SEEA’s Energy Code Circuit Rider Program began in 2014, with specific building energy code related training needs in Florida. Over the last decade, SEEA has grown this program to support seven states, with plans to expand to cover all of the Southeast. Energy Code Circuit Riders are in-field experts who meet with targeted groups of market stakeholders to address code compliance and enforcement needs. SEEA’s Circuit Riders work throughout the state and visit jurisdictions to provide resources and support building energy code compliance. Unlike traditional training that is designed to deliver a specific knowledge set, which may or may not address the needs of the audience, SEEA’s Energy Code Circuit Rider program is audience-focused, tailoring training and technical assistance to the unique concerns and issues faced by each stakeholder or group.
Active Circuit Riders in the Southeast:
AZS Consulting – Florida
Arlene Zavocki Stewart is the principal for AZS Consulting, Inc., a firm established in 2000 specializing in energy efficient and sustainable building compliance, certification, training and promotion. AZS Consulting works with non-profits and government agencies to identify and address barriers to market transformation and code implementation, while also working with private industry to help them excel in the energy efficiency and green building sectors.
Since 2014, AZS Consulting has left the Florida Energy Code Circuit Rider program, providing individually tailored technical assistance, training, and education throughout the state. The partnership between AZS Consulting and SEEA began in 2012, when they collaborated on three Energy Forums at the Southeast Building Conference. Building on this success, SEEA named Stewart the first Energy Code Circuit Rider in the Southeast in 2014. Together, SEEA and AZS Consulting have worked with multiple associations to deliver energy code training throughout Florida.
One of their most impactful initiatives was the Energy Code Roadshow, which focused on preparing builders for the mandatory blower door test required for single-family homes. With supplemental funding from Building A Safer Florida and the Florida Department of Professional and Business Regulation, and utilizing the training networks of the Florida Home Builders Association and the Building Officials Association of Florida, the Roadshow offered critical, cost-effective training statewide.
Recognizing the unique challenges in Florida’s rural areas, such as the Panhandle, Big Bend, and the Keys, AZS Consulting worked to ensure these communities were not left behind. High travel costs and limited access to local training posed significant barriers for rural builders. To address this, AZS Consulting partnered with local Home Builders Associations, the Building Performance Institute, Owens Corning, and Retrotec to reduce travel expenses, lower training costs, and provide the necessary equipment. This comprehensive approach allowed even remote builders to meet Florida’s energy code requirements, demonstrating the Circuit Rider program’s ability to foster collaboration and deliver practical, scalable solutions.
Florida Energy Codes Circuit Rider details the Circuit Rider Program’s learnings, challenges, and successes in the last five years and the next steps for growth in Florida’s energy code compliance landscape.
State of the Panhandle: A Snapshot of Energy Codes in the Florida Panhandle provides an assessment of building code compliance in the region and the continued work of the Florida Circuit Rider program. It further examines the future of energy codes in the panhandle region of the state, particularly in the wake of rebuilding after Hurricane Michael.
Viridiant – Virginia
Viridiant is a non-profit organization committed to supporting sustainable building processes through education, consultation and certification in Virginia, Washington, DC and Maryland. Through these efforts, Viridiant helps to set a path for businesses and homeowners to create structures that are more affordable, more livable and more durable. Since it was founded in 2006, Viridiant has ensured the delivery of over 40,000 energy efficient, sustainable, healthy homes in the greater Virginia region. With the organization’s statewide network of building science professionals and unmatched field personnel, Viridiant has decades of experience assisting teams in the design and execution of high-performance buildings as well as guiding and implementing energy efficiency strategies for homeowners and renters.
Viridiant first began working with SEEA in 2017 on a Residential Energy Code Field Study conducted in Virginia. The results of this work set the stage for future Circuit Rider and training work. In the following years, training has been performed for builders, trades, building code officials, and inspectors on the 2015, 2018, and 2021 codes. Viridiant also worked closely with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to record training modules, which were then made publicly available. To aid with future training through the Virginia Building Code Academy, staff also went through “Train the Trainer” training. With the 2015 and 2018 codes, Viridiant sent binders of energy code resources to each jurisdiction and plans to do so again for the 2021 code. These resources are also freely available on Viridiant’s website.
The Virginia Energy Codes Circuit Rider Report outlines the methodology and findings from a 2019 residential energy code field study, highlighting the need for enhanced training and technical assistance. This report details the methodology, findings and next steps for an Energy Code Circuit Rider program in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Built Environment LLC – Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas
Bourke Reeve founded Built Environment LLC in 2018 to assist his clients in meeting their sustainability and energy efficiency goals. With over 15 years of experience in building codes, sustainability, construction, and preservation, Bourke brings a wealth of knowledge in energy efficient design, applying his expertise to educational, technical assistance, and research projects. For more than a decade, Bourke has collaborated with leading non-profit organizations, state agencies and local communities throughout the Southeast, developing projects, programs and trainings to create healthy, efficient and resilient buildings and communities.
In 2021, Built Environment LLC became a Circuit Rider with SEEA, expanding Bourke’s impact across multiple states, including South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas and Alabama. Working in South Carolina since 2021, he has worked closely with the State Energy Office to develop a statewide home energy labeling program, provide continuing education training for code officials, and partner with home builders associations to identify opportunities to enhance code compliance within the state. In Arkansas, he has provided technical assistance to the State Energy Office, helping with stakeholder engagement, energy code development, and technical support for code officials across the state. Bourke has worked on energy code development, implementations, and training in Alabama and Georgia for over a decade. This work crosses over into his circuit rider role with SEEA, where he provides technical assistance to code officials, builders, and other stakeholders across both states.
Over the years, Bourke’s most impactful projects have included the convergence of energy efficiency, resiliency, and equity. Whether working to update statewide codes, educate officials on efficiency standards, or develop new programs Bourke’s work with clients and stakeholders touches buildings and communities across the region helping create more durable, healthy, efficient, and comfortable buildings for all.
Green Coast Enterprises – Louisiana
Green Coast Enterprises develops real estate and provides services, focusing on urban and coastal areas in need of community renewal. By pursuing opportunities that address community needs—such as social inequity and economic stagnation—Green Coast fosters strong relationships with tenants and neighbors while partnering with public, private, nonprofit, and community organizations to achieve shared goals.
Currently in its inception phase, Green Coast Enterprises is leading the launch of Louisiana’s first Energy Code Circuit Rider, funded by the Securing Energy Code Advancements in Louisiana project under the Resilient and Effective Code Implementation (RECI) program supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Louisiana took a historic step forward in 2022 by passing Act 635, permitting the upgrade and adoption of residential and commercial energy codes to the most recently published versions, the 2021 IECC, effective July 1, 2023. While the legal transition to the most recent building energy codes is complete, taking the next steps to ensure implementation and enforcement are fundamental to realizing the wide range of energy, environmental, health, and economic benefits of an advanced energy code.
Equipping building officials with the necessary technical training, tools, and resources is essential to successfully enforce the code. The Energy Code Circuit Rider in Louisiana is designed to provide customized training and technical assistance to building departments and officials across the state. Green Coast Enterprises, a trusted partner with extensive experience in the buildings and energy sector, leads this effort, helping build local capacity and ensuring the effective deployment of energy code programs statewide.