2018 IECC Code (Base Codes)

Codes And Policy, New Construction

NBI demonstrated its leadership in codes by submitting proposals for the IECC that included a unified chapter for multifamily housing codes and a lighting measure to begin to tackle indoor agricultural energy usage before the industry expands further.

FINAL STATUS OF THE 2018 IECC: DOE determined that the residential energy code resulted in a 1.68% savings over the previous version. 

Multifamily: CE272nbi_fs_mf_code_-ce272-16_201609_image2

Recommended vote: AMPC
Multifamily poses a conundrum for energy codes. Generally, these buildings are constructed and renovated like commercial buildings but used like residential buildings. As a result, regulation of multifamily buildings has been split between the residential and commercial sections of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Multifamily buildings fall under four stories and higher (hi-rise) fall under the commercial section and multifamily buildings three stories or lower (low-rise) by the residential section.
In order to address this issue and substantially improve the regulation of energy in multifamily buildings, New Buildings Institute submitted proposal CE272 and a related public comment to revise how energy codes address multifamily housing.
Download the factsheet to learn more about how CE272 will improve the code for multifamily buildings.

Indoor Agriculture: CE 200
Recommended vote: AMPC
Indoor agriculture has largely been in the realm of science fiction until recently. But today, startup companies across the country are using artificial lighting to grow food, medical and recreational crops in indoor facilities. Energy use in the burgeoning expansion of indoor agriculture is entirely unregulated. Practices between growers span a wide continuum between garage-scale operations and automated industrial facilities.

Voting for the Modification to CE-200 is the code officials’ only opportunity to provide this critically important model code language to jurisdictions across the nation.
Download the factsheet

Additional Information

For more information on the IECC Voting and Proposals:

Find out more about NBI’s 2018 IECC Proposals and the 5 Key Votes from our October 2017 webinar. The NBI team was joined by multifamily housing and energy efficiency expert and advocate Nehemiah Stone. Watch the webinar now.