The 2015 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) will include the option to use an outcome-based approach when complying with local building energy codes, the first time the IgCC has allowed this method.
Previously, building energy codes relied on two main pathways to demonstrate compliance: performance (modeling energy consumption), and prescriptive measures (following code-defined values for individual building components). Both approaches fail to fully account for how buildings use power once they are completed, occupied, and maintained, according to the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT).
The new provision will help communities to ensure energy-efficient buildings are meeting performance expectations. The outcome-based approach requires the building owner to provide the building’s utility bills for a 12-month period within three years. This will ease pressure on code departments and align with the growing number of energy benchmarking regulations across the country, IMT says.
The decision to include an outcome-based pathway in the 2015 IgCC will directly influence future editions of the IgCC and other codes such as the Energy Conservation Code. This should smooth the process of including ASHRAE Standard 189.1 and the LEED green building program into the development of the IgCC, IMT says.
(http://www.imt.org/news/the-current/outcome-based-pathway-is-voted-into-the-2015-igcc)
Related Stories
| Dec 20, 2012
China to build sustainable city for 180,000 from scratch
A 120-million sf urban development in China will be designed according to high green standards for about 180,000 residents.
| Dec 20, 2012
Air duct trade group urges maintenance, restoration professionals to avoid chemical cleaners
The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) urges professionals to avoid using chemicals as a method for cleaning and maintaining air duct systems.
| Dec 20, 2012
Valencia College shifts from LEED to Green Globes on new project for more flexibility
The Lake Nona campus of Valencia College in Florida shifted its sustainability standard to Green Globes largely to be able to use a bipolar-ionization system to treat its indoor air -- something LEED didn't allow.
| Dec 20, 2012
LEED-certified schools don’t have to cost more to build, save average of 33% on energy
On average, green schools use 33% less energy and 32% less water than their conventional counterparts, and save $100,000 per year on direct operating costs, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.
| Dec 13, 2012
New OSHA initiatives on tap at AGC safety and health conference
More than 150 industry professionals will discuss the development of regulatory and legislative activity on national and local levels at the Associated General Contractors of America’s health and safety conference.
| Dec 13, 2012
So-called fiscal cliff is already affecting construction jobs, AGC finds
In November, the construction industry shed 20,000 jobs and its unemployment rate reached 12.2%, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.
| Dec 13, 2012
New York City poised to enact recycling mandate for multi-family dwellings
New York City lags behind other large cities in recycling with only 15% of residential trash being recycled. A new bill passed by the City Council aims to improve the rate by changing how new apartment buildings are constructed.
| Dec 13, 2012
Pima County, Ariz. officials say improved code enforcement scores will help lower insurance bills
Insurance Service Office, Inc. (ISO) recently analyzed building codes and enforcement and found that Pima County, Ariz., consistently outscored comparable jurisdictions in Arizona and the nation.
| Dec 13, 2012
D.C. aims to be a green leader with new building codes
The District of Columbia has released a revised set of building codes to make it a leader in green construction.
