What Can Congress Do to Build Better Buildings?

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing to explore how the quality of buildings contributes to the national economy and promotes healthier environments, and to learn how Congress can support such benefits. Because Americans spend over 90 percent of their time indoors, the design, construction, and operation of buildings greatly influence the health, productivity, and safety of their occupants. 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

William “Bill” Fisk, Senior Scientist/Mechanical Engineer, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Fellow

• ASHRAE is a professional society for those who design, build, install, and maintain building systems for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration.
• The indoor environment has a big impact on health and productivity. Second-hand tobacco smoke exposure, dampness and mold, radon gas, and chemical exposure are all serious concerns in our buildings with negative effects on health including asthma, allergies, and cancer.
• Our performance at work and at school improves when we have better indoor air quality, such as a better temperature and more outdoor air circulation. Sadly, schools often provide only about half the amount of outdoor air that is recommended. This can have a negative effect on student performance, including on exams and standardized tests.
• Building energy efficiency is linked to indoor air quality: more efficient buildings are more comfortable. Addressing the source of pollutants through energy efficiency measures can help decrease absenteeism, enhance student performance, and reap economic benefits.
  • The federal government has huge and varied interests in better buildings.
  • All federal agencies have workers in buildings, so they have an interest in improving indoor air quality for their employees’ health and productivity.
  • Some agencies— such as the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institutes of Health—have building-related research programs.
  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development has responsibility for subsidized housing programs and the Federal Emergency Management Agency supplies temporary housing after disasters.
  • With sufficient resources, these agencies can improve their buildings.

 

Randy Burkett, President and Principal Designer of Randy Burkett Lighting Design Inc., FIALD, FIES, International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD)

• Most people take lighting for granted, which is as it should be, as it means that lighting is helping them do their work without hindrance or distraction (poor lighting can result in glare, for example, which is distracting).
• Good lighting has many benefits: enhanced productivity or learning, enhanced mood, sense of well-being, etc.
• Outdoor lighting design matters as well, creating functional spaces after dark, providing a sense of safety and security, enabling wayfinding, and providing a sense of place.
• The Department of Energy has a program—as a result of the 2005 Energy Policy Act—to foster innovation in solid state lighting (e.g., LEDs). Because lighting research is so technical, this federal research program is a huge help. DOE research funds exploratory programs such as fine-tuning the lighting in a specific classroom or hospital setting or studying the impacts of lighting on shift workers. Thanks in part to this research, lighting designers now choose LEDs 95 percent of the time.
• Much more research on LEDs and lighting in general is needed. In particular, research on post-occupancy evaluations is needed to see how lighting affects people and buildings. We also need to better understand glare and visibility.

 

Ryan Colker, Vice President for Innovation at the International Code Council (ICC) and Executive Director of the Alliance for National and Community Resilience

• In the United States, model codes are developed through a process that includes all stakeholders. They provide input for the next iteration of the model code, which is submitted to state and local decision-makers and federal agencies. It is then up to state and local entities to adopt the codes.
  • Codes address almost all aspects of the built environment (e.g., energy efficiency, structure, plumbing). For example, the latest building codes require storm shelters for schools in “Tornado Alley.”
• Twenty-one states are in tornado-prone regions, yet just seven of them require schools to include tornado shelters, putting countless students and staff at risk.
• Energy codes work in conjunction with other model codes that address fire safety, durability, moisture management, and protection from extreme weather events; all of these codes, when adopted and enforced, enhance building resilience.
• The benefits of adopting modern codes are abundantly clear, both economically and in avoiding loss of life and injuries. Adopting the latest building codes results in huge benefits across hazards, including riverine floods, hurricane surges, wind, and wildland-derived fires. For example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) found eight southeastern states had avoided $500 million in annualized losses through modern code adoption.
• Studies show that $1 invested in 2018 building code standards results in $11 of benefits to the community—a substantial increase over earlier building codes. Preventing property loss, business interruption, injury, and—most importantly—untimely deaths are all part of the benefits of modern code adoption.
• Yet, because it is up to states and localities to adopt and enforce building codes, adoption is very slow and enforcement is patchy.
• Beyond code adoption, code enforcement is also critical to realizing all of the benefits of modern codes. For this to happen, local education and building inspections by knowledgeable professionals are critical.
• Federal agencies have validated the importance of codes in regulations (e.g., FEMA’s strategic plan; Community Development Block Grants for disasters).
• Congress has recognized the importance of modern codes by including them in legislation, such as in the provisions for pre- and post-disaster assistance in the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018.
• Recommendations for federal policymakers include:
  • As the federal government moves forward with spending on infrastructure investments (including buildings), it should ensure that any project receiving federal dollars be built to the latest codes. Currently, many federal agencies defer to state or local code requirements; yet 15 states do not require code adoption at all. Modern codes bring the greatest benefits; for example, modern energy codes are 25 percent more efficient than 2010 energy codes, yet 11 states have codes that are more than 9 years old. Using out-of-date codes means that members of our communities are not reaping the benefits of the new, recommended codes.
  • Include minimum code requirements in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) reauthorization. FEMA found that including building codes as part of NFIP would reduce losses, increase property values, reduce insurance rates, and make the program itself more sound on an actuarial basis.
  • Appropriately fund the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology. This would help federal agencies contribute to R&D, local technical assistance, and grants across the country.

 

As Congress develops legislation and conducts oversight around infrastructure investment, it must also consider opportunities to promote overall sustainability, resilience, and well-being. Just as Congress has incorporated “Buy America” provisions so that dollars spent in America benefit Americans, Congress should also incorporate standards and provisions into infrastructure investment to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to promote healthy, safe, and productive environments and buildings that will benefit the occupants and, furthermore, the economy. Congress should also continue to support research and technical assistance, as well as the development of codes and standards to improve current building practices.

At this briefing, attendees heard directly from the experts:

• Understood how modern building codes provide $11 in flood, earthquake and hurricane mitigation benefits for every dollar invested; however, less than a third of communities at risk of natural hazards have adopted contemporary building codes.
• Discovered how light and lighting design play a role in their daily activities. Proper lighting design can help prevent depression, distraction, and a variety of other health risks.
• Realized that, in the absence of a holistic focus on how buildings are designed, constructed and operated, federal investments made in buildings can fail to achieve their potential. There have been multiple deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning in HUD-funded housing, and the federal government continues to fund the construction of buildings to standards that do not meet FEMA’s minimum requirements for post-disaster reconstruction.