Matt Dillon
The 2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) has been released by a consortium of sustainability-minded organisations. The consortium comprises the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the International Code Council, the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and ASHRAE.
The International Green Construction Code is designed to have wide applicability for incorporating resilient, high-performance green building strategies into building codes. The overarching aim is to improve the standards of living for those who live in communities across the globe.
“Our hope is that building professionals and policymakers alike adopt better, greener building strategies that help them better implement LEED and achieve higher performance in sustainability,” says USGBC president and CEO Mahesh Ramanujam.
An acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED is the US equivalent of Green Star. It is applied across the globe.
The IgCC says its 2018 update accomplishes two important tasks. First, the IgCC says it will help governments streamline code development and adoption. Second, the IgCC thinks the update will help improve building industry standardisation by integrating previously separate guidance documents.
“The 2018-IgCC combines the technical requirements developed by the ASHRAE Standard 189.1 with the model code administrative provisions by the Code Council,” the IgCC says. “As a result, the 2018-IgCC is now a unified code that emphasises adoption, ease of use and enforcement for building projects.”
ASHRAE president Sheila J. Hayter says the 2018-IgCC leverages ASHRAE’s technical expertise to offer a comprehensive tool that has a direct effect on how green building strategies are implemented.
“Improving energy efficiency, building performance and indoor air quality are at the core of ASHRAE’s mission,” Hayter says. “We are encouraged by the impact of this landmark model towards realising more a sustainable future for us all.”
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