WASHINGTON, March 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the
International Code Council, the leading global source of model
codes and standards and building safety solutions, released a
new framework to assist governments and building industry
stakeholders in meeting energy efficiency and greenhouse
gas reduction goals.
The Code Council Board of Directors, which consists of
18 government code officials who were elected by their peers,
adopted the framework, Leading the Way to Energy
Efficiency: A Path Forward on Energy and Sustainability to Confront
a Changing Climate. This framework includes using the Code
Council's American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) approved standards process to update the
International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).
Future editions of the IECC will build on prior successes
including an increase of efficiency requirements by about 40%, or
an average of 8% a cycle from 2006 to 2021, allowing the IECC to
remain a strong avenue for communities to reach their energy
efficiency and sustainability goals globally. With the
base 2021 IECC efficiency requirements just 10% away
from net zero for residential buildings, under the new
framework future editions of the IECC will increase
base efficiency using a balancing test proposed in bipartisan
legislation that has cleared the U.S. House and Senate and has been
supported by energy efficiency advocates and the building
industry.
The IECC will be developed under a revised scope and be part of
a portfolio of greenhouse gas reduction solutions that could
address electric vehicles, electrification and
decarbonization, integration of renewable energy and energy
storage, existing buildings performance standards and
more. The Code Council's new framework will
also provide optional requirements aimed at achieving net
zero energy buildings presently and by 2030. Using
a tiered approach, the framework offers adopting
jurisdictions a menu of options, from a set of minimum requirements
to pathways to net zero energy and additional greenhouse gas
reduction policies.
"Thank you to our members and stakeholders for
their feedback throughout this process,"
said Greg Wheeler, CBO, President of the Code Council.
"After careful consideration of all the input, the Board of
Directors has approved this coordinated, comprehensive
strategy to support the needs
of our communities, building on the Code Council's
strong foundation of technical solutions provided by the IECC,
International Residential Code and International Green Construction
Code."
"The Code Council is committed to furthering the
progress the IECC has made to date and ensuring our energy code
continues to meet the needs of governments around the
world to advance their energy efficiency goals," said Dominic Sims, CBO, Chief Executive Officer of
the Code Council. "We have heard clearly feedback from
the building safety community asking us to strengthen the
IECC and create new resources to help communities address
their climate goals. We will rise to that challenge."
The Code Council has also announced the establishment of an
Energy and Carbon Advisory Council which will consist of
governmental and industry leaders to inform the Code Council's
efforts. The Energy and Carbon Advisory Council will advise
on which additional greenhouse gas reduction
policies the IECC should integrate, the pace
that the IECC's baseline efficiency
requirements should advance, plus needs and gaps
that the Code Council should work to
address. The Code Council will begin outreach to
fill the Energy and Carbon Advisory Council in
March.
A call for applications for
the IECC Development Committees will take
place in March. The committees will represent
diversity across nine interest categories and assure representation
from a diversity of jurisdictions, experiences in building types
and energy efficiency strategies, and geographies.
"Government officials will have the strongest
voice on the committee, and the consensus process
requires one third of the seats to be government regulators,"
continued Wheeler. Committee membership will be determined
through an open nominations process with no seats reserved for
organizations.
For additional information:
- The executive summary and full
framework are available online.
- An infographic detailing the changes is here.
- For additional resources,
visit www.iccsafe.org/energy.
About the International Code
Council
The International Code Council is the
leading global source of model codes and standards and building
safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are
used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and
buildings worldwide.
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SOURCE International Code Council