M INNESOTA E NERGY C ODE C HAPTER 7676 A LL B

walls, including the below-grade portion, are included as partof the gross wall area. Windows and doors in basement wallsare also included in the gross wall area.Subp. 12. Heated slab. “Heated slab”means slab-on-gradeconstruction in which the heating elements or hot airdistribution system is in contact with or placed within the slabor below the slab.ABPF A / BSubp. 13. Heat Trap. A “Heat trap” means a device forpreventing convection in supply and return pipes servingservice water heaters and tanks. It includes pipe loopconfigurations to prevent convection. For water heaters, itdoes not include mechanical heat traps that are not included aspart of the manufacturer’s testing and performance rating of theappliance.Subp. 14. HVAC. “HVAC”means heating, ventilating, and airconditioning.Subp. 15. HVAC system. “HVAC system”means a system thatprovides either collectively or individually the processes ofcomfort heating, ventilating, and/or air conditioning within orassociated with a building.Subp. 16. Infiltration. I“nfiltration”means the uncontrolledair leakage through cracks and interstices in any buildingelement and around windows and doors of a building caused bythe pressure effects of wind and/or the effect of differences inthe indoor and outdoor air density.Subp. 17. Interior air barrier. “Interior air barrier”means amaterial or combination of materials which are durable andinstalled at the warm side of the building envelope andcontinuously sealed to resist the passage of air and airbornemoisture from a conditioned or semiconditioned space into thebuilding envelope. Acceptable air barrier materials includesupported 4-mil polyethylene, gypsum board, wood products,rigid insulation, plastic, metal, sealed concrete products, andany air impermeable material that qualifies as a draft stop, firestop, or fire block.Subp. 18. Manual. “Manual”means capable of being operatedby personal intervention.Subp. 19. New energy. “New energy”means energy, otherthan recovered energy, used for the purpose of heating orcooling.Subp. 20. Opaque areas. “Opaque areas”means all exposedareas of a building envelope which enclose conditioned space,except openings for windows, skylights, glass in doors, andbuilding service systems.Subp. 21. Projection factor or PF. “Projection factor”or P“ F”means the ratio of the horizontal depth of the external shadingprojection divided by the sum of the height of the fenestrationand the distance from the top of the fenestration to the bottomof the furthest point of the exterior shading projection, inconsistent units, as illustrated in this subpart.Chapter 7676, Energy Code: All Buildings Except Low-Rise ResidentialSubp. 22.Readily Accessible. “Readily Accessible” meanscapable of being reached safely and quickly for operation,repair, or inspection, without requiring those to whom readyaccess is requisite to climb over or remove obstacles or to resortto the use of portable access equipment.Subp. 23. Recooling. R“ ecooling”means the removal of heatby sensible cooling of the supply air, directly or indirectly, thathas been previously heated above the temperature to which theair is to be supplied to the conditioned space for proper controlof the temperature of that space.Subp. 24.Recovered energy. “Recovered energy” meansenergy used which would otherwise be wasted.Subp. 25. Reheat. “Reheat”means the application of sensibleheat to supply air that has been previously cooled below thetemperature of the conditioned space by either mechanicalrefrigeration or the introduction of outdoor air to providecooling.Subp. 26. Renewable energy sources. “Renewable energysources”means sources of energy, excluding minerals, derivedfrom incoming solar radiation, including natural daylightingand photosynthetic processes, including biomass; resultingfrom phenomena, including wind, waves and tides, and lake orpond thermal differences; and energy derived from the internalheat of the earth, including nocturnal thermal exchanges.Subp. 27. Reset. “Reset”means adjustment of the set point of acontrol instrument to a higher or lower value automatically ormanually to conserve energy.Subp. 28.Roof/ceiling assembly. “Roof/ceiling assembly”means all components of the roof/ceiling envelope throughwhich heat flows, thus creating a building transmission heatloss or gain, where the assembly is exposed to outdoor air andencloses a conditioned or semiconditioned space.The gross area of a roof/ceiling assembly consists of the totalinterior surface of the assembly, including skylights exposed tothe conditioned or semiconditioned space.3

Subp. 29. Seal. “Seal”means to secure at all edges, joints,openings and penetrations of barrier materials in a permanentmanner to resist the passage of air and air borne moisture.Subp. 30. Service water heating. S“ ervice water heating”means the supply of hot water for domestic or commercialpurposes other than space heating.Subp. 31. Semiconditioned space. “Semiconditioned space”means space within a building which is conditioned eitherdirectly or indirectly by an energy-using system to have limitedcapability of maintaining less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit atwinter design conditions or greater than 78 degrees Fahrenheitat summer design conditions, as identified in part 7676.1100,subpart 4.Subp. 32. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient or SHGC. “SolarHeat Gain Coefficient”or S“ HGC”means the ratio of the solarheat gain entering the space through the fenestration area tothe incident solar radiation. Solar heat gain includes directlytransmitted solar heat and absorbed solar radiation, which isthen reradiated, conducted, or convected into the space. In theabsence of a measured SHGC, the conversion from shadingcoefficient to SHGC is: SHGC 0.870 x shading coefficient.Subp. 33.Thermal conductance. T“ hermal conductance”means time rate of heat flow through a body, frequently perunit area, from one of its bounding surfaces to the other forunit temperature difference between the two surfaces, understeady conditions (Btu/h ft2 F).Subp. 34. Thermal resistance or R. “Thermal resistance” or“R”means the reciprocal of thermal conductance (h ft2 F/Btu).Subp. 35.Thermal transmittance or U.T“ hermaltransmittance” or “U” means the coefficient of heattransmission (air-to-air). It is the time rate of heat flow perunit area and unit temperature differential between the warmside and cold side of air films (Btu/h ft2 F).Subp. 36. Thermal transmittance, overall or Uo. T“ hermaltransmittance, overall” or “Uo” means the overall thermaltransmittance of an exterior building envelope component,such as a wall, floor, or roof/ceiling. The value of Uo iscalculated by the parallel path heat flow method using theareas and thermal transmittance values of the various elements,such as windows, doors, and opaque surfaces that comprise thegross area of the building component.Subp. 37. UL 181 or equivalent. “UL 181 or equivalent”means a duct sealing product that meets standards UL181A,UL181B, or the UL standard for metal duct sealant. It alsomeans a duct tape with metal foil backing and acrylic orsilicone adhesive. It does not mean cloth backed tape withrubber adhesive.Subp. 39. Vapor retarder. “Vapor retarder”means a materialor assembly to impede water vapor passage designed to meet amaximum permeability rating of 1.0 grain per hour per squarefoot per inch Hg pressure differential. Polyethylene materialwhich is used to meet the requirements of this subpart musteither be designed to have a minimum thickness of four mills,be cross laminated, or be shown to have the strength andpuncture resistance of not less than cross laminatedpolyethylene.Subp. 40. Warm side. "Warm side" means the locationwithin a building envelope element between the interiorsurface and the winter design condition dew point.Subp. 41. Wind wash barrier. “Wind wash barrier”means amaterial or combination of materials, rigid or flexible, to resistthe passage of unconditioned air into the building envelope.Wind wash barrier materials must be suitable for exteriorconditions. Flexible wind wash barrier materials must meetASTM E1677.Subp. 42. Zone. "Zone" means a space or group of spaceswithin a building with heating or cooling requirementssufficiently similar so that comfort conditions can bemaintained throughout by a single controlling device. Eachfloor of a nonresidential building must be considered at leastone separate zone.7676.0600 MINIMUM ENVELOPE CRITERIA.Subpart 1. General.A. Buildings that are heated or mechanically cooled andheated slabs must be constructed so as to provide the requiredthermal performance for components identified in this part.Buildings must be designed and constructed to permitcontinuity of air barriers and thermal insulation as required inthis part. Building assemblies are required to maintain thethermal performance of installed insulation and the integrity ofbuilding materials.B. Where sealed materials are required, sealants must becompatible with substrate and other materials being sealed.Consideration must be given to the installation conditions,temperature, moisture, gap width, and permanence of sealrequired when selecting appropriate material for sealing.Subp. 2. Foundation walls and slabs on grade.A. Foundation walls, including exposed edges of slabs ongrade, which enclose conditioned or semiconditioned spacesmust be insulated. The insulation must be continuous exceptwhere the insulation must be interrupted for purposes such aspenetrations or structural requirements, provided that theinsulation is sealed or tightly abutted at the penetration orstructural member.Subp. 38. Unconditioned space. “Unconditioned space”meansspace within a building which is neither conditioned norsemiconditioned; including outdoor space, and spaces within abuilding with uncontrolled ventilation to outdoors.Chapter 7676, Energy Code: All Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential4

B. Foundation wall insulation must be not less than R-5from the top of the wall down to the top of the footing, or topof the floor if insulation is on the interior.C. Slabs on grade, including heated aprons located outsideof a building, must be insulated around the perimeter. Theinsulation must extend from the top of the slab downward toeither the design frost line or to the top of the footing,whichever is less. The thermal insulation must be not less thanR-5.D. If foundation wall insulation is on the exterior, theportion from the top of the foundation wall to six inches belowgrade must be covered by an approved protective coating finishto protect the insulation from deterioration due to sunlight andphysical abuse.Subp. 3.Framed components. All buildings must beconstructed in a manner that provides a continuous, durableinterior air barrier on the warm side of the building envelope.EXCEPTION: This subpart shall not apply to alterationsand additions.A. Insulated ceilings must have a vertical clearance of notless than six inches from the outside edge of the exterior walltop plate to the roof sheathing, and not less than R-19insulation at the inside edge of the top plate.B. Exterior corners must be framed so that insulation can beinstalled after the exterior sheathing is installed.C. Gaps between framing which are less than one-half inchin width must be either eliminated by securing the framingmembers together, or must be insulated at the time ofassembly.D. Intersections of interior partition walls with exteriorwalls must be framed so that insulation can be installedbetween the partition wall and exterior sheathing after theexterior sheathing is installed.E Whenever interior framing meets an insulated ceiling orexterior wall, a continuous interior air barrier must beinstalled on the ceiling or exterior wall prior to installation ofinterior framing to allow continuity with adjacent interior airbarriers. This requirement applies to dropped ceilings, soffits,stairs, fire or draft stops, fireplace framing, and similarelements.EXCEPTION: An interior air barrier need not be installedabove partition top plates if adjacent interior air barriermaterials are sealed to the top plate, provided that penetrationsin the top plate are sealed.F. Prior to installing a tub, shower, or spa located at anexterior wall, a continuously sealed interior air barrier mustbe installed on the exterior wall to allow continuity withadjacent interior air barriers.G. Exterior wall intersections of wood, masonry, and otherdissimilar materials must be sealed to maintain interior airbarrier continuity.Chapter 7676, Energy Code: All Buildings Except Low-Rise ResidentialH. Walls exposed to attic areas and skylight shafts must beconstructed to meet the same requirements as exterior walls,including wind wash barrier, insulation, vapor retarder, andinterior air barrier requirements. If sheathing is not installed,the wind wash barrier must be supported between solidblocking.Subp. 4. Interior air barrier. A sealed, continuous interiorair barrier must be installed on the warm side of the buildingenvelope to resist air leakage and movement of moisture intothe building envelope at ceilings, walls, and floor rim joistareas.A. An interior air barrier must be installed on the warmside of insulated ceilings and on walls. The interior airbarrier must be sealed at all edges, joints, openings andpenetrations.EXCEPTIONS: An interior air barrier is not required atconcrete foundation wall insulation or at fenestration roughopenings.B. An interior air barrier must be installed at floor rim joistareas.Subp. 5. Interior air barrier penetrations.A. All penetrations installed through an interior air barriermust be sealed prior to covering or making inaccessible so thata continuous interior air barrier is maintained.Allpenetrations made prior to framing inspection must be sealedprior to framing inspection.B. Penetrations that must be sealed include piping andducts, wires and equipment, and flue and chimneypenetrations.C. Sealing for wires and equipment must include theservice entrance, wires, conduit, cables, panels, recessed lightfixtures, electronic equipment, heating appliances, electricalboxes, and fan housings. Recessed light fixtures must besealed in an approved manner.D. Penetration openings must be of appropriate dimensionsto facilitate the sealing method. Penetrations in a flexibleinterior air barrier must be supported by rigid material or anapproved method to facilitate permanent air sealing.Subp. 6. Vapor retarder requirements. A vapor retardermust be installed on the warm side of all walls and on ceilings,floor rim joist areas, and earth floors of unvented crawl spaces.For buildings meeting the criteria of part 7676.0800 forsemi-conditioned buildings or buildings with high internal heatgain, or part 7676.0900 for greenhouses, inflated structures, orprocesses requiring heat for cold weather protection,consideration must be given to the use of a vapor retarder onthe warm side of building envelope components.Subp. 7. Exterior wind wash barrier. A barrier must beprovided to resist wind wash. Where sealing is required, thewind wash barrier must be caulked, be gasketed, have sealedexterior wrap, or be otherwise sealed in an approved manner to5

provide a permanent air seal and prevent entry of wind andwind-driven rain. In wood framing construction, wind washbarrier penetrations must occur through rigid material orapproved hardware to enable effective sealing. Penetrations inChapter 7676, Energy Code: All Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential6

the wind wash barrier must be sealed so that a continuous windwash barrier is maintained.A. A rigid wind wash barrier must be tightly installed at theexterior edge of the exterior wall top plate, extending verticallyto the underside of the truss top chord, or for nontruss woodframing to within 3-1/2 inches of the roof deck, or to the top ofthe required ceiling insulation.EXCEPTION: A wind wash barrier is not required toextend greater than 24 inches above the top plate.B. A sealed wind wash barrier must be installed at floors,overhangs, and floor rim joist areas separating conditionedfrom unconditioned spaces.C. Sheathing joints which are not supported by framing andframing joints which are not covered by sheathing, must besealed at the exterior side of the joint.D. All sheathing penetrations must be sealed.E. A sealed wind wash barrier must be installed between anattached garage and interior conditioned spaces.Subp. 8. Fenestration product installation requirements.Minimum clearance between rough opening framing andfenestration product frame must be maintained in accordancewith the manufacturer’s instructions to facilitate insulation.When manufacturer’s installation instructions requireinsulation between the rough opening and frame, the portion ofthe rough opening which is located to the exterior side of theglazing must be insulated. The required insulation must beinstalled by the installer at the time of fenestration productinstallation. The installer must also provide a durable exteriorside infiltration and weather seal around the perimeter of theproduct frame.Subp. 9. Floors over unconditioned spaces. Floors overunconditioned spaces must have a maximum overall thermaltransmittance as required for the building types identified inthis chapter. Floor rim joist framing must have an interior airbarrier on the warm side according to subpart 4 and a sealedwind wash barrier according to subpart 7.Subp. 10. Thermal insulation placement and support.after eave protection is installed, unless prior loose fillinsulation is required to prevent cold weather freezing ofinterior applied building materials.E. Where building designs and code requirements allow,thermal insulation must be continuous and uninterrupted byducts, pipes, wiring, bracing, and other elements which arecapable of being installed to the interior or exterior side of theinsulation.Subp. 11.insulation.Performance and identification of loose fillA. Loose fill insulation installed to meet the requirementsof this chapter must provide the required performance at 75degrees Fahrenheit mean temperature and no less than therequired performance at winter design conditions.B. Insulation must be installed according to the bag counton the manufacturer’s coverage chart.C. The insulation installer shall place identification inaccordance with this subpart in accessible attics of allbuildings with loose fill insulation(1) A means must be provided to verify the claimedinsulation level by installing insulation thickness markerslabeled with a minimum of one-inch increments atapproximately ten-foot spacing throughout the attic.(2) A completed insulation receipt attic card must beattached to the framing near the access opening in a clearlyvisible place. The attic card must identify the type ofinsulation installed, the manufacturer, the installer, the Rvalue, the design settled thickness, the square footage of atticcoverage area, and the number of bags installed, and must besigned and dated by the installer.(3) Notification must be posted near the buildinginspection card indicating the installed attic R-value and dateof installation.D. Attic access panels must be insulated to a minimum ofR-22.2 for ceiling panels and R-13 for wall panels, and must beweather stripped.7676.0700 METHODS FOR COMPLIANCE.A. Thermal insulation must be installed in ceilings andwalls in a permanent manner and in substantial contact withthe interior air barrier.Subpart 1. Scope. All buildings except low-rise residentialthat are conditioned must comply with the requirements ofsubpart 3 and subpart 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9.B. When framing or equipment is installed that will restrictaccess to building cavities requiring insulation, those cavitiesmust be insulated prior to restricting access.Subp. 2. Calculations. Calculation of component thermaltransmittance (U-values) and overall thermal transmittancevalues (Uo-values) must be according to chapter 7678.C. All insulation in floors and walls must be supported andprotected on the unconditioned side by sheathing or otherapproved materials to resist insulation movement and windwash.D. In buildings having eave ventilation and loose fill atticinsulation, a barrier must be installed to prevent the insulationfrom entering the eave. Loose fill insulation must be installedChapter 7676, Energy Code: All Buildings Except Low-Rise ResidentialSubp. 3. Minimum requirements.Fenestration products (windows, doors, and skylights) musthave air infiltration rates not exceeding those listed in part7678.0600.Fenestration thermal performance must bedetermined according to part 7678.0600.7

Subp. 4. Total heat gain or loss for entire building. Thevalue of Uo for any assembly such as roof/ceiling, wall, or floorChapter 7676, Energy Code: All Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential8

may be increased and traded off by decreasing the value of Uofor other components, provided that the total heat gain or lossfor the entire building envelope does not exceed the totalresulting from conformance to the values of Uo specified in thispart.Subp. 5.Building component performa

Subp. 21. Projection factor or PF. “Projection factor ” or PF“ ” means the ratio of the horizontal depth of the external shading projection divided by the sum of the height of the fenestration and the distance from the top of the fenestration to the bottom of the furthest point of the exterior shading projection, in