Recognizing the amount of energy used by the residential building sector, ASHRAE and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) are revising their residential energy standard with a goal of making it 50 percent more efficient than the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code, which serves as the industry benchmark.

ASHRAE announced that a new user’s manual for its thermal comfort standard provides an overview for new users while also including more detailed information for those more familiar with its requirements. A free online thermal comfort tool is also included.

Several changes to a proposed standard to address building energy performance in rating programs are open for public comment. ASHRAE Standard 214P will provide a standardized approach for determining and expressing building energy performance in a rating program.

ASHRAE announced that multifamily units in all types of buildings are now covered in the scope of its residential IAQ standard, marking one of the biggest changes to the 2016 version.