Virgin Islands Building Energy Code

Summary

In 1995 the Virgin Islands Energy Office requested technical and financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy to review a draft energy code. A technical team reviewed the draft code and determined that it was lengthy, confusing, and not user-friendly. The team then composed a more user-friendly residential and commercial code based on the Council of American Building Officials (CABO) Model Energy Code (MEC) and ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-1989. The current draft, the Virgin Island Energy Building Code, addresses ventilation, shading, and cooling in residential homes. The commercial provisions address cooling, lighting, insulation, and water heating. This draft has not been finalized and adopted. After the code is adopted, applicants requiring building permits for new structures will first submit a completed Energy Conservation Code Guideline Form to the Virgin Islands Energy Office for approval before the Department of Planning and Natural Resources can issue a permit. All construction or work (including plans and other required documents) for which a permit is required are subject to inspection by the Virgin Islands government building or energy inspector.