Title
Consider/Discuss/Act on an Ordinance Amending the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), Adopted by Reference in the City of McKinney Code of Ordinances, Chapter 122, Article II “Building Codes.”
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Safe and Secure Community
(6.4: Pursue and maintain the highest Insurance Standards Office (ISO) fire and building protection classification.)
Enhance the Quality of Life in McKinney
(5.4: Promote environmental stewardship initiatives.)
MEETING DATE: September 14, 2026
DEPARTMENT: Development Services/Building Inspections
CONTACT: Suzanne Arnold, Chief Building Official
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
• Staff recommends the City approve the proposed ordinance amending the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code.
ITEM SUMMARY:
• The City of McKinney has adopted the 2024 Edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), including amendments recommended by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) which went into effect October 1, 2025. Since that time, NCTCOG has modified its amendments.
• Since the adoption of the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, Staff has received numerous questions and concerns regarding some of the requirements in the IECC. Staff is proposing to adopt the NCTCOG’s amendments and two additional amendments to address practical difficulties regarding Energy Monitoring and Renewable Energy requirements.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
• The 2024 IECC, as amended by NCTCOG, has been adopted by the City of McKinney and has been in effect since October 1, 2025. The IECC and all its amendments are adopted by reference in Chapter 122, Article II, of McKinney’s Code of Ordinances.
• Since adoption, Staff has received recurring feedback about two areas that make construction unnecessarily difficult. After discussing the feedback with the McKinney Development Committee and reviewing the amendments of other cities in the region, Staff agrees that amendments to the Code are warranted. Staff’s proposed amendments to the IECC include:
o C405.13 Energy Monitoring: This code section requires that every type of circuit be individually monitored for energy consumption, the objective being to detect losses in efficiency over time. The monitoring equipment is expensive, and there are practical difficulties in applying these systems to common electrical design practices, especially in large buildings. The proposed amendment removes this from being mandatory for all such buildings.
o C405.15.2.2 Off-Site Contract: Renewable energy is a requirement in the 2024 IECC. The code gives two options to meet that requirement: install on-site renewable energy systems (most commonly solar panels) or sign on with an off-site energy provider that is proven to source a minimum percentage of their energy from renewable sources. To use the off-site option, the code requires that the occupant enter into a ten-year contract with an electrical provider. The feedback we have received is that a ten-year term is infeasible or impossible. The proposed amendment reduces the length of the agreement with a renewable energy provider to one year.
• The NCTCOG amendments are written by a panel of experts on the NCTCOG Energy and Green Advisory Board, approved by the Regional Codes Coordinating Committee, and ratified by the NCTCOG Board of Directors.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY:
• N/A
BOARD OR COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
• Seeking recommendation by the Building and Standards Commission