May

Assessment found Advanced Energy Design Guide series advances energy savings
The Advanced Energy Design Guides, developed in collaboration with AIA, IES, USGBC and DOE are positively impacting the building industry, according to an assessment commissioned by ASHRAE. With roughly 250,000 copies of the six guides now in circulation, they have been the most widely distributed documents that ASHRAE has published. The market assessment determined that the AEDGs are in line with their objective of achieving 30 percent energy savings over the minimum code requirements of Standard 90.1-1999.

What’s your Building EQ? Pilot program buildings prepped to find out.
Engineers across the country began assessing the energy use of selected buildings as part of a pilot program designed to encourage the building industry to cut energy use and costs. Seventeen provisional assessors were named by ASHRAE to assess energy use, which will be provided in an easily understood scale to convey a building’s energy use in comparison to similar buildings, occupancy types and climate zone.

Smart House to be developed through ASHRAE Grant
From smart home controls to solar powered gas refrigeration, undergraduate HVAC&R students in their senior year are able to gain hands-on experience in their field thanks to the 2010-2011 ASHRAE Undergraduate Senior Project Grant. The grants, totaling some $65,000, are awarded by ASHRAE to colleges and universities worldwide to promote the study and teaching of HVAC&R, encouraging undergraduate students to pursue related careers. Purdue University-West Lafayette ranked the highest among the applicants for its proposal to develop smart home controls.

June

Protocols for performance measurement offered
It’s long been realized in the building industry that you can’t manage what you don’t measure when it comes to building performance. But even if you measure, what ensures that those measurements are appropriate and meaningful? ASHRAE, in collaboration with CIBSE and USGBC, released the Performance Measurement Protocol book to address this issue, identifying what to measure, how to measure it and how often it is to be measured for inclusion in buildings’ operation and maintenance plan.

High-performing buildings the focus of weeklong celebration
While the importance of high-performing buildings to a sustainable future is noteworthy year-round, special recognition was given during High-Performance Building Week, June 13-19.The High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition (HPBCCC), established by ASHRAE, highlighted the importance of high-performance buildings to federal, state and local policymakers and the general public.

ASHRAE President honored during High-Performance Building Week
Recognizing his lifetime commitment to sustainable building practices, ASHRAE President Gordon Holness was recognized with the High Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition (HPBCCC) Award. The award was presented June 15 as part of HPBCCC activities related to High-Performance Building Week, June 13-19. This was the first time such recognition has been given by the Coalition. Holness, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, was recognized for his leadership and work in the area of high-performance buildings as well as for ASHRAE’s establishment and continued support of the Coalition.

Standards 62.1 and 62.2-2010 released, sure to bring a breath of fresh air to the industry
New requirements regarding natural ventilation, exhaust systems and the IAQ procedure are included in the newly published 2010 version of Standard 62.1, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, which sets minimum ventilation rates and other requirements for commercial and institutional buildings. Changes to make requirements easier to use in home retrofits are covered in the newly published 2010 residential ventilation standard from ASHRAE.ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2010, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings, the only nationally recognized indoor air quality standard developed solely for residences.

New ASHRAE iPhone app made calculating ventilation rates as easy as breathing
Calculating ventilation rates just became a little easier with a new iPhone application designed for ASHRAE’s ventilation standard. Developed for Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, the ASHRAE Standard 62.1 app allows for convenient calculations while in the field, performing the outdoor air calculations found in the Ventilation Rate Procedure and the interactive 62MZCalc spreadsheets contained in the ASHRAE User’s Manual for 62.1, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.

ASHRAE Headquarters a shining ENERGY STAR®
ASHRAE earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) prestigious ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency, for its renovated Headquarters in Atlanta, Ga. This signified that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency. Jean Lupinacci, chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch, presented the award during ASHRAE’s 2010 Annual Conference in Albuquerque, N.M.