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A National Green Building Code Announced

Posted on 31. Mar, 2010 by admin in Building Green, Education

A New National Green Building Code Announced

March 15th, marked the official release of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). This is the United State’s first drafting of model codes, standards for constructing green and high performance buildings. The IGCC is sponsored by the International Code Council (ICC); the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC); and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES).

The IGCC is designed primarily for commercial sized buildings, including multifamily construction that has four or more stories. For low-rise multifamily constructions, IGCC points developers to the National Green Building Standard (NGBS). The NGBS is the nations first residential green building rating system. It has undergone the full consensus process and received the American National Standards Institute approval. The rating system consists of four levels, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald. Emerald is the highest level of green building and means the building incorporates energy savings up 60% or more.

As jurisdictions start to mandate green building requirements or give incentives for green design, the IGCC can serve as a green standard that is code compatible.

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