By Kevin McCarty
December 20, 2010

Local building code officials and others have significantly revised the model building code in the U.S. that covers energy efficiency for new homes and commercial buildings – the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The next step is for cities and states to adopt these code revisions, actions that will increase substantially the energy efficiency of buildings as well as reduce operating and living costs.

The 2012 version of the IECC was adopted in Charlotte (NC) as part of the International Code Council's (ICC) Annual Meeting in late October. Added together, the various changes in this model code are expected to yield reductions in building energy use of 30 percent, as compared to the performance of earlier editions.

The Conference of Mayors was among the national organizations urging the ICC and its member code officials to step up the energy efficiency requirements for new homes and buildings through adoption of what was called the "30 percent solution." Conference of Mayors members adopted a policy resolution in June 2008 at the 76th Annual Meeting in Miami, where the Conference of Mayors first endorsed for the adoption of the 30 percent solution, reaffirming this position in June 2010 at the 78th Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City.

Advocates of energy efficiency credit the nation's mayors as having played a key role in shaping the outcome of the IECC meeting in Charlotte.

What makes IECC 2012 so noteworthy is that it is the most dramatic step forward in energy efficiency requirements in a very long time. Revisions to the IECC in the 80s and 90s garnered energy efficiency gains of one to two percent every three years, which at the time were considered acceptable. With the realization that homes and buildings account for 40 percent of the nation's energy use and that significant energy efficiency gains can be achieved using off-the'shelf products and common building techniques, there was a consensus that it was time to take a much larger step. In the end, the 2012 version, combined with revisions made in 2009, yields at least a 30 percent improvement in building energy efficiency, relative to previous editions of the code.

Another significant feature of the new code is that, for the first time, it encourages a "whole building" approach to energy efficiency during construction, including elements that focus on the efficiency of the entire building envelope (e.g., walls, ceilings, floors, attics, basements or crawl spaces).

High foreclosure rates as well as energy price volatility helped move concerns about unnecessarily higher operating costs to the forefront, calling attention to the trade-off between lower initial construction costs and higher operating costs over the longer term for homeowners and building owners. Nonetheless, adopting these new energy code revisions will be challenging in many cities, as homebuilders and others are likely to oppose these revisions citing higher construction costs and other concerns.

In Charlotte, the debate over the 2012 IECC model code was won by advocates for saving energy over the long term use of a new structure. Studies show that the incremental increase in initial construction costs will be recouped many times over in energy/utility cost savings during the life of a home or building. One study by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimated energy savings of $511 annually for the average home that is 30 percent more efficient (even accounting for the small increase in monthly mortgage payments to finance the up-front costs of the energy-related improvements).

The ICC is slated to publish the 2012 version of the IECC by mid-2011. This will prompt considerable follow-up action by cities, counties and states that are expected to embrace the new energy code as part of their strategies to make new and rehabilitated buildings more energy efficient. It is estimated that a majority of state and local governments have adopted energy codes based on prior editions of the IECC, underscoring the significance of the Charlotte action and its potential to reduce energy use and operating costs in the building sector, including lower living costs for homeowners and renters.