ICC’s decision on 2024 energy conservation code draws criticism, debate

• The International Code Council il voted Monday to finalize the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, or IECC. As part of its decision, certain provisions aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions, rather than directly improving energy efficiency in buildings, will be moved from the main body of the code to the appendices.
• The provisions that will be excluded from the base code cover heat pump products, demand response, infrastructure for charging electric vehicles, electrical energy storage systems, and readiness of buildings for solar installations and electric systems, the ICC said in its announcement. The ICC, however,?faces criticism?from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, for favoring certain special interest groups. The ICC “gave no explanation for this. They apparently simply didn’t like the provisions. Every commercial building — every office, every school, every hospital — will be less efficient as a result,” Michael Waite, director of codes and building standards at the ACEEE, told Facilities Dive.?
• Even with certain provisions being moved, the code “still delivers pretty significant energy savings” and the provisions addressing decarbonization measures “are not going away,” Ryan Colker , vice president of innovation at the ICC, said in an interview.?

Source - https://www.facilitiesdive.com/news/icc-decision-energy-efficiency-code-criticism-debate/711130/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202024-03-22%20Facilities%20Dive%20%5Bissue:60368%5D&utm_term=Facilities%20Dive

I am all for changes to building codes as part of the green transition. The key is have viable technology that is affordable. Pushing policy changes without both cost effective and viable options will do more harm than good. Global inflation with many countries is still above the 2% target by central banks around the world.

1. Heat pumps still have challenges to be commercially viable - https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-13210187/High-cost-heat-pumps-putting-customers-watchdog-warns.html
2. Solar panels are also facing challenges - https://www.dandc.eu/en/article/solar-photovoltaic-systems-are-climate-friendly-and-rather-cheap-solution-provide-energy
3. Commercial viability of virtual power plant - https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2024/03/18/surging-electricity-pressure-utilities
4. Fires / Utilities - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/business/energy-environment/electric-utilities-wildfires-climate-change.html. Utilities companies need to work on how to mitigate threats of climate change. Blog - Hawaii Commission Approves HECO's Five-Year Grid Resilience Plan? https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/hawaii-electric-resiliency-plan-paul-young-vwyhc/
5. Green building codes including retrofitting and building new green buildings comes back to cost and viability technology - https://www.gp-radar.com/article/converting-buildings-to-all-electric-a-path-to-sustainable-development
6. Collaboration between all levels of government and the private sector is key to moving the building codes as part of the net zero transition. https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/addressing-housing-supply-affordability-canada-march-paul-young-wkxvc/
7. Net zero building transition - https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/views-from-the-experts/challenges-and-opportunities-of-net-zero-for-the-construction-sector/
8. Fire safety - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/fire-wait-company-fighting-both-flames-climate-change-paul-foster-yg5ke/
9. Large scale retrofits - https://constructionmanagement.co.uk/without-large-scale-retrofitting-net-zero-is-impossible/
10. Evolving global accounting standards Financial Accounting Standards Board CPA Ontario Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) IFRS Foundation International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) https://www.prophix.com/blog/3-key-esg-takeaways/

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Paul Young CPA CGA is a former IBM Customer Success Manager that has deployed over 300 data and AI solutions across geographies and industries for the past 8 years. Paul is also a lecturer and Consultant in many areas like ESG, Financial Close, Emerging Technologies, IoT, Emergency Planning, Crisis, and Risk Management, and transforming the board of directors.

[email protected]

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Courses - https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/paul-young-055632b_activity-7163302861974519809-ryf3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Blog – How to select the best ESG solution for your /Organization - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-select-right-environmental-social-governance-solution-paul-young-83mzc/

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Blog – ESG – Aluminum – Alcoa – What is next - https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/paul-young-055632b_why-a-shrinking-us-aluminum-industry-is-tricky-activity-7176868088007602176-ez4y?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Blog – ESG – Global Treaty for Plastics – Circular - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/struggling-toward-global-plastics-treaty-paul-young-ata8c/

Blog – FPA – Cube FPA hires former Workday Product Manager. - https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/paul-young-055632b_cube-taps-workday-alum-to-drive-tech-finance-activity-7176206010338930689-qUyy?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

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Blog - DOE estimates U.S. can nearly double energy derived from waste in new report - https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/paul-young-055632b_doe-estimates-us-can-nearly-double-energy-activity-7175906872330260482-CZnP?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop