Michigan Energy Code 101
This week I received several calls about how to complete the Michigan energy code worksheets. The passage of the revised energy code here is Michigan has many individuals gun-shy about filling out the worksheet. Don’t be afraid! It’s really quite simple and within about an hour you could be an expert.
What are the new requirements?
First, what zone are you in? Zone 1: Southern Lower Peninsula, Zone 2: Northern Lower Peninsula, and Zone 3: Upper Peninsula. Check out the Michigan Uniform Energy Code to find your zone by county.
Second, be aware of the big change to wall insulation requirement. You are now required to have an R21 in the wall cavity. You may find it difficult to do this with a 2×4. Many builders are now using 2×6 walls to accomplish this. See all minimum requirements in the chart below.
Now What?
Now that you are familiar with the zone your in and the minimum requirements it’s time to fill out the worksheet. The easiest way to do this is with ResCheck. The ResCheck system is available as a download or website based application. To see these options visit the US Department of Energy and either download or register online.
I chose to try each of them and found both easy to use. I did sit through about an hour of Web-Based training which was well worth the time. The trick is to look at this as a take off. Start in the basement and do wall by wall, adding windows and doors as you go along. You can see how this looks in my example below.
When you do run into questions on your first try they have an awesome resource center to walk you through the different areas of entering the project. I had a question on how to add a basement with a frost wall and found this post helpful.
What do I submit for my permit?
Once you have completed the training and entered your information for your project you will be able to produce a report that can be sent via email or printed for your inspector. The information you receive will be a Compliance Report with an Inspection Checklist. (See Example) It is very important that you enter the correct information on ResCheck because the inspection checklist is going to be used by the inspector.
Filed Under: Energy • Insulation
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