Energy Code Compliance: A Complete Guide (Step by Step Guide)

Written by Jobe Leonard of Rescheck.info. Jobe enjoys all things related to Rescheck reporting and the study of home energy audit softwares for creating Reschecks, Comchecks, and Manual Js.

Energy Code Compliance: A Complete Guide (Step by Step Guide)

Today on the Reschexpert blog we want to talk about your role in Energy Code Compliance and the tools that you can use to achieve this result. We find that there are 5 essential items you need to consider for navigating energy code compliance so we designed this free comprehensive handbook to help you through the reports that will guide you.

Demystifying Energy Code Compliance Reporting: A Comprehensive Resource of Energy Reports

Rescheck: Rescheck is a free tool that is in a software or web based format. It allows those involved in the construction process to compare their project to the energy requirements of adopted national and local energy codes. Rescheck uses a UA calculation which is the U factor of each construction component multiplied by the area of the building assembly. Similar to a golf score, lower is better. If your building’s UA score is lower then the energy performance on your Rescheck report from Rescheck Web or Rescheck Desktop will be better.

Rescheck.info can offer a Rescheck in 4-6 hours for $79.

Prerequisite: PDF plans, jobsite address, square footage

Manual J: This is the United States national standard for calculating the cooling and heating loads for residential construction projects. It was developed by the ACCA or Air Conditioning Contractors of America. Manual J is recognized by almost every building department in the United States, ANSI, and HVACcert.com. Manual J uses climate, building characteristics, occupancy, and equipment considerations in the mathematical equations. It is the first step in creating load calculations and is needed to create the two following reports in this analysis. The Manual S and the Manual D.

Rescheck.info can offer a Manual J in 4-6 hours for $79.

Prerequisite: PDF plans, jobsite address, square footage

Manual S: To create a Manual S, you will need a Manual J. Manual S. This is the procedure used to size and select the HVAC equipment for your home. This calculations takes the heating and cooling loads from a Manual J heat loss and gain report and converts them into actionable sizing data that will allow you to select specific equipment. The Manual S can be used for single family, low rise multifamily, additions, and alterations. Once you have a Manual J and Manual S equipment sizing you can then you can move on to a Manual D.

Rescheck.info can offer a Manual S in 4-6 hours for $79

Prerequisite: PDF plans, jobsite address, square footage, Manual J

Manual D: Manual D is the most complicated and involved report in this practical energy code compliance guide for contractors, homeowners, engineers, and designers. It requires a Manual J and Manual S and the data from these reports as an initial step. Once you have this data you will also need a floor plan of the structure. Manual D is a procedure that has been standardized to provide sizing for the duct systems of residential homes. It provides an appropriate size for the ducts of a given HVAC system based on the area of each room, resistance, data from Manual J and Manual S, layout, materials, and CFM of the system.

Rescheck.info can offer a Manual D in 4-6 hours for $99

Prerequisite: PDF plans, jobsite address, square footage, Manual J, Manual S

Comcheck: Comcheck is a free software program that helps landlords, builders, architects, engineers, and designers calculate whether commercial structures are in compliance with a multitude of adopted energy codes. Comcheck is much more involved than its’ residential cousin the Rescheck report. A Comcheck report has added reporting that is related to HVAC, Exterior lighting, and Interior lighting that is not as common as a residential reporting requirement. Comcheck is user friendly, is updated frequently, and can be used to see if different changes to a structure make large impacts both positive and negative on a structure’s energy efficiency.

Rescheck.info can offer a Comcheck starting at $149 for under 3000 sq ft in 4-6 hours.  Pricing info for Comcheck Reports here

Prerequisite: PDF plans, jobsite address, square footage

Energy Code Compliance: Essential Knowledge for Building Professionals

These 5 reports will cover all or nearly all of the Energy Code Compliance issues that will arise while building an addition, alteration, or new construction project in the United States. They provide knowledge that is low cost, fast, and effective that can allow the decision makers on a construction project to base their decisions on factual reported data. Knowing more about a construction project’s insulation envelope, heat loss and gain, HVAC equipment, and duct systems are the pathway to Energy Code Compliance as we look towards emerging codes like IECC 2024, IECC 2027, and IECC 2030.

If you or your organization need help demystifying energy code compliance then Rescheck.info has been designed from the ground up as a comprehensive resource to energy code compliance comprehension. The basic information we need for you on each project is as follows:

What energy reports do you need?

PDF Plans

Jobsite address

Square footage

Email this information to service@rescheck.info now and we will get you taken care of.

Energy Code Compliance A Complete Step by Step Guide

Free Energy Code Compliance A Complete Step by Step Guide PDF