Melrose Adopts Latest Energy-Efficient Building Codes

The City of Melrose today announced it has adopted the State’s Specialized Energy Code, a new opt-in building energy code that applies to new construction only, effective July 1, 2024. The Specialized Energy Code will require builders of new residential and commercial construction to pre-wire buildings for all-electric heating, cooling, and cooking in the future if the buildings will use fossil fuels.

The code streamlines the energy efficiency requirements for new multi-family buildings resulting in benefits for occupants such as reduced heating demand. There are no new requirements for fully electric residential and commercial buildings under the new code. 

The adoption of the code advances the Melrose Net Zero Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 and means that Melrose, already a Green Community, is one step closer to becoming eligible to apply for the State’s Green Community Climate Leader designation in 2024. It is expected that the state’s new Climate Leader program will present new funding opportunities for municipal building upgrades from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER).

“Future-proofing new buildings that are constructed today is key to reaching our 2050 goals,” said Martha Grover, Sustainability Manager for the City of Melrose. “The Specialized Code will protect owners of new homes and commercial buildings from expensive electrification retrofits in the future. It also enhances energy efficiency requirements for multi-family buildings that will result in lower operating costs and improved air quality and comfort for occupants.”

The City Council voted to approve Mayor Paul Brodeur’s request to adopt the Specialized Energy code on Monday, December 4, 2023. By taking this action, the City of Melrose joins a growing list of over 31 Communities that have adopted the Specialized Code throughout the Commonwealth.

“We know that we need to make our buildings and vehicles – the two major sources of emissions in our community – much cleaner and more efficient to reach our net zero goal,” said Mayor Brodeur. “Melrose has chosen to adopt the State’s Specialized Code, paving the way for existing buildings to become super-efficient and new construction to achieve high-efficiency standards, now and in the future. These steps will reduce emissions and make energy bills more affordable for everyone because the cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use.”

There are three levels of building energy code in Massachusetts: the Base Code, the Stretch Code, and the new Specialized Stretch Code. The City of Melrose adopted the original Stretch Code in 2010 as part of the Green Community designation. An updated Stretch Code automatically went into effect in 2023 in 291 Green Communities across the Commonwealth including Melrose. The City will be hosting an energy code training that is free for local contractors, architects, and others in January 2024. The training date and details will soon be announced. 

Generous Mass Save incentives and new federal tax credits for all-electric new construction projects offset cost premiums associated with new Stretch Code requirements. In addition, a DOER analysis found that it’s cheaper to build a new home with heat pumps for both heating and cooling than to install a furnace and central A/C.

More information about the new Building Energy Code can be found on the DOER website at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/building-energy-code.