Building construction regulations and the fuel cell: Roadblocks and/or opportunities to technology transfer

摘要

A significant amount of effort is underway to develop new technologies for the buildings sector. To be implemented in buildings, however, new technologies must meet a host of codes and standards, many of which vary from state to state. Technology development efforts frequently neglect an analysis of codes and standards until late in the development phase (typically just prior to commercialization) or even worse, not until after commercialization. Because of the time lag in either making necessary technology modifications to meet codes or updating codes to accommodate the new technology, such neglect often results in significant delays in new technology implementation. Under new circumstances, codes and standards can encourage the use of certain technologies, enhancing their market performance. Analysis of codes and standards should be undertaken as early as possible in the technology development phase, preferably in parallel to technology development so that requirements to meet codes and standards can be integrated into the technology as it is developed, and so that required codes and standards modifications can be initiated and perhaps finalized in anticipation of new technologies. Several codes and standards considerations must be assessed before fuel cells can be widely employed in the US buildings sector.