Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§6834 Federal Building Energy Efficiency Standards
Title 42 › CHAPTER 81 — ENERGY CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE RENEWAL › SUBCHAPTER II — ENERGY CONSERVATION STANDARDS FOR NEW BUILDINGS › § 6834
Summary
Create national energy rules for new Federal buildings and update them on a schedule. Within 2 years after October 24, 1992, the Secretary must write rules that make new Federal buildings use energy-saving measures that are technically possible and worth the cost. Those rules must take effect no later than 1 year after they are issued. The rules must meet or beat the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code for homes or ASHRAE Standard 90.1–2004 for commercial buildings, try to follow the same format as voluntary codes, and consider indoor air issues like radon. Within 1 year after August 8, 2005, the Secretary must set stronger rules so new Federal buildings, when cost-effective over their life, use at least 30 percent less energy than the baseline set by the appropriate code as of August 8, 2005, use sustainable design, use water-saving technology when that saves energy, and, if cost-effective, meet at least 30 percent of hot water needs with solar hot water heaters. The Secretary must decide within 1 year after each later code revision whether to update the Federal rules. Each agency must list its new Federal buildings in its budget request and reports and say if they meet the revised standards. For larger new buildings and major renovations, the Secretary must issue more specific targets within 1 year after December 19, 2007. Compared to similar buildings in fiscal year 2003, fossil-fuel energy use must be reduced by 55% in 2010, 65% in 2015, 80% in 2020, 90% in 2025, and 100% in 2030. An agency can ask to lower a specific target if meeting it is technically impractical (but the General Services Administration cannot ask for this). The rules must use sustainable design and identify a green building certification system and level within 90 days after December 19, 2007, with regular reviews tied to a study done by the General Services Administration at least every 5 years. Agencies may use internal certification systems if they follow guidelines and still get outside certification for at least 5% of their buildings each year. The Secretary must review the standards at least once every 5 years and raise them if bigger energy savings are practical. Old interim standards stayed in place until the new ones took effect.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §6834
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)In general
(1)Not later than 2 years after October 24, 1992, the Secretary, after consulting with appropriate Federal agencies, CABO, ASHRAE, the National Association of Home Builders, the Illuminating Engineering Society, the American Institute of Architects, the National Conference of the States on Building Codes and Standards, and other appropriate persons, shall establish, by rule, Federal building energy standards that require in new Federal buildings those energy efficiency measures that are technologically feasible and economically justified. Such standards shall become effective no later than 1 year after such rule is issued.
(2)The standards established under paragraph (1) shall—
(A)contain energy saving and renewable energy specifications that meet or exceed the energy saving and renewable energy specifications of the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code (in the case of residential buildings) or ASHRAE Standard 90.1–2004 (in the case of commercial buildings);
(B)to the extent practicable, use the same format as the appropriate voluntary building energy code; and
(C)consider, in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency and other Federal agencies, and where appropriate contain, measures with regard to radon and other indoor air pollutants.
(3)(A)Not later than 1 year after August 8, 2005, the Secretary shall establish, by rule, revised Federal building energy efficiency performance standards that require that—
(i)if life-cycle cost-effective for new Federal buildings—
(I)the buildings be designed to achieve energy consumption levels that are at least 30 percent below the levels established in the version of the ASHRAE Standard or the International Energy Conservation Code, as appropriate, that is in effect as of August 8, 2005; and
(II)sustainable design principles are applied to the siting, design, and construction of all new and replacement buildings;
(ii)if water is used to achieve energy efficiency, water conservation technologies shall be applied to the extent that the technologies are life-cycle cost-effective; and
(iii)if lifecycle cost-effective, as compared to other reasonably available technologies, not less than 30 percent of the hot water demand for each new Federal building or Federal building undergoing a major renovation be met through the installation and use of solar hot water heaters.
(B)Not later than 1 year after the date of approval of each subsequent revision of the ASHRAE Standard or the International Energy Conservation Code, as appropriate, the Secretary shall determine, based on the cost-effectiveness of the requirements under the amendment, whether the revised standards established under this paragraph should be updated to reflect the amendment.
(C)In the budget request of the Federal agency for each fiscal year and each report submitted by the Federal agency under section 8258(a) of this title, the head of each Federal agency shall include—
(i)a list of all new Federal buildings owned, operated, or controlled by the Federal agency; and
(ii)a statement specifying whether the Federal buildings meet or exceed the revised standards established under this paragraph.
(D)Not later than 1 year after December 19, 2007, the Secretary shall establish, by rule, revised Federal building energy efficiency performance standards that require that:
(i)For new Federal buildings and Federal buildings undergoing major renovations, with respect to which the Administrator of General Services is required to transmit a prospectus to Congress under section 3307 of title 40, in the case of public buildings (as defined in section 3301 of title 40), or of at least $2,500,000 in costs adjusted annually for inflation for other buildings:
(I)The buildings shall be designed so that the fossil fuel-generated energy consumption of the buildings is reduced, as compared with such energy consumption by a similar building in fiscal year 2003 (as measured by Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey or Residential Energy Consumption Survey data from the Energy Information Agency), by the percentage specified in the following table:
Fiscal Year | Percentage Reduction
2010 | 55
2015 | 65
2020 | 80
2025 | 90
2030 | 100.
(II)Upon petition by an agency subject to this subparagraph, the Secretary may adjust the applicable numeric requirement under subclause (I) downward with respect to a specific building, if the head of the agency designing the building certifies in writing that meeting such requirement would be technically impracticable in light of the agency’s specified functional needs for that building and the Secretary concurs with the agency’s conclusion. This subclause shall not apply to the General Services Administration.
(III)Sustainable design principles shall be applied to the siting, design, and construction of such buildings. Not later than 90 days after December 19, 2007, the Secretary, after reviewing the findings of the Federal Director under section 17092(h) of this title, in consultation with the Administrator of General Services, and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense for considerations relating to those facilities under the custody and control of the Department of Defense, shall identify a certification system and level for green buildings that the Secretary determines to be the most likely to encourage a comprehensive and environmentally-sound approach to certification of green buildings. The identification of the certification system and level shall be based on a review of the Federal Director’s findings under section 17092(h) of this title and the criteria specified in clause (iii), shall identify the highest level the Secretary determines is appropriate above the minimum level required for certification under the system selected, and shall achieve results at least comparable to the system used by and highest level referenced by the General Services Administration as of December 19, 2007. Within 90 days of the completion of each study required by clause (iv), the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of General Services, and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense for considerations relating to those facilities under the custody and control of the Department of Defense, shall review and update the certification system and level, taking into account the conclusions of such study.
(ii)In establishing criteria for identifying major renovations that are subject to the requirements of this subparagraph, the Secretary shall take into account the scope, degree, and types of renovations that are likely to provide significant opportunities for substantial improvements in energy efficiency.
(iii)In identifying the green building certification system and level, the Secretary shall take into consideration—
(I)the ability and availability of assessors and auditors to independently verify the criteria and measurement of metrics at the scale necessary to implement this subparagraph;
(II)the ability of the applicable certification organization to collect and reflect public comment;
(III)the ability of the standard to be developed and revised through a consensus-based process;
(IV)an evaluation of the robustness of the criteria for a high-performance green building, which shall give credit for promoting—
(aa)efficient and sustainable use of water, energy, and other natural resources;
(bb)use of renewable energy sources;
(cc)improved indoor environmental quality through enhanced indoor air quality, thermal comfort, acoustics, day lighting, pollutant source control, and use of low-emission materials and building system controls; and
(dd)such other criteria as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; and
(V)national recognition within the building industry.
(iv)At least once every 5 years, and in accordance with section 17092 of this title, the Administrator of General Services shall conduct a study to evaluate and compare available third-party green building certification systems and levels, taking into account the criteria listed in clause (iii).
(v)The Secretary may by rule allow Federal agencies to develop internal certification processes, using certified professionals, in lieu of certification by the certification entity identified under clause (i)(III). The Secretary shall include in any such rule guidelines to ensure that the certification process results in buildings meeting the applicable certification system and level identified under clause (i)(III). An agency employing an internal certification process must continue to obtain external certification by the certification entity identified under clause (i)(III) for at least 5 percent of the total number of buildings certified annually by the agency.
(vi)With respect to privatized military housing, the Secretary of Defense, after consultation with the Secretary may, through rulemaking, develop alternative criteria to those established by subclauses (I) and (III) of clause (i) that achieve an equivalent result in terms of energy savings, sustainable design, and green building performance.
(vii)In addition to any use of water conservation technologies otherwise required by this section, water conservation technologies shall be applied to the extent that the technologies are life-cycle cost-effective.
(b)Omitted
(c)Periodic review
The Secretary shall periodically, but not less than once every 5 years, review the Federal building energy standards established under this section and shall, if significant energy savings would result, upgrade such standards to include all new energy efficiency and renewable energy measures that are technologically feasible and economically justified.
(d)Interim standards
Interim energy performance standards for new Federal buildings issued by the Secretary under this subchapter as it existed before October 24, 1992, shall remain in effect until the standards established under subsection (a) become effective.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Subsec. (b) of this section, which required the Secretary to identify and describe, in the annual report required under section 6837 of this title, the basis for any substantive difference between the Federal building energy standards established under this section and the appropriate voluntary building energy code, was omitted because of termination of the annual report. See Codification note set out under section 6837 of this title.
Prior Provisions
A prior section 6834, Pub. L. 94–385, title III, § 305, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1147, related to availability or approval of Federal financial assistance for new
Construction
, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 97–35, title X, § 1041(b), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 621.
Amendments
2007—Subsec. (a)(3)(A)(iii). Pub. L. 110–140, § 523, added cl. (iii). Subsec. (a)(3)(D). Pub. L. 110–140, § 433(a), added subpar. (D). 2005—Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 109–58, § 109(1), substituted “the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code (in the case of residential buildings) or ASHRAE Standard 90.1–2004” for “CABO Model Energy Code, 1992 (in the case of residential buildings) or ASHRAE Standard 90.1–1989”. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 109–58, § 109(2), added par. (3).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2007 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 110–140 effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress. Revision of Federal Acquisition Regulation; Issuance of Guidance Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, § 433(c), (d), Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1614, provided that: “(c) Revision of Federal Acquisition Regulation.—Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 19, 2007], the Federal Acquisition Regulation shall be revised to require Federal officers and employees to comply with this section [amending this section and section 6832 of this title] and the
Amendments
made by this section in the acquisition,
Construction
, or major renovation of any facility. The members of the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (established under section 25 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act ([former] 41 U.S.C. 421) [see 41 U.S.C. 1302]) shall consult with the Federal Director and the Commercial Director before promulgating
Regulations
to carry out this subsection. “(d) Guidance.—Not later than 90 days after the date of promulgation of the revised
Regulations
under subsection (c), the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy shall issue guidance to all Federal procurement executives providing direction and instructions to renegotiate the design of proposed facilities and major renovations for existing facilities to incorporate improvements that are consistent with this section.” [For definitions of “Federal Director” and “Commercial Director” as used in section 433(c) of Pub. L. 110–140, set out above, see section 17061 of this title.]
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 6834
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110