New proposed updates from the International Code Council to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) would increase energy efficiency in new homes and commercial buildings by about 15%. Implementation of a new code probably wouldn't begin before late 2013. Some of the proposed changes include requiring that home builders mark the R-value of insulation (by posting hang tags every few feet in the attic, for instance); that three-quarters of the lighting in a home be high-efficiency; and that high-efficiency windows be used.
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