ATLANTA - The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is offering a new high-performance building design professional certification program, and registration is now open. According to ASHRAE, this program provides the training and tools for the design of high-performance buildings that live up to the performance capability promised.

“This new certification program will allow practitioners to demonstrate a well-rounded understanding and knowledge of how HVACR design is integrated into high-performing buildings to achieve the overall goal of sustainable practice used in green buildings,” said Kent Peterson, P.E., ASHRAE president.

“The program combines the criteria of ASHRAE Standards 90.1 (energy efficiency), 62.1 (ventilation), and 55 (thermal comfort) with the innovative approaches included in the Advanced Energy Design Guide series in an integrated design approach that strives to achieve practical, cost-effective high-performance building designs.”

The first exam will take place June 25 at ASHRAE’s 2008 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. The content of the exam includes sustainability concepts, HVAC and sustainable processes and environmental improvement programs and rating systems; energy analysis; indoor environment; controls and monitoring; benchmarking with performance metrics; water conservation; commissioning in sustainable construction; and operation and maintenance of high-performance buildings.

Exams at testing centers around the world will become available in the fall. The high-performance design professional certification is renewable every three years, and those certified must earn 45 professional development hours during that time.

For more information, visit www.ashrae.org.

Publication date: 03/10/2008