ATLANTA — With the publication of its green building standard, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) announced that an updated online seminar reviewing its requirements is now available.

ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is the first code-intended commercial green building standard in the United States, said ASHRAE. The standard covers such key areas as site sustainability, water use efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and the building’s impact on the atmosphere, materials and resources, and also includes construction practices as well as plans for operation of the building after occupancy.

An updated course from ASHRAE on the requirements of the standard, Understanding Standard 189.1P for High-Performance, Green Buildings, is being offered on March 15 and is taught by Tom Lawrence, a member of the committee that developed the standard. The course is one of 14 being offered this spring.

“The course has evolved as the standard has taken shape, and I anticipate that the course will continue to evolve as changes and addenda are approved, resulting from changes in concepts, technologies, and design for green buildings” Lawrence said. “Standard 189.1 has the potential to be a ‘game changer’ in the industry and thus anyone who is working with green design would benefit from learning more about the standard. One way to do that is by taking this course.”

ASHRAE’s spring online seminars run from March until May. Other seminars include:

• Humidity Controls: Basic Principles, Loads and Equipment

• Humidity Controls: Application, Control Levels & Mold Avoidance

• Introduction to Green Buildings and Sustainable Construction

• The Commissioning Process and Guideline 0

• Introduction to Thermal Energy Storage Systems for Air Conditioning

• Complying with Standard 90.1-2007 HVAC/Mechanical

• Energy Management in New and Existing Buildings: a Sustainable Activity

• Complying with Standard 90.1-2007 Envelope/Lighting

• Using Standard 90.1-2007 to Meet LEED Requirements

• Introduction to Cleanroom Design

• District Cooling and Heating Systems: Central Plants

• Complying with Requirements of ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007

• Understanding and Designing Dedicated Outside Air Systems

The three-hour-long courses are scheduled from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. EDT, and feature interactive audio. For more information, visit www.ashrae.org/onlinecourses.

Publication date: 03/01/2010