A recent op-ed by Tim Portz, "Codifying Wood Pellet Heating's Renewable Bona Fides," discusses the evolution of the biomass definition in the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, but omits critical details. By providing additional context and data, New Buildings Institute, a nonprofit organization serving as an independent, nonpartisan technical resource, looks to foster a deeper understanding of the process and encourage future collaboration.

The IECC is a model code developed by the International Code Council to provide minimum energy efficiency requirements for the design and construction of buildings. The ICC voting membership comprises nonpartisan code officials and other industry professionals. ICC codes help communities assure safety, improve public health, increase resilience, and lower building energy costs.  

The inclusion of biomass in building codes isn’t new. During the 2012 IECC process, NBI, the U.S. DOE and the American Institute of Architects introduced the “renewable energy” definition, which included undifferentiated biomass. Initially, biomass and other renewable energy sources were considered equal to energy saved through efficiency. Biomass as a concept was new in codes at the time, and adding this provision was a positive first step.

Now, 12 years after this initial definition, the ICC considered updating these biomass provisions to reflect the latest data from the U.S. EIA and the U.S. DOE about the carbon emissions and particulate pollution associated with biomass heating. 

To provide a tangible solution, NBI proposed clarifying the renewable energy provision to include “biomass waste,” rather than virgin wood products, a definition derived from the EIA. Backed by new data, the recommendation aims to ensure technologies qualifying under the renewable code provision yield emissions reductions like those from solar and wind.

While the proposed updates failed to pass, all is not lost. A code revision is crucial for reaching our country’s climate goals and improving community well-being. NBI welcomes collaboration with the wood pellet industry to investigate verifiable certifications of wood pellet feedstocks to distinguish waste from virgin products and ensure long-term and permanent reforestation. Such efforts and a commitment to address air quality concerns through regulatory measures present an opportunity to move toward common ground.

Diana Burk is a project manager at New Buildings Institute. She works to advance net zero energy and net zero carbon building codes.