Many of you have been asking about the availability of the webinar on the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) that I completed with Bob Kobet, and Basic Gov. The webinar is now available online, although you will have to sync the powerpoints and audio. If you listen closely, you can hear the panic in my voice as we tried to resolve technical difficulties that were blocking Bob from joining.
I have been thinking about the complexities of the IGCC since public version two was released at Greenbuild. To me, the most interesting and unusual aspect of the IGCC is that it is two codes in one. The IGCC includes both a model code and ASHRAE 189.1:
The IGCC was developed with the intent to be consistent and coordinated with the ICC family of Codes & Standards: the I-Codes. . . .
The IGCC also allows jurisdictions to choose ASHRAE Standard 189.1 as an alternative compliance path. ASHRAE Standard 189.1, Standard for High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in association with the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
It will be interesting to see whether the majority of jurisdictions adopt the model code or ASHRAE 189.1. If I was a betting man, I would put my money on the model code. The nature of human beings is to seek the most simply solution. Many jurisdictions will simply rely on the model code because ASHRAE 189.1 is an entirely different document.
What do you think will be the result?
