International Green Construction Code Passes

The International Green Construction Code (IgCC) was finalized November 6, 2011, in Phoenix after a two-year development process. Although many jurisdictions have already adopted IgCC, the full code will not be published until March 2012.

Anyone familiar with the LEED rating systems or the ASHRAE standards will likely feel right at home with IgCC, which covers much of the same territory. In fact, ASHRAE 189.1 is referenced within the code as a possible compliance path, and cooperating sponsors of the code include the U.S. Green Building Council and ASHRAE itself (along with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), ASTM International, and the Illuminating Engineering Society). However, code developers maintain that IgCC is not redundant but rather a necessary part of advancing sustainability in mainstream buildings: the code is intended to raise the “floor,” meaning the enforceable regulatory minimums, while giving voluntary certifications more flexibility to push the “ceiling” of high-performance possibilities ever higher. The code is also written to streamline with other international codes, including the International Building Code (IBC) already enforced throughout the U.S.

Read more: http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2011/11/8/International-Green-Construction-Code-Passes/