The International Code Council’s (ICC’s) plan to alter how it develops the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) has raised the ire of those pushing for more stringent efficiency measures.
The council has proposed rules changes that would make the code-making process less open, with development done by a committee without input from local government building officials, according to published reports. According to Mike Collignon, executive director and co-founder of the Green Builder Coalition, local officials were not informed of the possibility that their voice in future code development “might be stripped from them,” when the ICC recently proposed the changes.
The changes were proposed after ICC representatives from the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) objected to some efficiency measures during deliberations over the latest version on the IECC. NAHB’s appeals led to stripping out provisions to require that new homes go all-electric and be EV-ready—provisions supported by the majority of IECC voters.
The ICC is seeking members’ and stakeholders’ feedback on the proposed code development reforms through Jan. 11. The IECC is in use or has been adopted by 47 states.
Related Stories
| Jan 31, 2013
More severe wind storms should prompt nationwide reexamination of building codes, says insurance expert
The increased number and severity of storms with high winds nationally should prompt a reexamination of building codes in every community, says Mory Katz, vice president, Verisk Insurance Solutions Commercial Property, Jersey City, N.J.
| Jan 31, 2013
California Building Standards Commission adopts 2013 code update
The California Building Standards Commission adopted the new 2013 state standards code that includes new energy code provisions, accessibility standards, green building and water use modifications.
| Jan 25, 2013
D.C. authority wants to halt sewer tunnel projects while investigating green stormwater alternatives
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority has proposed suspending a tunnel-building project.
| Jan 25, 2013
Energy modeling needed to overcome ‘plug load problem’ to meet high green standards
Plug loads illustrate how much end-users impact overall building energy use.
| Jan 25, 2013
ASHRAE publishes revised filtration standard, combines Standard 52.1 and 52.2
A newly revised filtration standard from ASHRAE combines two standards aimed at improving the technical accuracy of filter testing.
| Jan 25, 2013
AISC 206-13 standard for structural steel erectors available for review
AISC 206-13, a quality management system standard for structural steel erectors, is now available for public review.
| Jan 25, 2013
Builders Hardware Manufacturers Assn. revises five ANSI hardware standards
The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) has released five revisions to ANSI/BHMA standards recently been approved by ANSI (American National Standards Institute).
| Jan 16, 2013
Pentagon plans huge spending cuts, including construction funds, amid budget deadlock fears
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has ordered cuts to military spending as a precaution in case the White House and Congress fail to agree to avert $52 billion in cuts to the Pentagon budget this year.
| Jan 16, 2013
GSA's Green Proving Ground program pushes energy efficiency
The General Services Administration, which manages a portfolio of almost 10,000 buildings, is using the Green Proving Ground program to test technological advances in energy efficiency.
| Jan 16, 2013
Standards that include reflective roofs must take into account local climate
Roofs painted white can reflect heat and reduce warm-weather energy use, but in cooler regions like Minneapolis or Chicago, the issue of energy-efficiency is less straightforward.