ATLANTA - A sneak peek at a proposed standard for high-performance buildings will be provided at a seminar at the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE’s) 2008 Winter Meeting. “Sustainability in Building Codes: ASHRAE/USGBC/IESNA Standard 189.1P” takes place from 8-9:30 a.m. on Jan. 20.

“Some cities and municipalities have started to mandate that new construction meet sustainability requirements,” said Katherine Hammack, chair of the seminar. “Standard 189.1 is being written to be incorporated as a model code for high-performance, green buildings.”

Proposed Standard 189.1P will provide minimum requirements for the design of high-performance new commercial buildings and major renovation projects, addressing energy efficiency, a building’s impact on the atmosphere, sustainable sites, water use efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.

It is being developed by ASHRAE, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The proposed standard is expected to go out for a second public review period shortly after the 2008 Winter Meeting.

“The first review earlier this year generated some 900 public comments scattered across most of the document,” said John Hogan, chair of the committee writing the standard. “The largest number of comments addressed whether the proposed language in various sections was normative (as required for a standard). The energy chapter received the most comments followed by the definitions chapter.”

“Through this seminar, attendees will be introduced to the standard, learn about how it integrates and differs from the energy efficiency standards, and be informed about the carbon dioxide equivalency alternative compliance method,” Hammack said. “The standard explains that this is a performance compliance method used to compare the impact of various greenhouse gases based on their global warming potential.”

The seminar is sponsored by ASHRAE’s technical committee on building environmental impacts and sustainability.

For more information about the ASHRAE meeting, Jan. 19-23, at the New York Hilton, visit www.ashrae.org/newyork.

Held along with the ASHRAE Winter Meeting is the ASHRAE co-sponsored International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), Jan. 22-24, at Javits Convention Center in New York. For more information, visit www.ahrexpo.com.

Publication date:01/01/2008