...and standards, such as LEED, Energy Star and Green Globes, but the new code will not compete with those programs nor detract from their value in the industry, says Michael Armstrong, a senior vice president with the ICC.

“Other voluntary standards will continue to encourage builders to reach for the highest standards while the new green construction code will address the rest of the market and achieve the baseline necessary for market transformation,” adds Armstrong.

Regardless of the potential overlap, both the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Initiative—the administrators of the LEED and Green Globes programs, respectively—have endorsed the new code and have representatives serving on the drafting committee as well.

“Building codes work from the bottom of the market to ensure that projects achieve minimum compliance,” says Brendan Owens, USGBC vice president. “Some projects may choose only to meet the minimum standards, but there will still be a significant market for projects that want to be recognized for going above and beyond.”

ICC’s green construction code comes on the heels of Standard 189, a code-enforceable standard for green buildings being developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers; USGBC; and Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

Originally proposed as a universal minimum standard for green buildings, Standard 189 has evolved through its drafting process into a firm baseline for higher-performance buildings. Largely based upon the prerequisites and credits for the LEED rating system, the latest version of Standard 189 mandates that green commercial buildings must meet minimum requirements in several key categories in order to be “green.”

New Standard by 2010 A finalized Standard 189 is expected by early 2010. But even with a head start in the marketplace and growing interest in Asia, Standard 189 may have trouble penetrating the domestic market. The standard has been widely criticized for its inflexibility, and some industry groups have opposed ASHRAE’s leadership role in developing a green-building standard.

Excerpts of Standard 189 have been cited within the IGCC resource document, and the ICC invited an ASHRAE representative to participate on the IGCC drafting committee, but it is too early in the process to know whether the IGCC committee will integrate sections of Standard 189 into the new code.

Because most jurisdictions already use codes developed by the ICC, it is likely that the large majority of jurisdictions will turn to the ICC’s new code as a resource for developing and implementing green construction regulations, Armstrong says.

“The new code will provide code officials with the consistency and clarity that they need to regulate green...