Washington, D.C. — As it considers new rules emphasizing sustainability in the design and construction of federal buildings, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been urged by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) to employ the provisions of IAPMO’s Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 requires that the DOE establish revised performance standards for the construction of new — and major renovations to existing — federal buildings. The DOE recently published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) in order to:
• reduce the total ownership cost of facilities
• improve energy efficiency and water conservation
• provide safe, healthy and productive built environments
• promote sustainable environmental stewardship
IAPMO’s Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement provides viable, safe methods to achieve each of these goals, argued IAPMO and more than 20 other organizations at a recent hearing at DOE headquarters. A first-of-its-kind document, the Green Supplement smoothly bridges the previously troublesome gap between existing codes and green building rating programs. Where code language and established sustainable concepts lack cohesion, the Green Supplement creates harmony with provisions regarding alternate water sources, high-efficiency products, energy conservation and training/education.
“Whether it’s a small town in South Dakota or the United States Department of Energy, any jurisdiction wishing to promote safe, healthy water and energy efficiency standards will benefit from using the Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement,” said Bob Siemsen, IAPMO president. “No document better represents industry consensus on the best practices toward sustainable building principles regarding water and heating/cooling systems.”
Established in January 2008 and comprised of a who’s who of plumbing/mechanical industry leaders, the IAPMO Green Technical Committee answered the IAPMO Board of Director’s call for a reduction in energy and water consumption as permitted in the Uniform Plumbing Code® and Uniform Mechanical Code®, the only such codes of practice to be designated as American National Standards. The result of that effort, published in February, is the Green Supplement, the most comprehensive document ever created to standardize sustainable residential and commercial plumbing and mechanical systems.
IAPMO Director of Government Relations Dain Hansen stated numerous times during the DOE hearing that to obtain the desired water savings required in the rulemaking, the DOE need only reference IAPMO’s Green Supplement.
For more information about the Green Supplement and/or IAPMO’s commitment to a sustainable environment, please direct your Web browser to http://www.iapmo.org/Pages/IAPMO_Green.aspx or contact Maria Bazan at (708) 995-3000 or maria.bazan@iapmo.org.
Last modified: August 2, 2010