WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the release of the third installment in a series of four 50 percent Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs). This latest guide is intended to help architects, engineers, and contractors design and build highly efficient retail buildings, helping to save energy and cut store operational costs. The 50 percent AEDG series provides a practical approach for designers and builders of retail stores, and other major commercial building types, to achieve 50 percent energy savings compared to the building energy code used in many parts of the nation.

Beyond helping building professionals achieve efficiency exceeding the current energy code, the AEDGs also provide climate-specific recommendations to incorporate today’s off-the-shelf energy efficient building products. These recommendations help designers and builders choose advanced building assemblies, highly efficient heating and cooling systems, and incorporate other energy-saving measures such as associated control systems.

The 50 percent Advanced Energy Design Guide series is being developed through a partnership with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Institute of Architects (AIA), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA). The retail buildings guide is the third installment in the 50 percent series, and follows the guides for small and medium office buildings and K-12 schools released in 2011.