The State of Vermont has maintained residential and commercial building energy standards for a number of years. These standards require all new residential and commercial buildings to meet specific thresholds with regard to energy efficiency. Builders are required (under V.S.A. §266 & 268) to file a code certificate with the town in which the structure is built within 30 days of the completion of the project. This requirement has, until now, been unenforced for residential building.
With the implementation of Act 89, state statute now mandates that zoning administrators “shall provide the applicant with a copy of the applicable building energy standards…” This can be given to the applicant in either paper or digital format. Act 89 also stipulates that if a bylaw has a certificate of occupancy “provision of a certificate as required by V.S.A §266 (residential building energy standards) or 268 (commercial building energy standards) shall be a condition precedent to the issuance of any such certificate of occupancy.”
To obtain free hard copies of the Residential Building Energy Code Handbook, please contact the Energy Code Assistance Center at 855-887-0673 or for electronic copies go to https://publicservice.vermont.gov/topics/energy_efficiency/rbes.