Outcome Based Approach Option for International Green Construction Code (IgCC)

This outcome based approach involves the building owner to pay the 12 month utility bills of building in 3 years.

In the coming year, International Green Construction Code (IgCC) will first time use the outcome based approach for submitting the local building energy codes. In the past, building energy codes were based on 2 main pathways, Firstly the performance and secondly the prescriptive or precautionary measures.

Performance of code depends on modeling of energy consumption, where as prescriptive measures depend on code defined values for individual building components. According to the Institute of Market Transformation, both of these pathways failed to explain, how buildings use power once they are completed.

As the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) announces the new condition of outcome based approach. This will lead to energy efficient buildings, which will meet the expectations of performances. This approach will require the building owner to pay the utility bills of building for a period of 12 months within 3 years. This approach will ensure a reduction of pressure on International green construction code department and it will be able to align with growing number of energy benchmarking regulations.

The addition of outcome based approach in 2015 is predicted to influence this code and other codes like energy conservation code. This is also expected to level the process of including ASHRAE standard 189.1 and LEED green building program in the development of international green construction code.