We all know too well of the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These impacts are compounded by increasingly destructive wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding – so much so that nearly two-thirds of Americans – including more than half...

It’s been one year, eight months, 28 days since proposals were due into the International Code Council’s (ICC) system for consideration into the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). That doesn’t include the time proponents spent considering and drafting proposals...

A building performance standard (BPS) provides a powerful solution for cities working to meet climate goals, achieve energy savings and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a forward-looking policy for existing buildings, a BPS commits a city or state to...

With cities and states pursing renewable portfolio standards and national calls to decarbonize the grid by 2035, does efficiency still matter with a clean grid? The first answer: yes, energy efficiency benefits are, as they have been for decades, delivering...

Update: See final result In December 2019, more than 1,000 government representatives from cities and states across the U.S. did something remarkable when they voted to improve the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) by 10%. Since buildings account for...

With buildings accounting for up to 75% of carbon emissions in U.S. cities, addressing carbon emissions from the built environment is essential to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and limit the rise in global average temperature to below...

The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) development process has officially entered an appeals phase and we wanted to share an update. With the International Code Council’s (ICC) release of the Final Action Results in early April, six appeals were...

Update: See final result Better building codes mean lower energy bills, which results in lower costs for consumers and fewer carbon emissions for the planet. Sounds like a winning combination, right? That’s why we were delighted when the initial results...

At the beginning of last year, we predicted that 2019 would be a big year for building energy codes, and the results are extremely promising for states—and cities which control their own energy codes–that are working to achieve climate action...

Preliminary voting results on the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are in! The outcome of over a year of effort to update the national model energy code was released yesterday and is estimated to bring at least 10% better...

After a lengthy stakeholder process, including recent public comment hearings in Las Vegas, registered voting members of the International Code Council (ICC) are now invited to weigh in on the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) proposals. Updated every three...

The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code voting dates are set! Voting begins on Tuesday, Nov. 19 and ends on Friday, Dec. 6. If you are a Governmental Member Voting Representative (GMVR), please read through these tips to help ensure it...

Building code officials, sustainability officers, builders, efficiency advocates and others are leaving Las Vegas after attending the International Code Council’s (ICC) annual conference and public comment hearings on the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Updated every three years, the...

The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) update is one of the most profound ways states and local governments can improve the comfort and health of residents, reduce costs for building owners and residents, and make progress toward climate action...

Hundreds of cities across the country have set bold, aggressive energy and climate goals. Yet most of these communities are not on track to meet their goals, according to the latest City Clean Energy Scorecard, released in July by American...

State and local government representatives have the power to advance local energy codes and improve the comfort and health of residents by participating in and voting for efficiency proposals in the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) update. But they...

The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) is known for tackling issues of national importance. Climate change is one of those critical issues that the mayors addressed at their 2019 annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. On July 1, 2019, the USCM...