We're now required to install dimmers or motion sensors on light switches because a large funded NGO called the Natural Resource Defense Council submitted a proposal to the International Energy Code Council back in 2019.
This proposal got shot down from the technical council review: 0 YES vs. 11 NO and from public hearing comment votes: 19 YES vs 49 NO
for reasons you'd expect, increased cost, marginal utility, vagueness etc, but that's not how codes were determined.
At the time, the International Code Council had an online vote (remember covid era) by 1000 government representatives on the proposals after the technical council and public comment period.
Another NGO called the Energy Efficient Codes Coalition put out a voter guide. This voter guide reduced the proposal to "Requires dimmers on some lighting fixtures." and to vote YES for the proposal as is
That vote passed the required 2/3rds majority by 26 votes.
And so the provision was added to the 2021 International Energy Code.
In 2024, it was then clarified and made more specific.. but this time was voted on by a committee of 48 representatives from industry, policy boards, government, etc.
Cities will usually adopt codes as provided with some amendments here and there but Austin in our case (and many others) kept it as is.
Quote
Nick
@broblas
Replying to @DeveloperHarris
so what the theory/conclusion on how we got here? surely some of it is actual horrible construction practices, but how do you end up with such convoluted, overly specific regulations on the smallest of details? who make starts the snowball of "we should ruin light switches"?
