Building Energy Code

Much of the information presented in this summary is drawn from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program and the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP). For more detailed information about building energy codes, visit the DOE and BCAP websites.

Prior to 1997, South Carolina's local governments adopted and enforced the building codes. In 1997, the law required statewide use of the most up-to-date building codes, which then required the adoption and enforcement of the 1995 MEC (Model Energy Code). The MEC has since been published as the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). On November 28, 2007, the South Carolina Building Code Council (BCC) formally adopted the 2006 IECC for non-residential buildings. Due to the statutory process for code adoption, the 2006 IECC was officially implemented in South Carolina in July 2008 and updated to the 2009 IECC in March 2012. Effective January 2013, South Carolina legislation applies the 2009 IECC to all new and renovated buildings, including residential buildings. The previous standard of the 2006 IECC code will be utilized until such time. Local jurisdictions can apply to the BCC for a variance.

To learn more about South Carolina's building energy codes, click here.