Whether you’re building a new facility for the ground up, or overhauling an existing property, it doesn’t hurt to consider incorporating sustainable strategies and materials into the project at the design phase. Too often, the trickier issue is seeking out appropriate guidance about how best to meet sustainability goals and while maintaining your facility, your workers and/or tenants, and the community into the future. To that end, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), International Code Council, ASHRAE and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) released the 2018 International Green Construction Code (2018-IgCC) was released on November 8, 2018. The IgCC is a model code that has wide applicability for incorporating resilient, high-performance green building strategies into building codes to improve the standards of living for people in communities across the globe.
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“Our hope is that building professionals and policymakers alike adopt better, greener building strategies that help them better implement LEED and achieve higher performance in sustainability,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC.
“Over the last several decades, market leaders have adopted LEED and achieved higher levels of building performance and sustainability in the face of increasing global challenges,” added Ramanujam. “USGBC has led the development of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, an unrivaled standard of living critical to providing a better quality of life for millions of people around the world. And with the 2018-IgCC, we are helping people build upon that work, as well as on the universal truth that every human being deserves to live in spaces that foster longer, healthier lives.”
When pursuing LEED certification in jurisdictions that adopt the IgCC green code, USGBC will allow project teams to be recognized in LEED for their compliance to select IgCC measures.
The 2018-IgCC update accomplishes two important tasks: 1. It will help governments streamline code development and adoption; and 2. It will improve building industry standardization by integrating two previously separate guidance documents: ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES 189.1 – Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low Rise Residential Buildings, and the Code Council’s multi-stakeholder International Green Construction Code.
The 2018-IgCC combines the technical requirements developed by the ASHRAE Standard 189.1 with the model code administrative provisions by the Code Council. As a result, the 2018-IgCC is now a unified code that emphasizes adoption, ease of use and enforcement for building projects.
“The 2018-IgCC leverages ASHRAE’s technical expertise to offer a comprehensive tool that has a direct effect on how green building strategies are implemented,” said Sheila J. Hayter, 2018-2019 ASHRAE President. “Improving energy efficiency, building performance and indoor air quality are at the core of ASHRAE’s mission and we are encouraged by the impact of this landmark model towards realizing more a sustainable future for us all.”
“Building safety codes help our communities prepare for the future,” said Dominic Sims, CEO, International Code Council. “Taking into account the latest technologies and cost-effective strategies for dealing with resource scarcity, the IgCC helps cities, states and countries build stronger, smarter, sustainably and more resiliently.”
The IgCC is a part of the Code Council’s suite of comprehensive, coordinated and contemporary model codes – including the International Building Code, International Existing Building Code, International Energy Conservation Code, International Mechanical Code, International Plumbing Code and International Fire Code – and is suitable for use in building codes around the world. Many jurisdictions in the U.S. and abroad incorporate the International Codes in their building design and compliance processes to construct safe, sustainable and affordable structures.
Visit the new green building codes web page for all the latest information.