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ASHRAE Joins NAHB, ICC to Develop New NGBS	ICC Healthcare Committee Update
Proposed IgCC Code Changes Available for Review	NIST Outlines Research Path to Reduce Storm Impacts
2014 Group C Committee Action Hearing Schedule Available	Using Current Codes Demonstrates Commitment to Safety, Savings
Jurisdictions Can Update IPC, IRC to Comply with New Lead Act	DOE Program Leads to Energy Cost Savings
ICC Seeks 2015–2017 Code Cycle Committee Volunteers

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ASHRAE Joins NAHB and ICC to Develop New National Green Building Standard

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), building science society ASHRAE and the International Code Council (ICC), developers of the ICC Family of Codes for the built environment, agreed to jointly develop the 2015 edition of the ICC/ASHRAE 700 National Green Building Standard. This is the third edition of the standard and the first time that ASHRAE has partnered on its development.

"ASHRAE's participation is welcome news for the home building industry," said NAHB Chairman Kevin Kelly, a home builder and developer in Wilmington, Del. "This cements the position of the National Green Building Standard as the preeminent green standard for residential construction."

In 2007, NAHB and ICC convened a consensus committee of home builders, code officials, product manufacturers, building science and energy-efficiency specialists and governmental representatives to develop the standard. It was approved in 2009 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as the first green standard for residential construction, development and remodeling. Since then, the National Green Building Standard has helped define and advance sustainable home building, remodeling and development—a sector expected to represent as much as a third of the market by 2016.

Now known as the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard (NGBS), it was updated in 2012 by a subsequent consensus committee and again approved by ANSI. NGBS has been used to certify more than 32,000 single- and multi-family homes and residential developments for reaching its established benchmarks for energy, water and resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, home owner education and site development.

"As one of the nation's leading societies for building technology, ASHRAE brings years of experience and knowledge to the table, particularly in the areas of indoor environmental quality and energy efficiency," said ICC Board President Stephen Jones, CBO, and CEO Dominic Sims, CBO, in a joint statement. "ASHRAE's welcome involvement will help position the ICC/ASHRAE 700 National Green Building Standard even further ahead as the leading consensus standard in the industry."

Applications to serve on the NGBS consensus development committee are open through April 6. That's also the deadline to submit proposals to update or amend the new edition. The application and the proposal submission forms can be found at www.homeinnovation.com/ngbs, the website for the Home Innovation Research Labs, which again is serving as secretariat, or administrator, for the standard development process.

"ASHRAE is pleased to stand beside NAHB and ICC as a co-sponsor of ICC/ASHRAE 700," ASHRAE President Bill Bahnfleth said. "This collaborative agreement provides a path forward for ASHRAE to contribute its technical and standards expertise to support one of the most important sectors of the built environment—our homes. We look forward to this joint effort to promote sustainability in the residential sector."

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Proposed IgCC Code Changes Available for Review

cdpACCESS, ICC's cloud-based code development process tool, produces its first monograph.

The International Code Council (ICC) has released a monograph of International Green Construction Code (IgCC) proposed code changes that will be considered during the Group C Committee Action Hearing April 27–May 3 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn. For the first time ever, proposed code changes were submitted using the new cdpACCESS system.

The changes are for review so participants can prepare testimony and comments to present to the code committees. The hearing will present an opportunity for Code Council members and all code development stakeholders to voice opinions and offer expertise to ensure the 2015 IgCC will complement building safety codes while focusing on sustainability and energy efficiency in the built environment.

The monograph is available at www.cdpACCESS.com and the code development web page: www.iccsafe.org/cs/codes/Pages/default.aspx. A jump drive with the changes will be available from the ICC store.

The committees hold public hearings to receive comments and arguments for or against proposed changes. Those who testify in support of revising published changes in the monograph, called floor modifications, must attend the hearings in person and provide 20 hard copies of their modifications to ICC staff at the hearing. For more info on submitting a modification, see the instructions in the monograph.

Online voting will occur after the hearing on online assembly floor motions. All ICC members are eligible to vote. If the motion passes, a public comment will be created placing the item on the individual consideration agenda at the Public Comment Hearing Oct. 1–7 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center in Florida.

Registration for the hearings is free and encouraged. Visit www.iccsafe.org/SpringHearings for details. ICC Membership is not required to attend and participate in the hearings, though it is encouraged to enjoy the valuable benefits and services that come with an ICC Membership.

ICC AHC Working to Ensure the Highest Level of Safety for Healthcare Facilities

Federal officials are proposing sweeping new requirements for American health care facilities intended to improve their readiness to care for patients during disasters. The ICC Ad Hoc Committee on Healthcare (AHC) was formed in cooperation with the American Society for Healthcare Engineering to develop code change proposals to the International Codes which will result in the most contemporary, safe and efficient provisions for hospital and ambulatory care facilities. The AHC's next meeting is scheduled for April 15–16 in Schiller Park, Ill. Read more

ICC Seeking Volunteers to Serve On Committees for the 2015–2017 Code Cycle

The International Code Council is seeking volunteers to serve on Code Committees, the Code Correlation Committee and Code Interpretation Committees for the 2015–2017 Code Development Cycle. Both new and veteran committee members must complete an application. Applications for committee service are due by June 2. Click here to apply.