Illinois Energy Conservation Code

The Illinois Energy Conservation Code is designed to help protect the environment and reduce energy consumption. Through this statewide policy, state officials hope to cut pollution, moderate peak energy demand, better assure the reliability of energy supplies and stabilize energy costs. 

As directed by the Energy Efficienct Building Act (HB 3987, approved in August 2009), the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) has officially adopted the Illinois Energy Conservation Code, which became effective January 29, 2010. The new statewide code (71 IAC 600) incorporates the 2009 IECC for residential buildings and privately funded commercial buildings and ASHRAE 90.1-2007 for publicly funded commercial buildings(previously, there was not a mandatory residential statewide energy code based on the IECC).An automatic update provision directs the CDB to adopt each subsequent version of the IECC within nine months of its publication, with an effective date three months afterwards.

The legislation also removed local home rule jurisdiction over residential energy standards. Local governments are allowed to adopt more stringent energy codes for commercial buildings (but not less stringent). These jurisdictions also may not adopt residential codes more or less stringent than the state code (however, exemptions to go above the state residential code are made for municipalities that adopted at least the 2006 IECC before May 2009 or have more than 1,000,000 residents).

More Information: New Illinois Code Text | HB 3987 | CDB Primer on New Code

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