I was excited to hear that this month The International Code Council released the public version of its International Green Construction Code (IGCC)—the first baseline regulatory tool to help governments and communities regulate green building. The green codes are open for public comment and are available for viewing at the IGCC website. The code is the outcome of collaborative efforts by the American Institute of Architects and ASTM International.
Of course, the codes may be enacted regionally or locally as sustainability standards set by politically charged bodies, but they demonstrate voluntary consensus among architects, designers, and builders. According to The Street, the new code is linked with compliance standards already “developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Illuminating Engineers Society.”
It’s good news to those of us who champion green alternatives in new and renovated housing. I hope someday we can find green codes that help all homeowners who want to pursue alternative energy or green design tips for our home remodeling.
Green Renovation and Codes
Some DIYers and homeowners have already taken advantage of new laws that create tax credits for green renovation. One of my family members found a contractor to install replacement windows on her home this month–in time for this year’s tax credit for energy efficient improvements.
The real breakthrough in The International Green Construction Code Public Version 1.0 is that it establishes a global foundation of codes flexible enough to model changes that can be used in concert with local, state, or federal guidelines.
It also may help to encourage contractors to offer green solutions that come with clear-cut performance standards. Given the trend by the federal government to stimulate research, development, and use of green building alternatives in commercial as well as residential building, the codes come at just the right time.
According to Code Council CEO, Richard P. Weiland, even in communities where green renovation, remodeling, or new development is promoted on a voluntary basis, only a third of the completed projects have green attributes.
I’m convinced the percentage will grow when green home designs and products are made more affordable and when they become a customary offering by home contractors. An international baseline might make all of us more comfortable knowing that we’re all on the same page.
The green movement will really take off when there are incentives for contractors(and not just homeowners). Most contractors I know don’t want to take the time to learn new techniques or use untried products. Those that perform the work, will ultimately be the ones that move the industry in the right direction.
I agree. We wanted to do some green upgrades to our house in the Cleveland area and the first 3 contractors we interviewed tried to talk us out it…finally we found a great contractor(through an internet lead) that was well informed and psyched to help us out. We repainted with low VOC paints, bamboo floors, and cement fiber siding.
Chris(or anybody), If contractors try to talk you out of green projects, just move on to the next guy. These type of workers are outdated and irrelevent, don’t hire them.
Yeah, at this moment the green revolution is moving forward due to incentives. It is what is required for a move like this though as Jonathon said takes time and effort to learn new procedures, but also because the green initiative at this moment can cost more than regular materials, especially for building a house. In the short term it is more expensive, but the long term it pays off. Hard to realize long term goals for some people at the get go.
i think its great that how we build our homes are being improved to be greener and safer for our environment
[...] The International Code Council released the public version of its International Green Construction Code, establishing baseline global guidelines for new green construction. The global movement toward [...]
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