2009 IECC to Increase Energy Efficiency through Better Windows, Increased Insulation Values, Radiant Heating Requirements
February 13, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
The 2009 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) will produce approximately 15% in energy-efficiency gains compared with the 2006 edition, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
As a result, the DOE said homes and commercial buildings, including schools and hospitals built in jurisdictions that adopt the 2009 IECC, will consume less energy and reduce emissions associated with building operation.
New energy-efficient provisions in the 2009 IECC include:
- Improved window and skylight efficiencies for homes constructed in warm-humid and hot-humid climates that lower energy costs during cooling periods.
- An increase in insulation R-values for walls, floors and basements in cold climates to achieve greater heating and cooling savings.
- High-efficiency lightbulbs as a requirement in at least 50% of permanent lighting fixtures in new homes.
- New separate requirements for high-rise condominiums and apartments regarding commercial insulation and window tables.
- Radiant heating requirements for unenclosed public spaces.
- Clear depiction of mechanical provisions regarding when and where a demand control ventilation strategy is required.
Published by the International Code Council (ICC), the IECC is tied to federal law determined by Congress and the DOE through the Energy Policy Act of 1992. According to ICC, it is the only 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 and state energy code determinations.
Recent legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives includes $3.4 billion in energy assistance grants for states if the 2009 IECC is adopted and administered.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (HR 1) requires governors who want a share of state energy assistance grants to certify their state will adopt an energy code for one- and two-family homes, townhouses and low-rise, multiple-family buildings that meet or exceed provisions in the 2009 IECC for residential construction, as well as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)/Illuminating Engineering Society of North American (IESNA) Standard 90.1-2007, as referenced in the 2009 IECC for commercial buildings.
According to the ICC, a DOE ruling published in the Federal Register clears the way for establishing the 2009 IECC as a safe harbor equivalent to the ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1 standard. The ruling says the standard, or equivalents like the 2009 IECC, would achieve greater energy efficiency in commercial buildings compared with previous editions.
Source: International Code Council (ICC).