ATLANTA - Guidance to help users design buildings that are in compliance with ASHRAE's energy efficiency standard is available through a new online learning course.

The Fundamentals of Standard 90.1 is the newest offering in ASHRAE's eLearning system, which provides on-demand, interactive online courses that include hardbound and online course reference books, online self-assessment, and continuing education credits.

ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2004, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, has become the basis for building codes, and the standard for building design and construction throughout the United States.

"The new eLearning course is designed to help you go through the standard and learn about each of the requirements," said Carol Marriott, P.Eng., a former member of the Standard 90.1 committee who helped develop the new module. "In school, you had assignments to enforce retention of the concepts you learned. The eLearning course is designed exactly the same way, in that it reinforces learning by providing questions to practice the concepts learned, and applying the 90.1 requirements to sample questions. Most users will hardly even realize they are learning as it is designed for users to have fun while doing the work."

The course explains:

  • The detailed requirements of the standard so that they can be applied in designing buildings that are in compliance with 90.1;

  • How to use available resource material, such as the standard and the User's Manual, to design and construct buildings in compliance with the standard;

  • How to complete compliance documentation in a satisfactory manner the first time; and

  • How to translate the key principles of the standard to local and state adaptations.

    Marriott said the course is one of three key elements in learning about the requirements, along with the actual standard and the Standard 90.1 User's Manual.

    The course is the second in ASHRAE's eLearning system. The first, Fundamentals of HVAC Systems, provides a comprehensive introduction to how HVAC systems function in controlling temperature, air quality, and air circulation in a conditioned space.

    For more information about ASHRAE's eLearning system, visit www.ashrae-elearning.org.

    Publication date: 11/20/2006