ATLANTA — While the importance of building energy performance metrics to reduce energy use is accepted worldwide, there is no single generally accepted definition of that metric. Under a new initiative, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is working to define an energy use metric to move the building industry toward producing net zero energy buildings by 2030. The U.S. Congress has mandated a series of relative fossil fuel energy use reductions in federal buildings ending in a 100 percent reduction of fossil fuel energy by 2030. Congress is considering applying similar relative energy use reductions in all buildings through the use of building energy codes adopted by state and local government.

“We must address buildings as entire living entities,” said Ron Jarnagin, ASHRAE president. “As such, we need to establish energy targets for building design that provide a total building energy use goal to strive toward that can subsequently drive the development and application of any number of prescriptive solutions.”

A forum seeking input on the energy target initiative was held at ASHRAE’s 2011 Annual Conference. Also, ASHRAE has developed a public policy brief asking Congress to foster collaboration among the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and ASHRAE along with partner organizations to:

• Establish a single objective definition of energy use intensity (EUI) for the design of commercial buildings;

• Determine a single objective baseline EUI for design of commercial buildings from which to measure relative energy use reductions;

• Create a performance environment that will support reduction in energy consumption associated with all loads in commercial buildings;

• Identify a single objective set of commercial building types and simulation models for establishment of target design EUIs; and

• Produce one set of design target EUIs for the commercial building sector to guide the development of future energy codes and standards and building energy codes adopted by state and local government.

“EUIs are very helpful for setting performance-based designs goals,” Jarnagin said. “The current focus on reduction of energy use in building stock has made the use of EUIs popular by governmental organizations, non-government organizations, and building industry groups, including ASHRAE. Given that there is no clear single definition for EUIs, comparing one organization’s EUI goals to another’s is confusing, particularly since everyone tends to use the same units, kBTU/ft²-yr. Our goal is to develop and promote technical tools to assist the commercial building design and construction industry in moving toward higher performing buildings. Defining design energy use targets is a large part of achieving that goal.”

Publication date: 08/15/2011