The purpose of this standard is to provide minimum requirements for the
energy-efficient design of residential buildings.
This standard provides minimum energy-efficiency requirements for the design
and construction of new residential dwelling units and their systems and where
explicitly specified, new portions of residential dwelling units and their
systems and new systems and equipment in existing dwelling units. Note: There
are no requirements in this standard that apply to new portions of residential
dwelling units and their systems, nor to new systems and equipment in existing
dwelling units.
For the purposes of this standard, residential dwelling units include
single-family houses, multi-family structures (of three stories or fewer above
grade), and modular houses. This standard does not include transient
housing, such as hotels, motels, nursing homes, jails, and barracks, or
manufactured housing.
This standard applies to the building envelope, heating equipment and
systems, air-conditioning equipment and systems, domestic water-heating
equipment and systems, and provisions for overall building design alternatives
and trade-offs.
This standard does not apply to specific procedures for the operation,
maintenance, and use of residential buildings; portable products such as
appliances and heaters; and residential electric service or lighting
requirements.
This standard shall not be used to abridge any safety, health, or
environmental requirements.