Resources to Help Navigate Minnesota’s New Energy Codes

By Erin Mathe

During the 2023 legislative session, Minnesota lawmakers passed several changes to the states’ commercial building codes aimed at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The changes will impact cities, but there are resources to help builders and code officials get up to speed on the changes.

The basics

Many of the changes went into effect in January 2024, including requirements around energy-conserving standards for the design, construction, alteration, renovation, and repair of all commercial buildings and residential buildings with four or more stories in height. The changes also contain design and construction standards regarding heat-loss control, illumination, and climate control.

The latest commercial building energy code in Minnesota is ASHRAE 90.1-2019, which is based on regulations developed by several groups including the national organization ASHRAE — the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. In Minnesota, this code requires that buildings:

• Reduce their annual net energy consumption by at least 80% by 2036.
• Prioritize safety, durability, and affordability.

The new code includes energy compliance paths that are different than the previous versions. They are meant to provide more options for builders and architects, but exactly how to comply can get tricky.

Resources

Fortunately, there are several resources available in Minnesota to help builders, code officials, and other key stakeholders statewide as they review and implement new energy codes.

2024 Minnesota Commercial Energy Code Book

The International Code Council (ICC) published an updated code book known as the 2024 Minnesota Commercial Energy Code, which reflects Minnesota’s changes, as well as a new chapter on administration.

There is no longer a need to separately purchase the ICC model code and Minnesota amendments, according to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, now they are contained in a single reformatted Minnesota-specific code book.

The codes can be reviewed online for free at dli.mn.gov/business/codes-andlaws. Hard copies of the new code book are available for purchase.

Minnesota Energy Code Support Program

Another resource is the Minnesota Energy Code Support Program and can be found at minnesotaenergycodesupport.org. This free comprehensive solution is the work of a team of utilities from across the state and building code experts.

The site includes:

• Technical documents split into residential and commercial sections.
• Recordings of webinars.
• Curated resources.
• A code helpline.
• An FAQ page with answers and insight provided by subject matter experts.
• An event section detailing upcoming free in-person and virtual trainings happening across the state.

The site will be continually updated to reflect the latest energy codes and to provide free training and technical resources to support energy code compliance.

The group of utilities sponsoring this effort includes companies that serve about two-thirds of Minnesota’s electric customers and deliver nearly 83% of the natural gas consumed in the state. They recognized that the recently passed Minnesota law, requiring accelerated adoption of energy codes, will create a need for more robust training and support to ensure that homes and businesses meet the high-performance expectations.

There are excellent resources that help all builders across Minnesota understand impending codes, what they mean to their operations, and how to implement them. Whether it’s navigating new code requirements, accessing incentives for energy-efficient upgrades, or staying abreast of emerging technologies, there are resources to empower and educate builders across the state, no matter their location or utility.

Erin Mathe is the media relations representative at Xcel Energy (mn.my.xcelenergy.com). Xcel Energy is a member of the League’s Business Leadership Council (lmc.org/sponsors).