NAHB loses influence in 2021 IECC building code development
By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor
Despite objections from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the development of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is nearing conclusion. NAHB objected to several more stringent energy efficiency provisions.
NAHB, which has considerable influence in IECC committee meetings, was overridden on significant proposed changes by online voters representing a broader swath of IECC membership. Some IECC members and environmental advocacy groups decried the NAHB’s “unfair advantage” in the number of voting committee members it seats, and mounted an effort to curtail its power.
In the past, this advantage on the committee level had allowed NAHB considerable influence in the code development process. This time, though, that advantage did not translate into a win in the final IECC vote.