The deadline for public comment has expired. Contact the agency or primary contact person listed below for assistance.
Rule Details
Rule Number:
25P047
Title:
Vermont Residential Building Energy Standards (RBES) Amendments.
Type:
Standard
Status:
Adopted
Agency:
Department of Public Service
Legal Authority:
30 V.S.A. § 51
Summary:
The Vermont Residential Building Energy Standards
(RBES) regulate the design and construction of residential buildings to require adequate thermal insulation, low air leakage, effective and efficient mechanical, ventilation, electrical, service water-heating and illumination systems and equipment to enable effective use of energy in residential buildings. This is an update to the RBES to allow the 2020 Vermont Residential Building Energy Standards as an option for the purposes of complying with Vermont’s residential building energy code. This update allows adherence to the requirements in either the 2020 RBES or 2024 RBES for compliance purposes with no substantive changes to the 2020 RBES or 2024 RBES as originally adopted.
Persons Affected:
The Department of Public Safety (DPS), State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)/Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), Act 250 Commissions, new home owners/buyers, existing home owners, builders, building designers, home energy raters and municipalities.
Economic Impact:
This rule update will allow for greater regulatory flexibility to reduce the cost to construct housing. Adoption of the rule will result in an additional compliance option which, as compared to 2024 RBES currently in effect, will provide an incremental cost decrease for the parties involved in new home construction, purchase, and ownership, and existing home renovation. The addition of this option will allow builders and homeowners to choose one of two discrete sets of standards for compliance, and ultimately, will provide the choice of affordability: 2020 RBES provides lower upfront construction costs, whereas 2024 RBES requires a higher upfront construction cost with the benefit of incrementally higher energy efficiency.
Posting date:
Dec 31,2025
Hearing Information
Information for Hearing # 1
Hearing date:
Location:
Department of Public Service, Giga Conference Room, Third Floor
Address:
112 State Street
City:
Montpelier
State:
VT
Zip:
05620
Hearing Notes:
Also virtually via MS. Teams at: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/193ameeting_MjkyMDBhMGUtMGQyOS00MDAyLWI4YjQtMmYwYTlmZDMxMTZl40thread.v2/0?context7b22Tid223a2220b4933b-baad-433c-9c02-70edcc7559c6222c22Oid223a229dd0227c-440d-4019-8995-aa1ce25130e9227d
Virtually via MS. Teams at: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/193ameeting_MjkyMDBhMGUtMGQyOS00MDAyLWI4YjQtMmYwYTlmZDMxMTZl40thread.v2/0?context7b22Tid223a2220b4933b-baad-433c-9c02-70edcc7559c6222c22Oid223a229dd0227c-440d-4019-8995-aa1ce25130e9227d
