The International Code Council’s Code on a Mission challenge achieved a significant milestone by surpassing its original goal of covering more than a third of the U.S. population (115 million Americans) with energy codes based on the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC) or its equivalent by the end of 2023. As of December 18, 2023, more than 119 million Americans now benefit from modern energy codes based on the 2021 IECC.
The Code on a Mission challenge was issued to highlight the role buildings play in meeting community energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals and the power energy codes have in helping meet those goals. The Code Council challenged both the building industry and communities alike to update their building energy codes to meet or exceed requirements of the 2021 IECC.
“Our organization is dedicated to supporting jurisdictions in meeting their energy and decarbonization goals through a variety of resources, including the IECC, and the International Plumbing, Mechanical, and Green Construction Codes” said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “Energy codes continue to be an essential tool in achieving energy-efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction goals. We urge national, state, and local governments to continue to leverage the benefits provided by modern energy codes to enhance the resilience and sustainability of communities.”
The U.S. Department of Energy has acknowledged the 2021 IECC for its resilience benefits in response to the growing frequency of extreme weather events. In addition to energy-efficiency improvements, the 2021 IECC contains updated provisions that improve usability and support communities interested in pursuing zero-energy buildings through new appendices. Communities that regularly adopt the IECC save money for residents and businesses and improve community health and resilience.
Nine states have adopted minimum energy codes based on the 2021 IECC, with several others having adopted equivalent base or stretch energy codes. The U.S. federal government has incorporated requirements from the 2021 IECC into design requirements for their own buildings and for federally regulated manufactured housing.
In support of the Code on a Mission challenge, the Code Council has developed a suite of resources to assist jurisdictions in their efforts to adopt updated energy codes located on a dedicated webpage.
Source: International Code Council
