International Code Council Celebrates High Performance Building Week

From June 24-28, 2024, the International Code Council joined industry leaders and policymakers to celebrate High Performance Building Week, an annual event promoting the design, construction and operation of buildings that excel in energy efficiency, sustainability and overall performance.

Organized by industry leaders and advocacy groups that support the High Performance Building Coalition (HPBC), this week featured a variety of activities. These included workshops, panel discussions and networking events, all highlighting cutting-edge technologies, innovative practices and policy initiatives aimed at enhancing building performance.

“Through High Performance Building Week, we strive to raise the profile on the role of buildings in our lives and the economy, and engage policymakers in implementing policies that enhance sustainability and resilience of the built environment,” said Gabe Maser, Code Council Senior Vice President of Government Relations, and Past Chair of the HPBC. “By focusing on this goal, we can help lead the way to long-term economic and environmental benefits.”

Code Council Participation During High Performance Building Week

Throughout the week, Code Council staff attended various events on Capitol Hill to help increase awareness and share insight with policymakers on the importance of high performance buildings for community resiliency and sustainability.

On June 26 from 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm ET, Code Council Vice President of Innovation, Ryan Colker, moderated a panel discussion on extreme heat resilience in buildings. Organized by the High Performance Buildings Congressional Caucus and the HPBC, the panel discussion informed congressional staff about the risks of extreme heat and the importance of protecting building inhabitants while considering sustainable building performance measures. The panel included representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Green Building Initiative, and U.S. Representative Greg Stanton’s office.

The discussion touched on a report published by the U.S. Department of Energy that outlined the resilience benefits of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC). The report provided a standardized methodology and analysis demonstrating the value of the 2021 IECC (and green building standards that are above the model code stringencies) in protecting occupants from extreme temperatures due to power outages associated with hazard events. You can read the full report here. 

The Code Council’s federal affairs team also joined other HPBC members in meetings with Congressional Offices to discuss industry priorities including passage of the PRO CODES Act, the Healthy H2O Act, and sustaining funding levels for DOE’s Building Energy Codes Program, as well as voluntary product certifications Energy STAR and WaterSense. Additionally, after past successful coalition support for the initial passage of the NIST Plumbing Research Act, the coalition is seeking program reauthorization of the on-premise plumbing research program. 

For more resources on energy efficiency and sustainability, visit the Code Council’s dedicated webpage here.