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 ICC’s Model Energy Code – the IECC – and the Energy Chapter of the IRC
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The IECC is published by the International Code Council (ICC) and updated every three years through a public participation process. The 2009 IECC was completed in September 2008 and published in January 2009. However, due to an expedited schedule, the 2012 IECC will be completed in October 2010 and presumably published in early 2011.
The IECC is the national model energy code. Versions of the IECC are effect in 40+ states1 and it alone (and not the IRC) is referenced in the U.S. Code (federal law), federal regulations, LEED, and many other state and federal programs. The IECC contains comprehensive provisions for all buildings, residential and commercial, and is often adopted by jurisdictions as the single comprehensive energy efficient building code. The IECC is also reprinted in the International Building Code, substituting as its energy chapter.
The IECC is the only model energy code that serves as the basis for federal tax credits for energy efficient homes, energy efficiency standards for federal residential buildings and manufactured housing, state energy code determinations, and qualification for FHA and other government-backed mortgages. Not one of these laws even references the IRC.
In February 2009, ICC streamlined its I-Code Development Process, permanently eliminating IECC “supplements” (the next of which would have been adopted in May 2010) and moving the adoption of the 2012 IECC up from the fall of 2011 to fall of 2010.
In June 2009, the ICC completed the first step – the receipt of proposals to amend the 2009 IECC – of a 17-month process that will culminate with the adoption of the 2012 IECC in Charlotte, NC between October 28 - November 1, 2010).
Once a new version of the IECC is published, a state or other code-setting jurisdiction has the option of adopting it in full, adopting it with amendments, or taking no action at all.
In February 2009, Congress linked the receipt of $3.1 billion of “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)” stimulus funding for State Energy Program grants to a recipient state’s adoption and enforcement of the 2009 IECC.
Regardless of action on the IECC, a state or other code-setting jurisdiction may also adopt the International Residential Code (IRC), which includes provisions relating to all aspects of the construction of certain residential buildings, including, among others, mechanical, safety, and energy issues. In taking this action, the jurisdiction has the option of adopting the IRC’s simplified (and weaker) energy efficiency chapter (which does reference the IECC as an option) or simply eliminating the IRC energy chapter in and substituting either the IECC or its own state-developed energy efficiency code.
The gap between the energy efficiency provisions of the IECC and the weaker energy chapter of the IRC has triggered a debate over why the ICC should have two, often conflicting, I-Codes for energy. EECC believes there should only be a single model energy code – the IECC – that serves both the IRC and the International Building Code, arguing that the very definition of a “model” code suggests a single, clear and consistent set of energy efficiency standards.
Having a single model energy code would eliminate the need for two separate sets of Development Committee and Final Action Hearings and the duplicative and time-consuming debates that accompany them.
1. For more information on building energy codes and IECC adoption by state, see the Building Codes Assistance Project’s web site at http://www.bcap-energy.org. Additional information can be found at the DOE building energy codes web site at http://www.energycodes.gov/, and at the Responsible Energy Code Alliance: http://www.reca-codes.org/
The IECC is the national model energy code. Versions of the IECC are effect in 40+ states1 and it alone (and not the IRC) is referenced in the U.S. Code (federal law), federal regulations, LEED, and many other state and federal programs. The IECC contains comprehensive provisions for all buildings, residential and commercial, and is often adopted by jurisdictions as the single comprehensive energy efficient building code. The IECC is also reprinted in the International Building Code, substituting as its energy chapter.
The IECC is the only model energy code that serves as the basis for federal tax credits for energy efficient homes, energy efficiency standards for federal residential buildings and manufactured housing, state energy code determinations, and qualification for FHA and other government-backed mortgages. Not one of these laws even references the IRC.
In February 2009, ICC streamlined its I-Code Development Process, permanently eliminating IECC “supplements” (the next of which would have been adopted in May 2010) and moving the adoption of the 2012 IECC up from the fall of 2011 to fall of 2010.
In June 2009, the ICC completed the first step – the receipt of proposals to amend the 2009 IECC – of a 17-month process that will culminate with the adoption of the 2012 IECC in Charlotte, NC between October 28 - November 1, 2010).
Once a new version of the IECC is published, a state or other code-setting jurisdiction has the option of adopting it in full, adopting it with amendments, or taking no action at all.
In February 2009, Congress linked the receipt of $3.1 billion of “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)” stimulus funding for State Energy Program grants to a recipient state’s adoption and enforcement of the 2009 IECC.
Regardless of action on the IECC, a state or other code-setting jurisdiction may also adopt the International Residential Code (IRC), which includes provisions relating to all aspects of the construction of certain residential buildings, including, among others, mechanical, safety, and energy issues. In taking this action, the jurisdiction has the option of adopting the IRC’s simplified (and weaker) energy efficiency chapter (which does reference the IECC as an option) or simply eliminating the IRC energy chapter in and substituting either the IECC or its own state-developed energy efficiency code.
The gap between the energy efficiency provisions of the IECC and the weaker energy chapter of the IRC has triggered a debate over why the ICC should have two, often conflicting, I-Codes for energy. EECC believes there should only be a single model energy code – the IECC – that serves both the IRC and the International Building Code, arguing that the very definition of a “model” code suggests a single, clear and consistent set of energy efficiency standards.
Having a single model energy code would eliminate the need for two separate sets of Development Committee and Final Action Hearings and the duplicative and time-consuming debates that accompany them.
1. For more information on building energy codes and IECC adoption by state, see the Building Codes Assistance Project’s web site at http://www.bcap-energy.org. Additional information can be found at the DOE building energy codes web site at http://www.energycodes.gov/, and at the Responsible Energy Code Alliance: http://www.reca-codes.org/
The IECC is the most widely used model “ENERGY” code for residential construction in the US. Only one state – Louisiana – uses the IRC’s energy chapter as its sole energy code.
However, the International Residential Code (IRC) is the most widely used Comprehensive Model code for residential construction in the US. IRC is a stand-alone residential code containing over 40 chapters which set minimum regulations for nearly all aspects of new home construction (e.g., plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy, electrical, ducts, swimming pools, etc.). Chapter 11 is the energy efficiency chapter of the IRC; although it specifically references the IECC as one option for compliance, the IRC’s energy provisions are weaker than – and sometimes conflict with – the energy provisions of the IECC.
Because it addresses all facets of residential construction, the IRC is adopted by the majority of states as their residential building code. For energy efficiency, the more pertinent question is whether a state retains the IRC Energy Chapter 11 or removes it and/or explicitly references the IECC for its energy requirements.
States often adopt both codes: The IECC is the energy code in ICC’s “family of codes,” whereas the IRC is a simplified single volume that contains portions (but not all) of the family of codes. If jurisdictions adopt only the IRC as its building and energy code, homebuyers will get less-efficient homes, and builders will still have to follow the IECC to receive federal tax credits or to comply with most green building programs. EECC believes that there should only be one model code, the IECC, and has offered two proposals to print the IECC as an appendix in the IRC, update the IRC to equal the IECC and/or substitute the IECC as the energy chapter of the IRC. We believe urge states adopting the IRC should amend Chapter 11 so that it references the IECC alone for its energy requirements.
Some states delete the IRC Chapter 11 in its entirety and substitute IECC (sometimes with amendments). Other states have simply adopted the IECC as their sole energy code.
The IECC is the logical choice for state adoption because it is widely accepted as the national model energy code, and is supported by a separate code development committee that is selected each cycle based on expertise on energy codes and energy design principles.
Because it is the only federally recognized I-code for energy and because EECC believes there should only be a single I-code for energy efficiency to reduce confusion and to keep from offering one strong and one weaker I-code for energy, the EECC has appropriately focused its proposals primarily on the IECC (although it has submitted most of its 36 proposals as amendments to the IRC as well). For the 2009-2010 Code Development Cycle, EECC submitted three proposals to eliminate the conflict between the specific energy requirements of the IECC and the IRC Chapter 11:
However, the International Residential Code (IRC) is the most widely used Comprehensive Model code for residential construction in the US. IRC is a stand-alone residential code containing over 40 chapters which set minimum regulations for nearly all aspects of new home construction (e.g., plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy, electrical, ducts, swimming pools, etc.). Chapter 11 is the energy efficiency chapter of the IRC; although it specifically references the IECC as one option for compliance, the IRC’s energy provisions are weaker than – and sometimes conflict with – the energy provisions of the IECC.
Because it addresses all facets of residential construction, the IRC is adopted by the majority of states as their residential building code. For energy efficiency, the more pertinent question is whether a state retains the IRC Energy Chapter 11 or removes it and/or explicitly references the IECC for its energy requirements.
States often adopt both codes: The IECC is the energy code in ICC’s “family of codes,” whereas the IRC is a simplified single volume that contains portions (but not all) of the family of codes. If jurisdictions adopt only the IRC as its building and energy code, homebuyers will get less-efficient homes, and builders will still have to follow the IECC to receive federal tax credits or to comply with most green building programs. EECC believes that there should only be one model code, the IECC, and has offered two proposals to print the IECC as an appendix in the IRC, update the IRC to equal the IECC and/or substitute the IECC as the energy chapter of the IRC. We believe urge states adopting the IRC should amend Chapter 11 so that it references the IECC alone for its energy requirements.
Some states delete the IRC Chapter 11 in its entirety and substitute IECC (sometimes with amendments). Other states have simply adopted the IECC as their sole energy code.
The IECC is the logical choice for state adoption because it is widely accepted as the national model energy code, and is supported by a separate code development committee that is selected each cycle based on expertise on energy codes and energy design principles.
Because it is the only federally recognized I-code for energy and because EECC believes there should only be a single I-code for energy efficiency to reduce confusion and to keep from offering one strong and one weaker I-code for energy, the EECC has appropriately focused its proposals primarily on the IECC (although it has submitted most of its 36 proposals as amendments to the IRC as well). For the 2009-2010 Code Development Cycle, EECC submitted three proposals to eliminate the conflict between the specific energy requirements of the IECC and the IRC Chapter 11:
- RE-1 – EECC’s Appendix Option reprints IECC in a new Appendix at the end of the IRC and automatically updates IRC Chapter 11 for IECC improvements.
- RE-2 – EECC’s Substitution Option reprints the relevant sections of the IECC as Chapter 11 of the IRC and automatically updates Chapter 11 to reflect improvements to the IECC (several states already substitute the IECC for IRC Chapter 11 and the IRC already references the IECC for the performance path).
- Defining the IECC Development Committee as the sole reviewer of IECC, IRC and IBC energy proposals (as is already done with the IBC). Note: The ICC did not accept this proposal, stating that the determination of ICC committee jurisdiction is a matter for ICC leadership, not ICC membership. This response from ICC led EECC to send a letter to ICC leadership urging them to consider four principles as they address this issue. Click here to download a copy of the ICC letter
Yes, and this divergence is likely to widen because the IECC Development Committee and the ICC’s Government Members who adopt the IECC have shown increasing support for proposals that improve energy efficiency (at the 2008 Minneapolis Final Action Hearings, 64% of voting Government Members supported “The 30% Solution” authored by EECC. The fact that – without the adoption of EECC’s proposals – the IRC will continue to become weaker and less stringent than the IECC is a cause for significant concern. The existence of two model residential codes for energy efficiency, one weaker than the other, sends the wrong message to a nation that has made the elimination of wasted energy a high priority with significant societal and economic consequences.
Stated simply, the weaker energy efficiency requirements in the IRC are inconsistent with and less stringent than the provisions of the IECC. This disparity creates confusion and potential enforcement problems, as well as undercutting the adoption of the nation’s only federally-recognized model energy code.
Stated simply, the weaker energy efficiency requirements in the IRC are inconsistent with and less stringent than the provisions of the IECC. This disparity creates confusion and potential enforcement problems, as well as undercutting the adoption of the nation’s only federally-recognized model energy code.
The EECC believes that the nation should have a single model energy code – the IECC – and has submitted three proposals that would achieve that goal in the 2012 I-Codes:
The EECC proposals would recognize the IECC as the national “Gold Standard” for energy efficiency, and eliminate the confusion and potential enforcement problems inherent in having two conflicting model energy codes. By adopting it, the ICC would have:
It is notable that a majority of the voting delegates at the 2009 Final Action Hearings voted to overturn the Development Committee’s rejection of the EECC proposal to establish a single model energy code – the IECC (the vote did not achieve the two-thirds majority needed to incorporate it in the 2009 I-Codes).
- RE-1 – ECC’s Appendix Option reprints IECC in a new Appendix at the end of the IRC and automatically updates IRC Chapter 11 for IECC improvements.
- RE-2 – EECC’s Substitution Option reprints the relevant sections of the IECC as Chapter 11 of the IRC and automatically updates Chapter 11 to reflect improvements to the IECC (several states already substitute the IECC for IRC Chapter 11 and the IRC already references the IECC for the performance path).
- Defining the IECC Development Committee as the sole reviewer of IECC, IRC and IBC energy proposals (as is already done with the IBC). Note: The ICC did not accept this proposal, stating that the determination of ICC committee jurisdiction is a matter for ICC leadership, not ICC membership. This response from ICC led EECC to send a letter to ICC leadership urging them to consider four principles as they address this issue. Click here to download a copy of the ICC letter
The EECC proposals would recognize the IECC as the national “Gold Standard” for energy efficiency, and eliminate the confusion and potential enforcement problems inherent in having two conflicting model energy codes. By adopting it, the ICC would have:
- Unified the energy efficiency requirements of the IBC, IRC and IECC and ensured that all three codes meet the same energy efficiency and building quality standards in the future.
- Aligned the three codes with the only energy code recognized in federal statutes – the IECC.
- Conserved substantial time and other resources by avoiding duplicative hearings before the IECC and IRC committees.
- Recognized that, unlike the IECC Development Committee, energy issues are not the primary focus or expertise of the IRC Development Committee.
It is notable that a majority of the voting delegates at the 2009 Final Action Hearings voted to overturn the Development Committee’s rejection of the EECC proposal to establish a single model energy code – the IECC (the vote did not achieve the two-thirds majority needed to incorporate it in the 2009 I-Codes).
The 2010 I-Code Development Cycle includes seven steps, as follows:
- Submission of Code Change Proposals (completed June 1, 2009). Anyone can propose an amendment to the I-Codes. EECC submitted 35 proposals, including: 1) EC-25/“30Plus”: A comprehensive package which would boost the energy efficiency of the 2012 IECC by 20-25% over the 2009 IECC; 2) Individual component proposals, most of which are included in the comprehensive package; and 3) Three proposals to establish the IECC as the only model energy I-Code. Two ( RE-1 and RE-2 ) were accepted by the ICC.
- Code Changes Posted to the ICC Website (August 24, 2009).
- Code Development Hearing (Baltimore: IECC: October 26 - October 31, 2009; IRC Energy, October 26-27, 2009) will consider EECC’s comprehensive “Beyond The 30% Solution” package, its three proposals to establish a single model energy I-Code and other proposals. Because IECC Development Committee recommendations traditionally carry great weight with the full ICC and because overturning a decision of the committee requires two-thirds majority at the Final Action Hearings, winning the committee’s support is extremely important.
- Web Posting (December 16, 2009) and Printing/Distribution (January 11, 2010) of Public Hearing Results.
- Public Comments Submitted on Public Hearing Results due July 1, 2010 and posted on ICC website (August 26, 2010).
- Final Action Agenda and Public Comments Published by ICC (September 27, 2010)
- Final Action Hearing (October 28-November 1, 2010) in Charlotte, NC
- 2012 I-Codes published (April 2011).