CHICAGO – Jan. 22, 2018, ASHRAE held its winter press conference, including a tasty breakfast of a veggie frittata, smoked sausage, and home fries at McCormick Place in Chicago. The conference was an opportunity for ASHRAE, along with partners the International Code Council (ICC), the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), to provide a brief history of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) and ASHRAE Standard 189.1, also known as IgCC Powered by 189.1, its partnership, a peak into the new document, and what impact the code will have on the industry, particularly those manufacturers exhibiting at this year’s AHR Expo.

“I just want to introduce this idea that we are bringing these standards together into one, unified document,” said Wes Sullens, director, building codes technical development, USGBC. “I think it’s a powerful moment. In 2014, organizations did a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to harmonize the two documents into one single thing. So, where we stand today, the 189.1 Standard was delivered to ICC, it’s done, buttoned up, packaged, and given to them, and they are publishing the IgCC, making it one document available. It’s pretty historical for the green code moment.” 

A panel of speakers spoke on the progress of this combined effort, particularly, IgCC Powered by 189.1’s projected release date this spring. Speakers included: Dave Walls, executive director, sustainability programs, ICC; Wes Sullens, director, building codes technical development, UGBC; Joe Winters, principal, AIA, head of specifications at HOK; Mark Lien, industry relations manager, IES.

Publication date: 1/22/2018

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