Ashrae invites comments on new green building standard

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is completing a new standard guideline for green building practices. The standard is said to be “nearing completion.”
The proposed Standard 189, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is being developed by Ashrae in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.
The standard has been released for public review and comments will be accepted until July 9, 2007.
The standard is not a building rating system (such as LEED), but rather a compilation of criteria that must be met in order for local building code officials to provide a certificate of occupancy.
John Hogan, the chair of the Standard 189 Project Committee, said the standard will become “the benchmark for all sustainable green buildings in the United States because it is being developed for inclusion into building codes.”
A large part of the standard will focus on energy efficiency. The goal is to achieve a minimum of 30% reduction in energy costs compared to Ashrae standard 90.1-2007.
The standard also wants building projects to produce some of the energy on site by renewable sources.
Efficient plumbing fixtures will be an important factor, as will the nature of the site itself.
See www.ashrae.org