ASHRAE published a new guideline for increasing energy efficiency in historic buildings while minimizing the disturbance of the building’s historic character.

ASHRAE Guideline 34-2019, Energy Guideline for Historic Buildings, aims to provide comprehensive and detailed descriptions of the processes and procedures for the retrofitting of historic buildings to achieve greater measured efficiency. The guideline is particularly aimed at providing guidance for “listed” historic buildings; i.e., those formally designated or eligible to be designated as historically significant by a governing body.

Guideline 34 provides a step-by-step procedure for sensitive energy upgrading, beginning with forming the project team and gathering building and energy use histories, to instituting energy efficiency measures (EEM). Building envelope improvements, environmental control strategies, energy system analysis, HVAC selection, and lighting design considerations are all addressed in the guideline. All recommendations are made in consideration of preserving the integrity of the historically valuable building character, materials, and associated artifacts.

"The committee members writing this guideline are exceptionally knowledgeable about the special issues related to historic buildings and the care needed to preserve them,” said 2018-2019 ASHRAE President Sheila J. Hayter, P.E., who also served as chair of the international guideline committee. “The committee’s intent was to provide guidance for worldwide communities and specifically for entire project teams — not just engineers.”

According to ASHRAE, many historic buildings were constructed without insulation and designed without active air conditioning systems, especially for mechanical cooling. Retrofitting such buildings requires specialized techniques during construction and operation, as well as sensitivity to respecting and preserving historical significance.

The cost of ASHRAE Guideline 34-2019, Energy Guideline for Historic Buildings is $53 for ASHRAE members ($62, non-members). To order, visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore.