New Green Construction Code Is Unveiled
Sunday, March 28th, 2010
The International Code Council has released Public Version 1.0 of the International Green Construction Code, or IGCC, to regulate construction of new and existing commercial buildings.
The IGCC aims to significantly reduce energy usage and greenhouse gases.
It addresses site development and land use, including preservation of natural and material resources. Enforcement of the code will improve indoor air quality and support the use of energy-efficient appliances, renewable energy systems, water resource conservation, rainwater collection and distribution systems, and the recovery of used water (graywater).
The IGCC emphasizes building performance, including features such as a requirement for building-system-performance verification and building owner education to ensure the best energy-efficient practices. A key feature of the new code is a section devoted to “jurisdictional electives” that will allow customization of the code beyond its baseline provisions to address local priorities and conditions.
The IGCC initiative was launched in 2009 with cooperating sponsors the American Institute of Architects and ASTM International. The support of the AIA underscores its long-time leadership in the sustainability movement, including its 2030 Carbon Neutrality challenge, and its emphasis on the critical role of architects and designers in the life cycle of sustainable construction.
The engagement of ASTM ensures the IGCC will make use of certain voluntary consensus standards recognized by industry, code officials, and other stakeholders for their high-degree of technical quality, relevance and their suitability to contribute to more sustainable and environmentally improved buildings. Principals from the ICC, AIA and ASTM pointed out how the IGCC helps further the mission of their organizations and members.
“We talked to communities who indicate that their voluntary green-building programs reach only, but an important, 30 percent of the built environment,” Code Council CEO Richard P. Weiland said. “This means that there is a clear need for a regulatory tool to establish a baseline to help jurisdictions meet their sustainability goals.”
The work of the ICC/AIA/ASTM team in developing the IGCC is now joined with the
Standard developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, U.S. Green Building Council and the Illuminating Engineering Society. The IGCC will now reference the ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2009 for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings, Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, as an alternative jurisdictional compliance option within the IGCC.
The first public version of the International Green Construction Code draft is now posted for comments through May 14.
Originally posted here:
New Green Construction Code Is Unveiled
Category Homeowner News, Technical News | Tags: Tags: carbon, code, ensure-the-best, green, green building, green-buildings, international, life, public-version, society, support-the-use, sustainability,
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