FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 1011

C 11 L 15

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Assigning counties to two climate zones for purposes of the state building code.

Sponsors: Representatives Short, Takko, Springer, Buys, Kretz, Shea, Gregerson and Condotta.

House Committee on Local Government

Senate Committee on Government Operations & Security

Background:

The State Building Code.

The State Building Code (SBC) provides statewide minimum performance standards and requirements for construction and construction materials, consistent with accepted standards of engineering, fire, and life safety. The SBC is comprised of model codes, including building, residential, fire, and plumbing codes, adopted by reference in statute, as well as rules developed and adopted by the State Building Code Council (Council). The Council is responsible for adopting, amending, and maintaining as appropriate the model codes adopted by reference. The Council reviews updated editions of model codes on a three-year cycle.

The Washington State Energy Code.

The Council is charged with adopting rules to be known as the Washington State Energy Code (WSEC), as part of the SBC. The WSEC for residential buildings is the maximum and minimum energy code for residential construction in each county, city, and town, while the WSEC for commercial or nonresidential buildings is the minimum energy code for commercial construction.

The WSEC must take into account regional climatic conditions. Statute assigns each of Washington's 39 counties to one of two climate zones: climate zone 1 or climate zone 2. The following counties are assigned by statute to climate zone 2: Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Kittitas, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman counties. All other counties are assigned to climate zone 1.

Effective July 1, 2013, the Council adopted the 2012 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) with amendments as the energy code for residential and commercial buildings in Washington.

The 2012 International Energy Conservation Code.

The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is a model code developed and published by the International Code Council, Inc. The IECC regulates the design and construction of buildings for the effective use and conservation of energy over the useful life of each building. New editions of the IECC are developed and published on a three-year cycle.

The 2012 IECC model code divides the United States into eight climate zones (1 through 8, with sub-designations A, B, and C). Climate zone assignments are used to determine whether different IECC requirements are applicable within a specific jurisdiction or region. Under the 2012 IECC model code, Washington is divided among three climate zones: 4C, 5B, and 6B. In general, counties located west of the Cascade Mountain Range are assigned to zone 4C, and counties located east of the Cascade Mountain Range, with the exception of four counties, are assigned to zone 5B. Four counties, Ferry, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Stevens, are assigned to zone 6B.

In adopting the 2012 IECC as Washington's energy code for residential and commercial buildings, the Council amended the model code's climate zone assignments. Instead of assigning Washington counties to three climate zones, the Council adopted rules assigning each county to one of two zones. The following counties are assigned by rule to climate zone 5B: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima. All other counties in Washington are assigned by rule to zone 4C.

Summary:

The State Building Code Act specifies that the state's climate zones for building purposes are designated in statute. The assignment of a county to a climate zone may not be changed by adoption of a model code or rule.

The state's climate zones, as designated in statute, are modified in several ways. First, the two climate zones are no longer numbered or identified as "climate zone 1" and "climate zone 2." The two zones are instead distinguished by specifying that one zone is comprised of specific counties, while the other zone is comprised of all other counties.

Second, the statutory climate zone assignments of nine counties are changed. The following counties are added to the zone with specifically listed counties (formerly, climate zone 2): Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Klickitat, Skamania, Walla Walla, and Yakima.

Finally, statute provides that the Council is not prohibited from adopting the same rules or standards for each climate zone.

Votes on Final Passage: