Local code panel reviews energy-code changes, considers deleting commercial renewable mandates

Speaker 1, the presiding member, called the meeting to order and opened unfinished business with a review of proposed code amendments affecting Chapter 11 of the International Residential Code and related commercial energy provisions drawn from the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

Staff member (Speaker 2) told the panel they had come to “answer the questions you guys had about the code review for chapter 11 in the IRC,” citing the standing pilot light for fireplaces and other technical points. On blower-door testing, the staff member said staff had performed two rounds of randomized tests and found building airtightness sufficient to continue requiring 2.5 air exchanges per hour as the passing threshold. “So, the 2.5 was something we were planning on keeping at this point,” the staff member said.

The discussion moved to the commercial energy code. Staff reviewed multiple…