The International Code Council (ICC) has initiated a project to develop a new standard addressing hot water storage tanks used in solar thermal water heating systems. The new standard, to be designated ICC 903/SRCC 500, is to be developed through ICC’s ANSI-approved standard development process.
The Solar Thermal Standard Consensus Committee (IS-STSC) was appointed by the ICC Board of Directors in late 2021. This technical committee is comprised of representatives from manufacturers, solar system designers, code officials, utilities, and test labs. It is expected to address a wide range of hot water storage tank types used in solar thermal systems, including both pressurized and unpressurized tanks, indirect and direct tanks (with and without integral heat exchangers) and those that incorporate several types of backup heating units.
To date, the IS-STSC has met virtually in January, February, and March 2022. As according to ICC’s standard development process, all meetings are open to the public. A formal meeting notification, along with login information can be found online here. The committee is currently working to refine the scope and content of the new standard. Various task groups will likely be established in the near future to prepare the text for the draft document. This draft development work will culminate with the approval of the first public draft by the IS-STSC for a 45-day formal public comment period. As the document is refined, additional rounds of public comment will follow, until the new standard is finalized and published.
For those interested in the project, please visit the project webpage for background information, committee roster, and meeting minutes to date. Interested parties can also sign up there for a mailing list to receive periodic updates via email. For more information, contact Shawn Martin, Staff Secretariat for the project, or Karl Aittaniemi, ICC Director of Standards.
Source: International Code Council
