USA ASHRAE codes
Scaling new heights
Building services engineers are poised
the atmosphere, materials and
resources are all part of the standard.
to cash in on a multi-billion dollar
Every new building will have to be This is not low
market for sustainable designs and
‘renewable energy ready’, but if
hanging fruit, it
enough energy efficiency is achieved
energy efficiency. Ewen Rose reports
in the design, then renewables will is already on the
become optional.
The final section of the standard
ground
n
‘This is going to be huge.’ ‘We need to change our ways,’ looks at building operation including – Gordon
Orlando is a not a place for said Holness. ‘This is not our fathers’ commissioning and lifecycle costing
understatement, and ASHRAE ASHRAE. We will not achieve our and the importance of training
Holness
president Gordon Holness did not goals using our current incremental facilities managers.
disappoint during the society’s approach to building improvement IAQ is seen as a key subject for scheme, developed by ASHRAE
recent winter meeting there, where – we have to challenge ourselves the standard, and, initially, the code and the US Green Building Council,
he brandished a copy of the society’s and develop more ambitious drafters had problems balancing with significant input from CIBSE,
new ‘game changing’ standard for performance modelling standards.’ adequate ventilation rates with the is seen as critical to tackling poor
sustainable buildings, ASHRAE He said that the US Clean Energy need to keep energy consumption performance in existing buildings.
Standard 189.1. and Security Act, which was adopted as low as possible. However, as Currently the Building Energy
The figures quoted during the last year, would drive energy targets Peterson explained, once IAQ Quotient (bEQ) scheme is voluntary,
conference were suitably mind- ‘very aggressively’, but he added experts were involved the committee but Holness said he expected to see
boggling for such a larger-than-life that European targets were much had a rethink. building labels become a mandatory
venue. Holness told delegates that tougher and urged the US to learn ‘The specialists pointed out that requirement across the US ‘within
the US would need to spend $170bn from the EU Energy Performance of you get better results if you tackle five years’.
(£110bn) a year retrofitting buildings Buildings Directive (EPBD). the emissions [of pollutants] rather The bEQ is being piloted by a
to meet its climate change targets. than increasing dilution, so we number of major property firms
But he added that the return on that New code changed the target to controlling including the Durst Organisation,
investment would far outstrip what Standard 189.1 is the first ‘code VOCs [volatile organic compounds], which owns and manages 9m sq
President Obama was trying to get intended’ commercial green and that helped us with the energy ft of office and residential space in
back from Wall Street following the building standard in the US. It has aspect too.’ Manhattan, and the US General
hugely controversial bank bailout been drafted in ‘code language’ so Services Administration, which owns
programme. that individual state legislatures Energy label or leases 8,600 federal properties.
Obama has also committed can adopt its provisions directly Holness explained that the The bEQ labels include ‘As
federal buildings to a 30 per into their local building codes. standard was an important step Designed’ (asset) and ‘In Operation’
cent cut in energy use by 2015, ASHRAE says it provides a on the road to zero carbon new (operational) ratings for all building
and Holness urged ASHRAE ‘total building sustainability buildings, but members already types, except residential. They
members to take the lead package’ for design had almost unlimited business include data on actual energy use,
on that effort. He offered the engineers, builders and opportunities in tackling energy energy demand profiles, indoor
society’s ‘triple whammy’ of building operators covering efficiency in existing buildings. ‘This air quality and other energy related
189.1, a revamped Standard the whole process from site is not low-hanging fruit, it is already information.
90.1 on energy efficiency location to energy use and on the ground,’ he said. CIBSE played a key role in the
in buildings that raises recycling. The standard The building energy labelling development of the scheme as it was
the energy efficiency has a large potential able to share the lessons learned
benchmark by another market as there are 1,600
Accolade for
during the energy performance
30 per cent, and the local ‘jurisdictions’ certification process.
country’s first building across the US looking
graduate winner
Ron Jarnagin, ASHRAE treasurer
energy labelling for some form of CIBSE/ASHRAE and chair of the EQ committee,
programme as a green code to apply to Graduate of thanked CIBSE technical director
toolkit for engineers their building stock, the Year Emma Hywel Davies for his ‘vital’
to go out and capture according to former Marshall from contribution to the scheme and said
the business of ASHRAE president RPS Gregory that CIBSE’s ongoing experience in
‘greening’ the US Kent Peterson, in Newcastle establishing professional standards
building stock. who chaired the received a special plaque during and training for energy assessors
189.1 drafting the Orlando meeting from could be of particular benefit to the
Offices and committee. ASHRAE President Gordon EQ programme in the coming years.
residences in Site Holness. ‘Sorting out the basic algorithms
Manhatten are sustainability, The winner of the award, which of energy efficient buildings is a huge
being used to pilot a water use and is organised annually by the task, but a common goal for both
building energy energy CIBSE/ASHRAE Group, receives organisations,’ said CIBSE president
labelling efficiency, a free trip to the Winter Meeting. Mike Simpson at the event. ‘We
scheme. indoor air The 2010 winner will attend the must work together to get there.’ l
quality meeting in Las Vegas.
(IAQ) and For details of how to enter,
For more information about CIBSE
the building’s email: ewenrose@btinternet.com
and ASHRAE working together
visit: www.cibseashrae.org
impact on
24 CIBSE Journal March 2010 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEmar10 pp24 ashrae.indd 24 25/2/10 15:50:35
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