The International Code Council released a draft of its 2024 International Energy Conservation Code for commercial buildings Sept. 6, with public comment through Oct. 31.

The proposed code “could reduce net energy use in new buildings by a quarter, a major step toward zero-net-energy and carbon-neutral new buildings,” according to Michael Waite, senior manager, buildings program, at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

 The proposed code would save about 8% to 12% in energy use through efficiency measures and another 10% to 12% from new onsite renewable energy mandates compared with the 2021 code.