Policymakers urged to adopt updated energy code for climate resilience

by arslan_ahmed | July 25, 2023 9:08 am

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As heat alerts affected nearly 110 million people—a third of the U.S. population across 15 states— the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a new report on July 13, titled “Enhancing Resilience in Buildings Through Energy Efficiency.” The analysis finds the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) can reduce deaths from extreme heat by as much as 80 percent.

The report underscores the impact of the 2021 IECC in protecting occupants from extreme temperatures due to power outages associated with hazard events.

The report’s findings serve as a clarion call for policymakers to adopt the energy code. The IECC’s requirements are stated below:

• Improve envelope efficiency in buildings to permit occupants to shelter in place safely for more than four days during a disaster-induced power outage coupled with extreme heat or cold.
• Extend habitability by as much as 120 percent during extreme cold and 140 percent during extreme heat, and reduce deaths by up to 80 percent during extreme heat and 30 percent in extreme cold.
• Provide for new single-family buildings, benefit-cost ratios from two times to more than six times, making a strong financial argument for adoption.

The report is based on a study done by a team of U.S. energy experts from DOE’s Building Energy Codes Program (BECP), the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

For additional information on the report and the code councils’ continued advocacy for building resiliency, visit www.iccsafe.org/products-and-services/codes-standards/energy/[2] and www.energycodes.gov/energy-resilience[3].

About the International Code Council

The International Code Council (ICC) is a global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. The codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable, and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide.

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/adopting-updated-energy-codes-can-save-lives-from-current-climate-hazards-study/

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