Draft Connecticut Climate Resilient Energy Code

The draft Connecticut Climate Resilient Energy code is a voluntary code intended to cover the installation of climate resilient energy systems and the provision of power to critical services during grid outages. The code covers the installation of climate resilient energy systems including solar, energy storage, and efficient heating and cooling to maintain living conditions and power essential services for affordable housing residents sheltering in place during grid outages. The code requires minimum levels of onsite backup power, as well as controls and procedures that reduce energy demand during outages and improved building envelope standards and other measures that increase the ability of a building to maintain habitable indoor temperatures.

The draft Connecticut Climate Resilient Energy code was developed through a three-year project designed to enable greater deployment of climate resilient energy systems to maintain living conditions for multifamily affordable housing residents during grid outages. The project is being conducted by an integrated team led by Clean Energy Group in partnership with American Microgrid Solutions, the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Green Bank, the Connecticut Insurance Department, New Buildings Institute, Operation Fuel, and the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, along with analytical support from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The work is being guided and informed by an Affordable Housing Advisory Group and a Technical Advisory Group consisting of affordable housing and energy sector stakeholders and representatives, and through feedback from listening sessions and interviews conducted with multifamily affordable housing residents in Connecticut. Preliminary assessments were conducted to determine the climate resilience, energy use, and cost impacts of Connecticut Climate Resilient Energy code measures on a representative multifamily affordable housing property.

The project team is seeking public feedback on the draft code through June 27, 2025. Comments on the draft code may be submitted to [email protected]. The final Connecticut Climate Resilient Energy Code will be published in late 2025.

These materials are based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Building Technologies Office Award Number DE-EE0010940.