The Residential Energy Code technical advisory group voted to approve the integrated draft it had reviewed and modified and to forward the document to the committee and council for the public code-change process.

The motion to approve the integrated draft passed on roll call with 12 votes in favor, 1 opposed and 1 abstention. TAG members stressed that approving the draft is a procedural step to create the document that will be published for the public to file code-change proposals. TAG members and staff discussed producing companion reports summarizing (1) significant changes in the new model code versus the prior model code, (2) existing state amendments proposed for modification or removal, and (3) TAG-suggested amendments; staff confirmed those reports would be prepared for the committee package.

The TAG also voted earlier in the meeting to adopt the IECC 2024 residential appendices in place of Washington's older appendix tables for the integrated draft. That motion was approved in the meeting's later stage: the TAG agreed to use the IECC 2024 appendices as the starting point for default assembly U-values and related tables to be published in the integrated draft. Staff noted the commercial-code appendix proposal is under separate consideration on the commercial TAG docket and that the residential toolset (C3/calculation tool) will require recalibration if the appendix reference changes.

Finally, the TAG agreed to make the IECC 2024 model code available by reference as an additional option for proposers (the meeting recorded a subsequent vote to include a reference to IECC 2024 as an option in the package). Staff explained that full IECC text can be referenced but cannot be redistributed by the TAG due to publishing/copyright practices; the TAG will include the IECC by reference so interested parties can prepare proposals targeted at that model text.

Ending: With the integrated draft approved and the appendices choice made, the TAG will reconvene to review arriving public code-change proposals and any technical reports staff produces on significant changes.