International Code Council Appoints Energy Code Development Committees

June 22, 2021
Each future edition of the IECC, including the 2024 edition, will build on prior successes in energy efficiency and sustainability goals.

The International Code Council, the developer of the most widely used and highly regarded set of building safety codes and standards in the world, announced the committee members for the development of its 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). As part of the new process outlined within the Code Council’s energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction framework, Leading the Way to Energy Efficiency: A Path Forward on Energy and Sustainability to Confront a Changing Climate, the Code Council Board of Directors has appointed 48 members to its Residential Energy Code Consensus Committee and 45 members to its Commercial Energy Code Consensus Committee, one-third of which are governmental regulators.

The committee appointees represent a wide array of experience in building types and energy efficiency strategies, as well as racial, gender and socio-economic diversity, composing balanced committees that represent a multitude of stakeholder interests. Each committee member was chosen based on their qualifications, interest category, past participation in the codes and standards development process, geography and organization size.

For the 2024 development process, the Code Council announced the following committee Chairs and Vice Chairs:

Duane Jonlin, Energy Code & Conservation Advisor, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, Chair of the Commercial Energy Code Consensus Committee. Jonlin previously served as a member of the Washington State Building Code Council, ICC Zero Carbon Task Force, IECC Commercial Energy Committee, and is currently a voting member of ASHRAE SSPC 90.1. Since 2012, Jonlin has been closely involved in the development of each new edition of the Seattle Energy Code, building upon development of the Washington State Energy Code.

Emily Hoffman, Director of Energy Code Compliance, New York City Department of Buildings, Vice Chair of the Commercial Energy Code Consensus Committee. Hoffman has served as a member of the IECC Commercial Code Development Committee, NYC Energy Code Advisory Committee, NYSERDA Stretch Energy Code Committee, and currently serves on the ASHRAE Standard 90.1 Energy Cost Budget Subcommittee. Hoffman received the AEE Energy Professional Development Regional Award 2020 and Local Award in 2019 and NYC Climate Hero in 2020. 

J.C. Hudgison, Chief Building Official, Tampa, Florida, Chair of the Residential Energy Code Consensus Committee. Hudgison is an active member of the ICC Emerging Leaders Membership Council Governing Committee and Building Officials Association of Florida Suncoast Chapter. Hudgison has over 13 years of experience in the fields of architecture, building code, construction, and construction management. Hudgison previously served as a member on the AIA Georgia Board and Building Officials Association of Georgia.

Bridget Herring, Energy Program Coordinator, Asheville, North Carolina, Vice Chair of the Residential Energy Code Consensus Committee. Herring has previous experience as a member of the ICC Residential Energy Development Committee, NC Building Code Council, and NC Energy Efficiency Roadmap Steering Committee. Herring is also a NC certified continuing education instructor for building codes and a RESNET HERS Rater. Herring is a staff liaison for the City of Asheville Sustainability Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment as well as the Energy Innovation Task Force, and manages the city’s energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

Robin Yochum, Energy Program Manager, Nevada Governor’s Energy Office, Vice Chair of the Residential Energy Code Consensus Committee. Yochum serves as an active member of the ICC Building Membership Council and its Raise the Profile Subcommittee and Community Best Practices & Innovation Subcommittee, ICC Sustainability Membership Council Zero Carbon Buildings Subcommittee, and Nevada Energy Code Collaborative. Yochum led the technical group who drafted the policy analysis section of the first ever Nevada Climate Strategy, which focused on the built environment including energy codes, appliance standards, energy labeling and ozone depleting substance alternatives.

“As more emphasis is placed on addressing the impact of our changing climate, building codes like the IECC remain a critical component in achieving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gases,” said Dominic Sims, CBO, Chief Executive Officer of the Code Council. “Through the new framework and IECC development process, all committed parties – from energy advocates to government officials and building safety professionals – will collaboratively determine the provisions of future editions to meet the sustainability and resiliency needs of all communities. Reducing carbon emissions through building operations under the IECC is just the first step in the Code Council’s effort to reduce the carbon impacts of other stages in the building process.”

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT ALL APPOINTEES 

The Code Council remains committed to assisting communities in meeting their energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction priorities. According to a preliminary analysis released by the Department of Energy, the residential provisions of the 2021 edition of the IECC are 9.38 percent more efficient than the 2018 edition and reduce GHG emissions by 8.66 percent. Through the development committees, each future edition of the IECC, including the 2024 edition, will build on prior successes allowing the IECC to remain a strong avenue for communities to reach their energy efficiency and sustainability goals globally – with a commitment to providing communities with the tools necessary to achieve zero energy now and by 2030.

The next step in the development of the 2024 IECC is the solicitation of code change proposals for consideration by the committees. Code change proposals related to the 2021 IECC can be submitted online beginning in mid-July 2021 through October 12, 2021.

To learn more about the Code Council’s energy activities visit www.iccsafe.org/energy.