In 2022, the Idaho Department of Professional Licensure (DOPL) undertook a review of the 2018 IBC and the 2018 IRC under the Governor’s goal of reducing regulations and requirements that might be considered unnecessary or redundant and to streamline regulatory processes, reduce the regulatory burden on businesses and individuals, and improve the overall efficiency of both codes. DOPL identified a group of industry representatives familiar with the utilization and implementation of the codes. Representatives included Building Officials, Code Officials, Architects and Engineers, and professional organizations such as the Building Contractors Association, the Associated General Contractors, and AIA. The intent was to establish a collaborative effort as DOPL started the zero-based regulation (ZBR) review. Simply stated, the purpose was to streamline provisions of the IBC and IRC, reduce regulations while still protecting public health, safety, and welfare, and minimizing unnecessary burdens on individuals and businesses. The effort was to identify regulations that were redundant or overly burdensome and to consider whether alternative approaches might be more effective. The AIA Idaho’s Advocacy Committee was one of the participants in the process and chose to be engaged in the reviews, provided feedback to the suggested changes, and in many cases, argued successfully for the replacement of sections identified for removal. In the AIA’s Introduction to Codes and Standards, it recognizes processes such as this as part of code evolution. The most scrutinized aspects in the codes were the provisions of energy conservation. The 2018 IBC contains several energy conservation provisions aimed at reducing the energy consumption of buildings. Some of the key provisions include: • Building Envelope Requirements establishing building envelope design and construction, including insulation, air leakage, and fenestration. These requirements are designed to reduce the amount of energy lost through the building envelope. • HVAC Requirements for HVAC systems, including minimum efficiency standards for equipment and ductwork, and requirements for air distribution systems. These requirements are intended to reduce the energy consumption of HVAC systems. • Lighting Requirements for lighting systems, including minimum efficiency standards for lamps and ballasts, and requirements for automatic lighting controls. These requirements are designed to reduce the amount of energy consumed by lighting systems. • Renewable Energy provisions for the use of renewable energy systems, such as solar panels and wind turbines. These provisions encourage the use of renewable energy sources to reduce the overall energy consumption of buildings. • Commissioning Requirements for building commissioning, which involve verifying that building systems are operating as designed and ensuring that energyconsuming systems are operating efficiently. The energy conservation provisions of the 2018 IBC set minimum standards for building design and construction and are designed to reduce the energy consumption of buildings while promoting the use of energy-efficient and renewable energy systems. In tandem with the advancement of the IBC, AIA has supported the establishment 8 AIA IDAHO ARCHITECTURE | 2023 | aiaidaho.com
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