Advocates
Advocates
Maintaining the vote.
Buildings last a long time, so how officials from municipalities across the nation vote on the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) impacts family budgets, housing markets and the local economy as a whole for generations to come. Thanks to the voters who turned out last November, the 2021 IECC is set to become almost 10% more efficient than the 2018 version, but not everyone is happy with the results. Energy efficiency opponents are pushing back on the 2021 code and the voting process, implying that voters were unqualified and uninformed – all without evidence.
The energy code is the ONLY building code that pays for itself.
The energy code is the ONLY building code that pays for itself.
Almost all building code updates have an associated cost; however, the IECC is the only code that actually pays for itself via lower energy bills, then makes money for building and home owners. Each year in the U.S. about 110,000 new commercial buildings (about 1.6 billion square feet!) and more than one million new homes are built — all new space that needs to be heated, cooled, and powered. These buildings should be constructed as energy efficiently as possible to protect owners and tenants from unnecessarily high energy bills, improve each building’s durability, and reduce pollution caused by our demand for energy. Efficiency opponents only want to focus on first costs, ignoring these benefits and subjecting owners and tenants to years of unnecessary expense.
If you want to make an even bigger difference, you may be able to vote and not even know it. Make sure you check to see if you qualify.
Almost anyone can be an advocate and make a difference.
Almost anyone can be an advocate and make a difference.
If you’re someone who cares about reducing energy use in buildings, you’re an ideal advocate. If you work for a city or county, or in a sustainability office, or you’re a building code official, environmentalist, low-income advocate, construction industry leader, concerned citizen, or just someone who pays an energy bill, we need your voice to make sure that those who have a stake in the energy code can continue to participate in the process.
Mayors Care!
Mayors Care!
In 2018, the U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously voted to sign a resolution calling on all cities to support stronger energy codes to reduce energy bills for citizens and businesses, and improve local economies. The Resolution “urges mayors from around the nation to work in conjunction with NGOs and other broad-based organizations promoting greater building efficiency to unite and maximize local government support for putting America’s Model Building Energy Code, the IECC, on a glide path of steady progress toward net zero building construction…”
Please help us reach out to your mayor or other local government voting representatives to encourage them to speak out in favor of their continued right to a voice in the process.
Here are some resources that may help you.
Here are some resources that may help you.
EECC Codes-Carbon Calculator
A tool for cities & states to estimate the energy and carbon savings of updating energy codes. Be sure to click "Enable Content" at top.
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Elevating the Energy Code Part II
The history of modern building codes has largely been reactionary. With climate change upon us, we need to build codes for the future.
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Energy Code Faces Uncertain Future
The ICC will soon release the highly efficient 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, but its democratic process is under threat.
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