Success in constructing net-zero homes in the Northwest has sparked debate over how green codes should be incorporated. "You can build more efficiently and you can get to net zero,'" says Neil Grigsby, manager of NEEA's Next Step Homes project. "But what we're trying to do with this specification is really find that sweet spot where you are maximizing energy efficiency before you start hitting diminishing returns with added costs." Grigsby says his organization wants to put the most cost effective measures into mandatory state building codes. But Jan Himebaugh, government affairs director of the Building Industry Association of Washington, is concerned that more stringent codes could make new houses less affordable.
Advertisement
Related Stories
Codes + Standards
Public Comment Period Opens for 2024 National Green Building Standard Update
The 45-day public comment period opened Aug. 18, and comments must be submitted by Oct. 2, 2023
Codes + Standards
The Inefficiencies of the Latest Energy Code
The 2021 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) hampers the return on investment for builders and homebuyers
Energy Efficiency
New RESNET Label Provides Home Energy-Efficiency Ratings and Certifications Info
A one-page, consumer-friendly label is now available for all homes in the RESNET Registry