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
| Feb 17, 2012
Comment period opens March 1 for LEED 2012 update
USGBC says that LEED's strength comes from its continuous evolution.
| Feb 17, 2012
OSHA training videos on proper respirator use available online
17 short videos to help workers learn about the proper use of respirators on the job.
| Feb 17, 2012
Union/employer collaboration on the rise aimed at exceeding OSHA safety standards
Unions have learned to help employers win contracts with bids made competitive through good safety practices.
| Feb 16, 2012
Gain greater agility and profitability with ArchiCAD BIM software
White paper was written with the sole purpose of providing accurate, reliable information about critical issues related to BIM and what ArchiCAD with advanced technology such as the GRAPHISOFT BIM Server provide as an answer to address these issues.
| Feb 9, 2012
Initiative to sell off under-used federal property gaining momentum
The bill is similar to a White House planto cut $8 billion worth of building costs by the end of the 2012 fiscal year, and to establish a panel to identify other sites worth selling or donating to nonprofits or state and local governments.
| Feb 9, 2012
Computer tool helps engineers design roof cladding using Canada's building code
Easier to design roof cladding that can withstand winds in a given area.
| Feb 9, 2012
Webinar focuses on lessons learned from LEED-certified industrial project
This case study will focus on strategies used to save the client money, achieve certification, and effectively market success once the project was complete.
| Feb 9, 2012
Rapid growth of zero energy buildings expected
Much of that growth will be in the European Union, where near-zero energy buildings are mandated by 2019 for public buildings, and by 2021 for all construction.
| Feb 9, 2012
Stiffer OSHA fines put strain on Kansas contractors
A fine for a violation that once cost between $750 and $1,200 now runs $7,000 or more per incident, according to a state industry association official.