flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

2018 building energy code upholds efficiency gains

Codes and Standards

2018 building energy code upholds efficiency gains

Efforts to scale back efficiency requirements largely defeated.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | January 5, 2017

Pixabay Public Domain

After being pressured to scale back efficiency provisions in the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), code officials largely held the line on efficiency gains made in recent versions, according to Lauren Urbanek, Senior Energy Policy Advocate, Energy & Transportation program with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“The building code was under attack at every step of this year-long process,” Urbanek writes. “There were many proposals that would have significantly weakened the code and allowed more opportunities for energy waste, but nearly all were defeated.”

Urbanek noted just one efficiency gain in the new commercial code—one that pertains to water flow in showers. It sets the maximum flow rate of showerheads in commercial buildings at 2.0 gallons per minute, the level that has been specified by the EPA Water Sense program since 2010.

The IECC is used as a model code by more than 40 states. It is updated every three years.

A home built to the 2012 code uses about half of the energy as a standard home constructed in 1975, according to Urbanek.

Related Stories

| Oct 11, 2012

Morristown, N.Y., settles code violation dispute with Amish

The town of Morristown, N.Y., has dropped charges of building code violations against local Amish communities to settle a First Amendment complaint.

| Oct 11, 2012

Mesquite, Nev., rebels against state-mandated energy code

The city council of Mesquite, Nev., voted against adopting a new energy efficiency code adopted by the state.

| Oct 11, 2012

Bloomingdale, N.J., restricts ground solar and wind energy installations

The borough of Bloomingdale, N.J., recently adopted regulations for solar-energy and wind energy systems.

| Oct 3, 2012

Bill introduced to extend home energy efficiency tax credit

A bill to extend the expired residential energy efficiency tax credit for installing qualified furnaces, boilers, central air conditioners, and heat pumps was recently filed in the U.S. House of Representatives.

| Oct 3, 2012

OSHA publishes more detailed information on variances

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enhanced its variances Web page to improve public understanding of the variance approval process and increase access to the agency's decisions regarding variance requests.

| Oct 3, 2012

Online program computes energy savings from green roofs; compares savings with other options

A free online tool can calculate the amount of energy savings from installation of a green roof. Portland State University‘s (PSU’s) online Green Roof Energy Calculator can be used for new or old structures.

| Oct 3, 2012

SERF, CSE launch a new accreditation for evaluation of building sustainability

The Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities (SERF), a Chicago-based environmental building certification organization, and the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) launched a new accreditation program that certifies professionals to evaluate buildings’ sustainable systems and practices according to SERF’s certification criteria.

| Oct 3, 2012

New version of Occupied Space Standard for DC microgrids in buildings released

The EMerge Alliance, an association leading the adoption of safe direct-current (DC) power distribution standards for commercial buildings, has updated the EMerge Alliance Occupied Space standard.

| Sep 26, 2012

Automatic budget cuts in January would slash federal agencies' construction budgets

Sequestration, or the implementation of automatic budget cuts as of January 2013, would slash government agencies' already reduced construction budgets further, and require agencies to shelve some repair and maintenance projects.

| Sep 26, 2012

Investment in greener data centers to reach $45 billion by 2016

Investment in data centers built to green standards will increase from the $17.1 billion predicted for this year to $45 billion by 2016, according to Pike Research.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021