards. The state still operates on effectively 2009 IECC, contributing to unnecessarily high utility bills for homeowners due to outdated building practices.
Oklahoma is one of the few states still relying on the heavily amended energy codes, even though more energy-efficient options are available. Improving energy efficiency will reduce utility costs, enhance building quality, and make better use of our resources. Stronger performance metrics related to codes at a national level continue to gain momentum. Oklahoma is ripe for improved performance which adds to grid resiliency, energy sustainability and more disposable income for all Oklahomans.
See the Technical Committee Agendas & Minutes.
When:May 28, 2025, 9:00 AM
Where: Shepherd Mall, 2401 NW 23rd St. Suite 82, Oklahoma City, OK 73107
| | Empower Efficiency: SPEER's 2025 Industry + Policy Workshop | | |
Empower efficiency and show your support! Registration is open – save your spot now and consider becoming a sponsor of SPEER’s 2025 Industry + Policy Workshop.
While last year’s record-setting event will be hard to top, we’re excited to set the bar even higher this year in a larger venue. We'll have a stacked schedule this year, with session topics including:
- Unlocking the Power of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) and Aggregation for a Resilient Energy Future
- Powering forward with AI: Integrating Policy, Smart Data Analytics, and Decarbonization for Energy Savings Strategies
- The Future of the Texas Energy Grid: Modernization & Resilience
- The Business of Energy Efficiency: ROI & Market Opportunities
- And much more
Full agenda coming soon!
Huge shout out to Mitsubishi Electric and WaterFurnace International for joining us as sponsors. Multiple sponsorship packages are available. Head here to find the best fit for your organization!
** Early bird pricing ends June 30th. Register now!
| | Texas Codes Legislative Update | | |
Important Bill Proposals for Texas
HB 871 – Residential and Commercial Building Codes
- Author: Rep. Ron Reynolds (D)
- Status: Introduced on March 5, 2025; referred to the House Land & Resource Management Committee. Scheduled for a public hearing on May 1, 2025.
- Summary: This bill seeks to standardize municipal adoption of building codes by requiring cities to base their residential and commercial building codes on the International Residential Code (IRC) and the International Building Code (IBC) as they existed on May 1, 2021. It aims to limit local governments' ability to adopt more stringent codes, potentially impacting energy efficiency and sustainability standards.
SB 783 – Regulations for Building Construction
- Authors: Sen. José Menéndez (D), Sen. César Blanco (D), Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D), Sen. Royce West (D); House Sponsors: Rep. Ana Hernández (D), Rep. Drew Darby (R)
- Status: Passed the Senate on May 8, 2025.
- Summary: SB 783 addresses regulations adopted by governmental entities for the construction or alteration of residential or commercial buildings. While the specific details of the bill are not provided in the available sources, it is related to building codes and regulations.
HB 4443 – Energy Efficiency Workforce Training
- Authors: Rep. Salman Bhojani (D), Rep. Keith Bell (R), Rep. Oscar Longoria (D), Rep. John Lujan (R), Rep. Claudia Ordaz Pérez (D)
- Status: Reported favorably as substituted on April 25, 2025.
- Summary: HB 4443 proposes the establishment of a pilot program by the Texas Workforce Commission to train workers for careers in energy-efficient technologies. The program aims to address the growing demand for skilled professionals in the energy efficiency sector.
SB 2717 – Texas Energy Efficiency Council
- Author: Sen. José Menéndez (D)
- Status: Introduced on March 24, 2025; referred to the Senate Business & Commerce Committee.
- Summary: SB 2717 proposes the creation of the Texas Energy Efficiency Council. The council would be tasked with evaluating and making recommendations for promoting energy efficiency statewide, including measuring and reporting on energy efficiency performance, coordinating federal funding opportunities, and providing a central repository for information on energy efficiency programs.
HB 5323 – Texas Energy Waste Advisory Committee
- Authors: Rep. Ken King (R), Rep. Penny Morales Shaw (D)
- Status: Passed to engrossment on May 7, 2025.
- Summary: HB 5323 aims to establish the Texas Energy Waste Advisory Committee. The committee would be tasked with making recommendations to enhance energy efficiency and reduce energy waste, particularly in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power region. The goal is to improve the reliability of electric service and support demand response programs.
Check out the SPEER Policy Page for regularly updated bill trackers as the remainder of the session progresses!
| | Recap: Recent SPEER Heat Pump Contractor Training Workshops | | |
Following last year's successful event, SPEER held two more well-attended Heat Pump Contractor Training Workshops in April. First stop was in Austin with our sponsor Austin Energy, followed by a workshop in Houston with CenterPoint Energy.
Experts from Daikin Comfort and Mitsubishi Electric covered new and future heat pump technologies, the long-term effects of market transformation opportunities, benefits and barriers of heat pump installation, incentives, and much more.
Huge thanks to our partners and everyone who attended. If you're interested in learning more about this technology or SPEER bringing a training to your region please contact us!
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Where I'm Headed:
When: May 28th
Where: OUBCC Meeting reviewing the 2021/2024 Energy Code – Open to the Public
When: May 30th
Where: City of Edinburg 2021 IECC Training for RGV cities – Not open to the Public
When: May 31st
Where: McAllen for the South Texas Builders Show - Open to the public
| | *Interested in SPEER bringing in-field training to you or learning about the 2021 IECC changes, mechanical ventilation training, and HVAC best practices? Contact us! | | What We're Reading/Watching | | |
High-Efficiency Filtration Essentials - Energy Vanguard
Allison from Energy Vanguard discusses the importance of improving indoor air quality (IAQ) through effective filtration. It highlights the need to remove fine particles like PM2.5, which can be harmful to health. Standard fiberglass filters (MERV 2) are inadequate, and filters with higher MERV ratings, such as MERV 13, are recommended, provided the HVAC system can handle the increased airflow resistance. Proper filter sizing and installation are crucial to avoid air bypasses and ensure effectiveness. Regular testing of pressure drop across filters helps monitor performance, ensuring low resistance and efficient airflow. Following these guidelines can significantly enhance IAQ and HVAC system efficiency.
Video: Can High Efficiency Filtration Really Work?
| | In Case you Haven’t Heard the News | | |
The Insulation Institute discusses the potential consequences of discontinuing EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, particularly its impact on residential and commercial construction.
ENERGY STAR has been a cornerstone for energy efficiency in buildings, serving as a foundation for various high-performance building programs. Its tools, such as the Portfolio Manager, are widely used for benchmarking energy use in commercial buildings. In residential construction, ENERGY STAR homes are typically more energy-efficient than code-built homes, often requiring enhanced insulation and other energy-saving features.
The elimination of this program could lead to a gap in standardized energy performance benchmarks, affecting both builders and consumers. Without ENERGY STAR, there may be a lack of clear guidelines and tools to ensure and verify energy efficiency in buildings, potentially hindering progress toward sustainable construction practices.
For more detailed insights, you can read the full article here.
| | Check out all the resources we have on our website, including a link to our YouTube page with hours of video training content! | | | | |
