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High-Performance Building Week focuses on buildings as part of infrastructure
WASHINGTON — Organized by a coalition of building industry stakeholders, including the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, that support the High-Performance Building Coalition, this year’s High-Performance Building Week, June 5-9 in the nation’s capital, seeks to inform and stimulate discussion about the benefits — water/energy conservation, improved safety/environmental quality — derived from high-performance buildings and practices. The focus and theme of this year’s event is to help policymakers understand “The Critical Role Buildings Play in America’s Infrastructure.”
The HPBC is a private sector coalition providing guidance and support to the High-Performance Buildings Caucus of the U.S. Congress. Dain Hansen, IAPMO’s senior vice president of government relations, is HPBC chairman.
“High-Performance Building Week is a time when the industry can come together with a unified voice to raise awareness of policy initiatives, organizational priorities and cutting-edge innovations that drive the construction and building industry throughout the country,” Hansen said. “This year we have a full slate of briefings, receptions, and a congressional lobby day to unveil the broadly supported policy and appropriation priorities for the industry. Buildings play a vital role as a part of America’s infrastructure, and Congress and the White House need to hear from our community in making sound policy.”
One of the week’s briefings will highlight the findings of the National Institute of Building Science’s Consultative Council, a high-level industry body that was chaired this year by IAPMO’s Executive Vice President of Advocacy, Research, and Program Development Pete DeMarco.
Events include:
• June 6, noon-1 p.m.: Congressional Briefing: Achieving a High-Performance Built Environment: Findings and Recommendations from the Consultative Council
• June 7, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.: High Performance Building Coalition Day on the Hill. Coalition members are heading to Capitol Hill to meet with High Performance Building Congressional Caucus members and their staff.
• June 7, 5-7 p.m.: Congressional Reception
• June 8, noon-1 p.m.: Congressional Briefing: The Critical Role Buildings Play in America’s Infrastructure
“As someone who spent his career designing buildings, I recognize the benefits of making our offices, schools and homes more efficient by using innovative technologies and building materials,” said Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va), co-chair of the High-Performance Building Caucus. “Promoting efficiency and technology makes sense for consumers and taxpayers and will help the economy grow. High-Performance Building Week is a time to highlight the importance of energy efficiency, and shed a light on policies that will advance it.”
Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.), co-chair of the High-Performance Building Caucus, added: “This week is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the major impact buildings have on public health, safety and the environment, and to discuss the challenges and opportunities we face in improving building performance.”
The High-Performance Buildings Caucus of the U.S. Congress was formed to heighten awareness and inform policymakers about the major impact buildings have on our health, safety and welfare, and the opportunities to design, construct and operate high-performance buildings that reflect concern for these impacts.
Fundamental to these concerns include protecting life and property, developing novel building technologies, facilitating and enhancing U.S. economic competitiveness, increasing energy efficiency in the built environment, assuring buildings have minimal climate change impacts and are able to respond to changes in the environment, and supporting the development of private sector standards, codes and guidelines that address these concerns.