Two weekends ago, I testified at public comment hearings on the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) in Chicago on behalf both the HBA and TAB. As you will recall, the IGCC began development in June 2009 and it stipulates that the ICC-700 rating system be followed for residential construction.
Additionally, the IGCC would require the minimum energy efficiency for residential occupancies to exceed the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) by at least 30 percent. One jurisdiction in Washington State has adopted the IGCC and the ICC is actively encouraging others to do the same.
In the spirit of a resolution that was passed by the HBA and Texas Association of Builders boards, I testified first in support of comments 1-10 and 1-11, which call for the removal of residential construction (except for high-rise buildings) from the IGCC. Despite touting the successful voluntary efforts by Texas builders, who build more ENERGY STAR homes than the next eight leading states combined, and the availability of other viable green rating systems in Dallas, Houston, and throughout the nation, both comments were summarily rejected.
I spoke next in support of comment 3-8, which enables a jurisdiction to recognize other state and local rating systems in addition to or instead of ICC-700. This public comment was submitted by the USGBC and supported by the EPA. Despite this coalition and new-found support from four members of the public comment committee, this comment was also rejected. However, the committee did mention that additional strategies on the residential section of the IGCC need to be explored further.
NAHB, represented in these two instances by Larry Brown, also argued in support of comments 1-10 and 1-11. Their comments centered on the fact that green building should remain voluntary and that the ICC-700 rating system was not designed to interact with a code overlay document such as the IGCC. NAHB did not weigh in specifically on comment 3-8.
After my testimony, I spoke briefly with Dominic Sims, the Chief Operating Officer of the ICC, who requested a written copy of it and wanted the contact information for other HBAs that operated state or local rating systems. My hope is that this information helped provide a clearer picture of the green building landscape and that the IGCC will encourage ingenuity and flexibility in residential construction.
