As heat alerts affected nearly 110 million people, a third of the US population, in 15 states, the US Department of Energy (DOE) released a new report on July 13, titled “Improving Resilience in Buildings Through Energy Efficiency.” The analysis finds 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) can reduce deaths from extreme heat by up to 80 percent.
The report highlights the impact of 2021 IECC in protecting occupants from extreme temperatures due to power outages associated with hazardous events.
The report’s findings serve as a clarion call for policymakers to adopt the energy code. The IECCThe requirements are specified below:
- Improve the efficiency of building envelopes to allow occupants to shelter in place safely for more than four days during a disaster-induced power outage coupled with extreme heat or cold.
- Increase habitability by up to 120 percent during extreme cold and 140 percent during extreme heat, and reduce kills by up to 80 percent during extreme heat and 30 percent during extreme cold.
- Providing new single-family buildings, benefit-cost ratios of two times to more than six times, making a strong financial case for adoption.
The report is based on a study by a team of US energy experts from the DOE’s Building Energy Codes Program (BECP), the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
For additional information on the report and continued advocacy of the Building Resilience Codes Council, visit www.iccsafe.org/products-and-services/codes-standards/energy/ and www.energycodes.gov/energy-resilience.
About the International Code Council
TheInternational Code Council (ICC) is a global source of codes and standards for building safety models and solutions. Codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings around the world.
