Page 8 - Green Builder November Issue Codes Update

Green Building NEWS

The latest on sustainability and renewable energy

The State of Building Energy
Code Enforcement

IIs the level of code enforcement waning even as model energy codes tighten?
N A RECENT BLOG, the North American
Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA)
asked: Is code enforcement, verified by on-site
inspections at key periods during construction,
becoming more lenient? The organization produced this
graphic to show what professionals in the code arena will
be grappling with in the foreseeable future.

Here are some points to ponder:
¦¦ Most state and local jurisdictions dramatically reduced the
number of building code inspectors during the housing crash in
2007, and it’s been a slow recovery since then.
¦¦ From 2014-2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported (http://
bit.ly/2dHbBCQ) a 3.5 percent increase in the number of building
inspectors, yet the increase has not kept pace with construction. To
keep up with the sheer volume of assessments, it’s not uncommon
for building inspectors to select a “reference home” to inspect and
assign the same pass/fail result to similar homes in the development.
For states who have adopted IECC 2012 or 2015—which each require
RESNET Grade 1 installation of insulation for residential homes, as
an example—the question arises: How can anyone certify it’s been
built to Grade 1 standards if the house hasn’t been visually inspected?
¦¦ Some jurisdictions allow third-party inspectors versus state or
local inspectors. The most prominent example of this approach is
the use of HERS raters. While this outsourced approach can certainly
benefit governments and builders, it is important for consumers that
all home inspectors operate on a level playing field.
Read the full blog at http://bit.ly/2drFjZZ.

WE Stand: Call for Public Comments

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) is calling for public comments on formal proposals toward the
developmentofthe2017WaterEfficiencyandSanitationStandard(WEStand).Thecommentform,withinstructionsandbackgroundonIAPMO’s
ANSI-accredited consensus process, as well as the WE Stand draft document, Report on Proposals, Monograph, and a development
timeline, can be found here: http://bit.ly/2eHvGaa.

6 GREEN BUILDER November/December 2016 www.greenbuildermedia.com