As publication of the nation’s first code-intended high-performance green building standard draws nearer, a Webpage providing the detailed information about ASHRAE Standard 189.1 , including a draft copy of the document, has been launched. Proposed Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, moved one step closer to publication in December 2009 when the ASHRAE board of directors approved its publication. ASHRAE is going through the final stages of the American National Standards Institute consensus development process and is hopeful the standard will be available in January 2010.
“Given that this standard will set the foundation for green building codes, it is vital that the building industry is familiar with its requirements,” Kent Peterson, chair of the Standard 189.1 committee, said. “ASHRAE, USGBC and IES recognize the potential of this standard to change the marketplace and are working to educate the industry. Given its impact, we also are working to make the standard available as quickly as possible.”
Visiting the website www.ashrae.org/greenstandard provides a one-stop resource for information on Proposed Standard 189.1. The page contains an easily readable version of the standard, along with more information on the areas addressed by the standard and other resources for high-performance building. Proposed Standard 189.1 is being developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in conjunction with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).