ASHRAE developing tools to measure buildings’ performance

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is developing tools to measure that buildings operate as efficiently as was intended by their designers in terms of actually reducing their “carbon footprint.”
The goal “is to provide a consistent method of measuring, expressing and comparing energy use, water use and indoor environmental quality,” says the Ashrae news release.
Lynn Bellenger, chair of Ashrae’s Technology Council, who is chairing the studies, said: “We have made significant strides in energy modeling and improving building designs. …A carbon metrics estimating tool that is specific to regional and time-of-day variations will assist architects and engineers in understanding the impact of those choices and in selecting systems and products that ultimately reduce the building’s carbon footprint.”
To formulate the baseline criteria for making the measurements, Ashrae is collaborating
with the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers and the U.S. Green Building Council.
The initial phase involves finding a measure of carbon emission equivalents for different building energy sources, whether it be gas, electricity or other fuels.