International Green Construction Code

The Code Council announced the release of Public Version 1.0 of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) to regulate construction of new and existing commercial buildings on March 15, 2010. The IGCC was established to aid in the construction of sustainable buildings in the business and residential sectors.^[1]

Since then, the IGCC PV 1.0 continued its development until the release of Public Version 2.0 in Nov. 19, 2010. ^[2]

Contents 1 History of the IGCC 2 What the IGCC will do 3 Implementation of the IGCC 4 References 5 External links

History of the IGCC

The IGCC initiative began in 2009 with Cooperating Sponsors American Institute of Architects (AIA) and ASTM International. The AIA has been involved with green initiatives and sustainability movements before, including its 2030 Carbon Neutrality challenge.^[3] ASTM's involvement with the IGCC is an attempt to ensure that the code will use certain voluntary consensus standards recognized by the industry.^[4]

What the IGCC will do

The goal of the IGCC is to decrease energy usage and carbon footprints along with several other issues.

• The code addresses site development and land use, including the preservation of natural and material resources as part of the process.
• Enforcement of the code will improve indoor air quality and support the use of energy-efficient appliances, renewable energy systems, water resource conservation, rainwater collection and distribution systems, and the recovery of used water, also known as graywater.
• The IGCC emphasizes building performance, including features such as a requirement for building system performance verification along with building owner education, to ensure the best energy-efficient practices are being carried out.
• A key feature of the new code is a section devoted to “jurisdictional electives,” which will allow customization of the code beyond its baseline provisions to address local priorities and conditions.^[5]

Implementation of the IGCC

The work of the Code Council/AIA/ASTM team in developing the IGCC was joined with the Standard developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). The IGCC will reference the Public Version 1.0/ ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2009 for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings, Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, as an alternative jurisdictional compliance option within the IGCC. The participants in designing this Standard also voiced their support for the new IGCC and its potential to contribute to a more sustainable built environment. Governments across America and around the globe can adopt the code immediately to reduce energy usage and their jurisdictions carbon footprint. The IGCC also addresses residential construction by referencing the ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard developed by the National Association of Home Builders and the Code Council.^[6]

References

International Green Construction Code Released

Building Industry Groups Launch the International Green Construction Code

ICC, AIA, ASTM Begin Work on International Green Construction Code

ICC Green Construction Code

Organizations Create International Green Construction Code

Green Construction Code Expected to Increase Energy Efficiency, Reduce Carbon Footprint for Commercial Buildings

International Green Construction Code for High-Performance, Green Commercial Buildings Goes Public

New Construction Code Aims to Unify Green Building Standards

International Green Construction Code is launched

External links

• International Code Council
• International Green Construction Code
• American Institute of Architects
• ASTM International
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
• U.S. Green Building Council
• Illuminating Engineering Society
• National Association of Home Builders
• 2030 Carbon Neutrality challenge
• ICC 700-2008/National Green Building Standard