Sarah and Bruce welcome Ben Marshall of GreenStamp Co., who updates us on the latest when it comes to Stretch Codes. Ben explains in detail the significance of the “stretch code” and what it means for a homeowner looking to start a major addition or renovation. Plus, Ben divulges the ‘gotcha’ items that people run into that require you to bring your home to meet new construction standards, the federal and state benefits in doing so, and small things you can do to make your space more airtight and efficient.
I have to ask, stretch from what?
That’s a great question. It came from way back in 2008, when a law called the Global Warming Solutions Act was passed in MA. In this law, the state decided in their wisdom that it should solve global warming. They made it possible for towns to stretch their energy codes forward towards the next upcoming energy code so they could opt into that.
Does that mean these towns could see a change coming and move more quickly towards it?
That’s exactly right. So, the way the energy code is written is it updates every three years. So today in Massachusetts, we are on the 2021 energy code. But, if you are interested in what is coming up in the 2024 energy code, it’s published.
So that means it is mostly a town-based thing or a municipality-based thing, can look into the future and say, you know what, we are going to go faster towards that.
That’s how it was created originally.
Now what’s happening?
Well, the easiest way to say it is that the stretch code has become more of a unified code. It still does stretch forward to the next code as its base code, but it has different rules altogether. It’s introduced some new components to improve the energy efficiency of housing in the towns that are part of the stretch code.
Can you give us a concrete example? And how many towns in MA have opted into this more stringent energy code?
Currently, 95% of the towns have opted in. So in one of these 95% towns, one would have a choice to make when deciding what their upcoming project should be. The choice would be I’m putting an addition on my house and I want to figure out how big to do my addition. If Ii decide that I want a put a 2,000 sq ft addition on my house, a nice good size addition, I’ve crossed over the 1,000 sq ft threshold and now in the stretch code communities, my whole house has to be updated because it considered in the stretch code community such a major project that you need to bring your entire house up to new construction standards.
And if you held it under 1,000 sq ft you would only be required to deal with the addition itself.
Yes, you are only dealing with the addition and you are only looking at what the standard energy code is, as one does in 100% of the towns.