Category: Energy Codes and Policy
The Sum of its Parts – Honoring the Paris Climate Agreement
Post / June 2, 2017 / New Buildings Institute / Policy
Last October, New Buildings Institute along with a host of partners, opened the Getting to Zero National Forum with great enthusiasm, sharing gratitude and satisfaction over the ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement, noting how the global agreement to address...
The Louisville (Energy Codes) Saga
Post / May 16, 2016
Nearly 35 years ago, the US Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Since then, every 3 years have seen an increase in building energy efficiency but now that may change. Although Congress wisely concluded back in 1992 that...
Energy Codes Must Evolve to Achieve Policy Goals
Post / September 23, 2015 / Codes And Policy
Energy codes are anticipated to play a big role in the building performance targets adopted by many jurisdictions to reduce carbon impacts from the building sector. But as codes target deep efficiencies, conventional code language and enforcement mechanisms face significant...
Codes Make a Difference–A Big Difference
Post / April 6, 2015 / Codes And Policy
Since its inception nearly 18 years ago, NBI has maintained a strong emphasis on energy codes. Current NBI staff and board members continue the focus established early on by the organization’s founders. We know codes make a difference—a big difference....
Vermont Leads the Way
Post / December 30, 2014 / Codes And Policy
What do the State of Vermont and NBI have in common (besides a soft spot for counterculture energy nerds)? I’d answer that both are small in stature but have built legacies around aggressively pushing for codes and policies that promote...
2015 IgCC gives cities and states something to be thankful for
Post / November 25, 2014 / Codes And Policy
As we move toward Thanksgiving this Thursday, the recent adoption of the 2015 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) gives cities and states a lot to be thankful for. Four critical proposals that will drive significant improvements in building energy performance...
Outcome-Base Compliance on the horizon for IgCC with electronic voting as last step
Post / October 16, 2014 / Outcome-Based Performance
Just two weeks ago code officials and government representatives from across the country gathered in Fort Lauderdale for the Final Action Hearings on the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). Most notably for the energy-related sections of this model energy code,...
The Energy Code Paradox
Post / September 17, 2014 / Codes And Policy
What happens when compliance becomes a barrier to achieving energy performance in buildings? For over fifteen years, New Buildings Institute (NBI) has worked to advance energy codes in jurisdictions around North America. We’ve had some huge wins for higher efficiency...
Persuasive Communications and Building Codes
Post / August 6, 2014 / Codes And Policy
NBI is deeply involved in energy code development in the commercial sector, including pursing an Outcome-Based Compliance Path for the 2015 IgCC. With more than half of U.S. states still with outdated building energy codes, employing the power of persuasive...
Existing buildings get new emphasis and clarity in IECC and other I-Codes
Post / October 15, 2013
In seeming defiance of our own name, New Buildings Institute (NBI) has been working hard on a handful of key issues regarding existing buildings for the 2015 round of International Code Council (ICC) code development hearings. Recognizing the issues that...