Building and Energy Codes: What They Cost, What They Deliver, and Who Pays for It
The general session brings together three panelists with distinctly different vantage points: the national association defending housing affordability in code hearings and statehouses, a production builder who has to price and schedule every new requirement across thousands of starts, and the ratings organization that measures the energy performance of the finished house.
Energy efficiency and sustainability have moved along a path from optional to operational, arriving through buyer expectations, investor and lender reporting, and procurement as much as through code. Resilient construction is a key to home performance as natural disasters and storms intensify across the country. And tightening the envelope changed the physics of the house. Production builders have become sophisticated building scientists in response — with better assemblies, better detailing, and in many cases fewer callbacks than the looser houses of a generation ago.
The friction from these different perspectives has merged to create the homes of today: tighter, more durable, more comfortable, and cheaper to operate than the housing stock they are replacing.
The session closes with a look to the future. Each panelist will name what they are watching as the 2030 code cycle advances, and states move at different speeds — and what it means for the products and assemblies necessary to meet those needs. For APA members, that forward view is the practical takeaway: a clearer read on where builder demand is heading, how much lead time there is to respond, and how engineered wood is positioned to help builders get there faster and more affordably.
Ryan Meres has two decades of experience in energy and water efficiency, energy policy and building energy codes. As the Program Director for RESNET®, Ryan currently leads numerous programs, including HERSH2O®, HERS® Ratings for Manufactured Housing, building energy codes; initiatives to get energy and water efficiency valued in the real estate transaction process and oversees RESNET’s National Buildings Registry. Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from SCAD.
Nathan Kahre works at NAHB as a Senior Program Manager of Codes and Standards. Nathan represents NAHB at energy code development forums such as ASHRAE 90.1 and the International Energy Conservation Code. Nathan is a building science and energy codes expert focused on improving the application of energy codes and above-code programs. After attending the graduate program at Appalachian State University, Nathan worked for Thrive Home Builders and EnergyLogic in Colorado. In his former roles, Nathan’s work focused on the real-world struggles in complying with energy codes and above code programs.
Greg Johnson started a regulatory consulting practice 15 years ago after 14 years of construction industry experience as an installer and contractor; more than 16 years of local government building inspection experience; and nearly 17 years of non-profit association board experience including 1 year on the board of directors of the International Conference of Building Officials; 1 year on the board of directors of the International Accreditation Service; and 7 years on the board of directors of the International Code Council (ICC). Greg has served on numerous codes and standards related committees. His service includes 3 years as chair of the ICC Education Committee, a term on the ICC Standards Council, and several years as an assessor for building department accreditations on behalf of the International Accreditation Service. Greg has served as a committee member for the revisions of the ANSI/GBI 01-2020: Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings; the ICC-700 National Green Building Standard; and the International Energy Conservation Code. He currently serves as a member of ASHRAE’s Code Interaction Subcommittee; the ASHRAE 189.1, Standard for the Design of High Performance, Green Buildings except Low-Rise Residential Buildings; and the ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings Committee; and a member of the ASTM E60.01 Sustainability Committee. Greg also currently chairs the ICC’s G12 Data Center Guideline committee.
With over 20 years of experience in the construction industry, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to APA. His career began with a prominent regional production builder and progressed through roles at an energy rating and engineering firm before joining APA in 2014. Brown's profound understanding of code development, energy efficiency and sustainability in wood construction has made him the ideal candidate for educating stakeholders, including raters, code officials, designers and builders, on behalf of the industry.
