October 11, 2010—Rhode Island is the first state to adopt the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). The Rhode Island Green Buildings Act identifies the IGCC as an equivalent standard in compliance with requirements that all public agency major facility projects be designed and constructed as green buildings. The Rules and Regulations to implement the Act take effect in October 2010.
Rhode Island State Building Code Commissioner John P. Leyden, C.B.O., expressed excitement at Rhode Island being the first state to adopt the code, adding, “I think that we are very fortunate in being a smaller state in that we can move things along a little quicker than other states. We adopt the other I-Codes, and so it fits in nicely.”
The IGCC applies to new and existing, traditional and high-performance commercial buildings. It includes ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1 as an alternative compliance requirement.
ICC CEO Rick Weiland said, “The IGCC provides a vehicle for jurisdictions to regulate green for the design and performance of buildings in a manner that is integrated with existing codes as an overlay, allowing new and existing buildings to reap the rewards of improved design and construction practices.”
In August, Richland, Washington, became the first city globally to adopt the IGCC as a non-mandatory document for commercial buildings.
