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International Green Construction Code is launched

On March 15, the International Code Council (ICC), American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) introduced the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), representing the merger of two national efforts to develop adoptable and enforceable green building codes. The IGCC provides the building industry with language that broadens and strengthens building codes to accelerate the construction of high-performance green buildings throughout the U.S.

For years, ICC and ASHRAE have worked to develop codes and standards that are the industry standard of care for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of residential and commercial buildings in the U.S. and internationally. Coordinating with the efforts of ICC and ASHRAE, USGBC has been leading a nationwide green building movement centered on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System™ since LEED was launched in 2000.

The efforts of these groups led to the creation of the IGCC, which establishes a regulatory framework for constructing high-performance commercial buildings that are safe and sustainable.

A landmark addition to the IGCC's technical content is the inclusion of ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES 189.1, "Standard for the Design of High Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings," as an alternate compliance method. Standard 189.1 is a set of technically rigorous requirements, which, like the IGCC, covers criteria such as water use efficiency, indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency, materials and resource use, and a building's effect on its site and community. The standard was developed in a little more than three years and written by experts representing all areas of the building industry. There were four public reviews of the standard during which about 2,500 comments were received.

Standard 189.1 and the IGCC are available for wide distribution. The organizations also are working together to advance related education and advocacy efforts to promote adoption of, enforcement of and compliance with the IGCC codes that will pave the way for green buildings and neighborhoods while creating jobs and strengthening the economy.

For more information about IGCC, click here. For more information about Standard 189.1, click here.

3/19/2010  

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