April 16, 2012: Standard 189.1 Included as Compliance Option for 2012 Green Construction Code
ATLANTA — The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has announced that ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2011, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, now serves as a compliance option with the newly published 2012 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) developed by the International Code Council (ICC). The change allows permit applicants — rather than the authorities having jurisdiction — the option to use Standard 189.1 as the path of compliance. In earlier versions of the IgCC, Standard 189.1 was deemed a “jurisdictional compliance option,” meaning code jurisdictions had to choose between the provisions of Standard 189.1 and the IgCC in determining which compliance path to take.
“ASHRAE is pleased to see this change take place, allowing building designers, owners, and contractors to choose to design to Standard 189.1, instead of the choice being made solely by the jurisdiction setting the code,” said Ron Jarnagin, ASHRAE president. With the release of the 2012 IgCC, “jurisdictions now have a viable green code at their disposal. Standard 189.1 stands on equal footing within the IgCC to provide a more complete set of options for governments and project teams alike.”