Key
changes in Public Version 2.0 of the International Green Construction Code
(IGCC), scheduled for release in November, will include more efficient plumbing
fixtures, air-handling systems, and responsibilities of design professionals
and building owners.
The goal of the update is to fill in the technical or consistency gaps found in
Version 1.0, and to maintain the code’s enforceability for those jurisdictions
choosing to adopt or adapt it. The overall goal is to provide guidance to
communities that are aggressively pursuing sustainability, so they can go
beyond traditional code requirements.
Key changes in Public Version 2.0 include:
• Consistency with industry standards
for air-handling systems.
• Twenty percent water savings beyond
U.S. federal standards, for water closets in residential structures.
• The movement of many responsibilities
from the registered design professional to the owner, to prevent potential
conflicts with state and local requirements.
• New requirements for the
identification and removal of materials containing asbestos.
• Land-use regulations.
• Commissioning provisions now include
appliance information, radon mitigation, and documentation requirements.
Another significant revision occurred in the area of energy conservation. For
instance, instead of Total Annual Net Energy Use (TANEU), the code now refers
to Zero Energy Performance Index (ZEPI) - buildings cannot use more than 51
percent of the energy allowable in the 2000 International Energy Conservation
Code.
Richland, Wash., became the first local government in the United States to
adopt the code as a nonmandatory document for commercial buildings. Kevin Rex,
city building inspection supervisor, said, “When we learned that it did not
have to be a mandatory code adoption, that we could use it as a document to
help everyone become familiar with green construction, we decided to adopt it.”
The IGCC applies to new and existing, traditional and high-performance
commercial buildings. It addresses residential construction by referencing the
ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard, which was developed by the
National Association of Home Builders and the Code Council. In addition to the
ICC, cooperating sponsors include the American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC), among others.
For more information, visit www.iccsafe.org/igcc.
Publication date: 09/20/2010
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