WASHINGTON — The Department of Energy (DOE) has published a new rule requiring new federal buildings to meet higher energy efficiency standards. The rule applies to buildings for which design begins on or after one year after publication in the Federal Register. It updates the baseline federal commercial standards to the 2010 version of ASHRAE Standard 90.1, which DOE determined would save 18.2 percent more energy in commercial buildings than the 2007 version of Standard 90.1.

ASHRAE Standard 90.1 has been developed through an American National Standards Institute consensus process that involves industry, building owners, designers, and government. The process includes extensive public review and comment on each change to Standard 90.1. See the new DOE rule in the Federal Register.

Publication date: 7/8/2013