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International green contruction code

The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) regulates construction of new and existing commercial buildings. The release of Public Version 1.0 was announced by the International Code Council on March 11, 2010.^[1] The IGCC was established to aid in the construction of sustainable buildings in the business and residential sectors.^[2] Public Version 2.0 was released on November 19, 2010.^[3]

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.^[4] ASTM’s involvement with the IGCC is an attempt to ensure that the code will use certain voluntary consensus standards recognized by the industry.^[5]

Goals[

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 greywater.
• 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.^[6]

Implementation

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 International Code Council.^[7]