Free digital copies of the International Code Council’s 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are now available thanks to funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The funding is part of DOE’s initiative to meet nationwide energy-efficiency goals through its Building Technologies Program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The download of the IECC is available at: www.iccsafe.org/FreeIECC.
The 2009 IECC will produce approximately 15 percent in residential energy efficiency gains compared to the 2006 edition, according to DOE. The goals of initiatives like these are homes and commercial buildings, including schools and hospitals that consume less energy and help the environment by reducing emissions and their collective carbon footprint.
The national model energy code of choice for states, cities and counties that adopt codes, the IECC is referenced in federal law determined by Congress through the Energy Policy Act of 1992. 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 residential energy code determinations. The 2009 IECC is the target building energy code that all 50 Governors agreed to achieve compliance with under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
In response to the 1973 energy crisis, model energy codes were first developed to address the design of energy-efficient buildings and the installation of energy efficient mechanical, lighting and power-systems. In 1976, the Council’s legacy groups developed the Model Code for Energy Conservation in New Building Construction, which became the foundation for the IECC, first published in 1998.
The Council—along with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), ASTM International, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)—also developed the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) Public Version 2.0 to regulate construction of new and existing commercial buildings. The IGCC includes ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1 as an alternative compliance requirement.
The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety, fire prevention and energy efficiency, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the International Code Council. The International Codes also serve as the basis for construction of federal properties around the world, and as a reference for many nations outside the United States.
