US green building draft under review

Kent Peterson, chair of the Standard 189.1 committee.

While the Dubai construction industry waits with bated breath for the government to officially unveil its long-mooted green building regulations, the US’s first green building standard began its third public review period on May 1, 2009.

The proposed Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings, Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings is being developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in conjunction with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the US Green Building Council (USGBC). This is the first such green building standard in the US.

“Standard 189.1 is essential for the further promotion of high-performance green buildings in the United States, and for reaching net-zero-energy goals,” says Kent Peterson, chair of the committee.

“The committee is confident that this standard, with its increased energy savings over Standard 90.1, will help building owners and operators as well as local jurisdictions meet their sustainability targets.”

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The third public review draft has been reorganised to be more user-friendly, while focusing on delivering and maintaining energy and water efficiency performance over the life of the building. Compared to the previous draft, this draft provides increased energy savings over ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA ‘Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings, Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings’.

This version removes the requirement for 30% additional ventilation beyond Standard 62.1 in classrooms and office spaces, instead placing emphasis on source contaminant control to improve indoor air quality. Meant to provide minimum criteria for green building practices, the standard is applicable to new commercial buildings and major renovation projects.

When completed, it will address energy efficiency, a building’s impact on the atmosphere, sustainable sites, water-use efficiency, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality, among other high-performance green building issues.

The committee was expanded in late 2008 to 34 voting members after an open call for members to broaden the expertise from a variety of interested categories. The proposed standard has generated substantial public interest, with more than 900 comments received during each of two previous public reviews.

To view a copy of the public review draft, go to www.ashrae.org/publicreviews. Copies of public review drafts are only available during public review periods. Publication of the standard is expected by early 2010.

 

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