The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or “model code” establishes the minimum requirements for building energy efficiency. The code is updated every three years, and for 2024, a new consensus-driven development process brought together diverse stakeholders to determine those requirements.

However, the International Code Council’s Board of Directors recently voted to go against consensus and remove mandatory provisions relating to building decarbonization from the 2024 draft.

In this episode, host Robb Aldrich interviews Gayathri Vijayakumar, Principal Mechanical Engineer at Steven Winter Associates and a voting member of the 2024 IECC Residential Consensus Committee, to find out… what happened?

Gayathri Vijayakumar

Gayathri is a Principal Mechanical Engineer at Steven Winter Associates. For over 18 years, she has specialized in evaluating residential and multifamily buildings with an emphasis on high-performance construction and renewable energy systems.

Early in her career, Gayathri provided technical assistance to sustainability projects by performing energy modeling and conducting cost-benefit analyses of energy efficient measures in both new and existing residential construction. She leveraged that experience for her current role: providing consulting to federal, state, and local agencies, codes, and programs to develop emerging standards and procedures that involve energy efficiency and indoor air quality requirements. This includes the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Multifamily New Construction Programs, where she has provided technical support since 2008, and more recently, their Indoor airPLUS program.

Gayathri is also an active contributor to various technical committees that share a goal of improving codes and standards. She currently is a voting member of the 2024 IECC Residential Consensus Committee and Chair of RESNET’s Standards Development Committee, SDC300.

Previous episodes on energy code:

• How Codes Get Made with Gayathri Vijayakumar (Apple Podcasts | Spotify)
  
• Answering the Tough Questions About Energy Codes (Apple Podcasts | Spotify)
  

IECC resources:

• 2021 IECC intent statement
  
• 2024 IECC intent statement: Find on pages 3-4 of Leading the Way to Energy Efficiency (PDF)
  
• Code Council’s response (PDF) when asked for clarification on the 2024 IECC intent statement
  
• 2024 IECC appeals
  
  • Submitted appeals
    
  • Results from the Appeals Board (PDF)
    
  • Results from the Board of Directors
    
  
  
• DOE graph showing improvement in residential and commercial energy codes (1975-2021)
  

Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.

Buildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.

Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.

Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby

Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr | Ian Slakas | Lucy Koch