Aspen will soon adopt the 2009 IECC as well as the 2009 IBC with several amendments.
They have kept the 2008 National Electrical Code, with amendments.

In addition to the 2009 IECC code change the town of Aspen has adopted changes in the Residential Renewable Energy Mitigation Program (RREMP), Commercial Renewable Energy Mitigation Program (CREMP) as well as other on-site renewable credits.

Electrical

• Aspen has amended the NEC code to require a maximum of 1W/sqft of lighting and (1) outlet per every 100sqft of storage space.

Mechanical

• Blower door tests are required which prove that a residence’s infiltration level is <0.35 air changes per hour.
• Commercial snowmelt, exterior pools, and spas are now subject to REMP fees under the CREMP program. Unless offset with renewable energy sources, costs are approximately $60/sf for snowmelt, $170/sf for pools, and $176/sf for spas.
• The residential REMP program has been modified to RREMP. Most significantly, this has increased the permit costs of snowmelt by approximately 240% unless offset with renewable energy sources. It no longer allows for the previously cheaper “summer-only” pool option. You are also no longer able to gain credits through exceptional envelope performance.
• CALRES is officially gone! What this means is that all residential projects must show compliance with the 2009 IECC through ResCheck software or IECC documentation. Most importantly, you can no longer earn “free” snowmelt with a more efficient building envelope.

We have only highlighted the most notable changes to the Aspen code. If you have a question about the code changes or about how a change could affect your project, please contact us.