ASHRAE, U.S. Green Building Council and IES to develop joint standards

The leading organizations for energy efficient building design in North America have reached an unprecedented agreement to collaborate on a new green building framework.

On August 21, ASHRAE, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the International Code Council, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES), and the American Institute of Architects announced that they have signed a memorandum and agreed to streamline green building tools.

They are working together to coordinate three programs: Standard 189.1, the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), and the LEED green building program.

The unprecedented cooperation will lead to a new standard combining the International Green Construction Standard with ANSI/ASHRAE/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

ASHRAE President Tom Phoenix said: “ASHRAE see this as a move forward in green building, reducing fragmentation of compliance documents for users who are pressing toward a more sustainable environment.”

Brendan Owens, vice President, LEED, and U.S. Green Building Council, said: “This landmark agreement will leverage the unique strengths of each of the five partner organizations to deliver a coordinated, integrated suite of green building tools. An ANSI standard as the basis of a regulatory code to push the market and a rating system to pull the market higher. We are collectively dedicated to advancing green building practices and to advancing the broader industry’s understanding about the importance of green building goals and how to achieve them.”