Newly Released American National Standard to Improve Energy Efficiency and Lead the way to a More Sustainable Energy Future

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February 9, 2012

Thanks to the efforts ofAmerican National Standards Institute(ANSI) members and accredited standards developersASHRAE, theU.S. Green Building Council(USGBC) and theIlluminating Engineering Society(IES), a newly revised American National Standard (ANS) is helping to improve energy efficiency and pave the way to a more sustainable energy future.

target="_blank">ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2011

,Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, provides a green building foundation for those who strive to design, build, and operate high performance buildings.

With an eye toward balancing environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, occupant comfort and well-being, this American National Standard covers criteria including site sustainability, water use and energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials and resources use, as well as a building’s impact on its site and its community. When first introduced in 2009, the standard was the first code-intended commercial green building standard in the United States.

The 2011 version incorporates updated connections to its referenced standards, notaby

target="_blank">ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010

,Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings I-P Edition, and

target="_blank">ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1-2010

,Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.

According to ASHRAE, the most significant change in energy-related provisions results from new requirements in

target="_blank">ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010

,Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, which adds to and supersedes requirements in the 2007 version. A recent ruling from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) found that the 2010 version of Standard 90.1 bears significant energy savings over the 2007 standard. [

target="_blank">see related news item

] The energy savings in the provisions of Standard 90.1-2010 also translate to energy savings for building projects that comply with Standard 189.1.

With the newly revised standard, both mandatory provisions to prepare for on-site renewable energy and provisions to produce prescribed levels of renewable energy must be met. Further, buildings that meet the prescriptive requirement for renewable energy production are now deemed to comply with the mandatory requirement for renewable energy site-preparation. Additional changes to the 2011 standard include more stringent lighting power density allowances, required automatic controls for lighted signs visible during daytime hours to reduce lighting power, and provisions to help mitigate heat island effect.

“Compliance with these updated provisions will result in further improvements to indoor environmental quality, while further reducing energy use and environmental impact through high-performance building design, construction, and operation,” said Dennis Stanke, chair of the committee that developed the standard.

Standard 189.1 is currently a jurisdictional compliance option in the International Green Construction Code developed by theInternational Code Council,ASTM International, and theAmerican Institute of Architects.

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