BCBOA Agenda and Packet 2023 05 18

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electrification piece where they want the fossil fuels from heating these spaces. Building Code Board of Appeals Agenda May 18, 2023 Page 11 of 15 heat pumps and they want to remove all Root further commented that the city has had trouble with the current code because the equipment does not exist to meet the ten percent better than Federal standards. Berry commented that as a whole the proposed adoption is ahead of the technology that's available Gatto and Geise both suggested that the authority of the building official to override the requirements based on equipment availability should be at the beginning of section C401 so it would apply to all of the proposed code. Root would need a building determination form; would be difficult since everyone would want an exception. Root feels that since the city does not get a lot of new commercial permits that the building dept could handle the requests. Berry and Root agreed that engineers do not want to stamp something that will possibly break or will need expensive repairs as a result of aggressive adoption and that it is backfiring and resulting in abandoned equipment because of the shorter lifespan of the equipment. Geise used an example of the current issue with a 320 amp panel and that it is required under current IECC code but the panel is hard to find and therefore the contractor cannot meet the code. Dino suggested we provide three to four examples that are not within this packet that would create administrative problems to explain why an aggressive code adoption can have a negative effect. As an example, a piece of equipment that would meet the code might take thirty months to procure and creates an undue burden on the building official to provide exeptions. Berry commented that usually technology is ahead of the code, but this time the code is ahead of the technology and that the building official needs to have the ability to override the requirements if there is a procurement or monetary restriction on equipment and availability. Geise asked about the difference between primary and secondary schools and why the numbers are different. Berry explained that size is not the main difference, that the loads on the building could be different for the two school types. Root interjected that schools, for the purposes of this code, would be private schools because the City of Louisville does not have control over the building requirements of public schools. Public schools are under state code.