Webinar—What’s New with Flexible Pro-Heat-Pump Codes? A Case Law and Code Overlay Update

Affordable energy bills have never been a higher priority: as utility rates rapidly rise and become more volatile in many regions of the US, residents and businesses are clamoring for a lifeline. At the same time, national bodies that publish model energy codes and standards are stepping back from ambitious, cost-effective energy efficiency improvements, especially those that recognize the exceptional performance of electric heat pumps. In 2024, RMI and the Public Health Law Center published the Zero Fuel Bias Overlays, a set of template energy code amendments intended to address this gap.

The energy code landscape has continued to evolve in the past 18 months. This webinar will address three key topics:

1. Litigation update: The legal landscape that jurisdictions navigate as they adopt energy codes has continued to change, with several new rulings on the merits of code-related lawsuits. Daniel Carpenter-Gold from the Public Health Law Center will join us to provide an update for authorities and advocates, from the latest court decisions to what may unfold in coming years.
2. Code provisions for cooling equipment replacement: The state of the art in energy codes has also advanced significantly since 2024, especially for existing buildings. Leading jurisdictions have adopted provisions to encourage heat pump installation at the time of cooling equipment replacement. Like the Zero Fuel Bias Overlays, these codes offer multiple near-equivalent compliance pathways that offer flexibility and choice to building owners.
3. Eliminating technical barriers to adoption and enforcement: The Zero Fuel Bias Overlays required additional analysis for jurisdictions to adopt, posing a significant barrier as national technical assistance resources have been more difficult to access than anticipated. It’s time for an updated approach that prioritizes ease of adoption and enforcement.

To help cities and states successfully advance zero-emissions new construction and HVAC upgrades for commercial and residential properties with confidence and ease, RMI is introducing an updated suite of template code language: the Energy Choice Overlays (ECO).

What are the Energy Choice Overlays? The Overlays include three sets of template amendments, each covering both residential and commercial buildings:

1. ECO v2, an update to the 2024 Zero Fuel Bias Overlay for new construction that rigorously quantifies and rewards electric heat pump efficiency;
2. ECO Simple Edition v1, an overlay for new construction that shifts toward heat pump efficiency recognition with minimal code language changes, so it is fast and easy to adopt and enforce; and
3. The AC to Heat Pump Overlay v1, an overlay for certain cooling system replacements that encourages heat pump installation while offering flexible alternatives.

The Overlays include updated energy efficiency thresholds and credits for all building types and climate zones, so no custom analysis is required for their adoption. Now, jurisdictions and advocates can eliminate hidden subsidies to inefficient technologies more quickly and easily than ever before. Plus, the Overlays can be implemented using compliance tools available today, like REScheck and COMcheck, with minimal or no additional paperwork.