Updating the state building code could significantly reduce particle air pollution levels, according to a recent Utah Foundation report.
Currently, Utah’s building code is based on the 2009 and 2012 International Efficiency Conservation codes. But if the building code were changed to adopt the 2015 IECC in full, statewide pollution would decrease by 1,500 tons per year by 2050, according to the report.
The IECC is a series of standards for energy-efficient buildings, developed by the International Code Council and U.S. Department of Energy. The code is updated every three years, according to the International Code Council.
The 2015 IECC, if adopted by the state, would require all new homes to be built with updated materials and processes.
“Accordingly, these materials and processes would create a better thermal envelope around both commercial and residential buildings, reducing the amount of electricity or natural gas needed to heat or cool the buildings. Pollution emitted statewide would decrease from the reduction in energy generated,” the report states.
The 2014 Utah Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan, published by the governor’s office, includes a recommendation to adopt the 2015 IECC in phases.
The last time the state building code received a major update was in 2013, according to the report.
A separate report conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found if Utah adopted the 2015 IECC, the average house price would increase by $2,200; the average down payment would go up by $236, while the average annual mortgage payment would go up by $128.
However, the laboratory also found homes’ higher energy efficiency would save residents an average $297 per year in energy costs.
Rep. Brad Wilson (R-Davis County) introduced a bill during this legislative session that would change the legislative process for adopting new versions of the State Construction Code and State Fire Code. HB 316 received a favorable recommendation from the House Business and Labor Committee and is now being considered in the House of Representatives.
The Utah Foundation is a nonprofit, non-partisan public policy research group. Its mission is to provide research to help policy makers and citizens better understand complex issues, according to a news release from the Utah Foundation.
To read the entire report, readers can visit www.utahfoundation.org/reports/bringing-air-quality-home-reducing-residential-emissions.