ASHRAE Journal - August 2010 - 4

ASHRAE® JouRNAL
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Publisher W. Stephen Comstock EDITORIAL
Editor Fred Turner fturner@ashrae.org Managing Editor Sarah Foster sfoster@ashrae.org Associate Editor Rebecca Matyasovski rmatyasovski@ashrae.org Associate Editor Christopher Weems cweems@ashrae.org Associate Editor Charlotte Tubbs ctubbs@ashrae.org Copy Editor Jeri Eader jeader@ashrae.org

COMMENTARY
Raising the Bar
We hear a lot today about benchmarks. We have an understandable need to measure against something. Is it good or bad? Where does it stand? Standard 90 has been the nation’s energy benchmark for commercial buildings for 35 years and the bar is about to be raised, a lot. Mick Schwedler, P.E., Member ASHRAE, immediate past 90.1 chair, told ASHRAE board members at the annual conference that third party analysis shows that 90.12010 is estimated to save between 21.7% and 30.9% in energy over 90.1-2004. To put this in perspective, Standard 90 saved about 33% in energy from its first version in 1975 until the 2004 version. The 2010 version will save almost this much in six years. It will be released later this year. “While the range is large in the 2010 version, assumptions such as Fred Turner ventilation rates and which loads to include in the final percentage calculation make a big difference,” said Schwedler. “In addition, some of the energysaving addenda approved by the ASHRAE Board of Directors at the 2010 Annual Conference have yet to be modeled, with final estimates expected in the fall. The volunteers on the committee have done an amazing job.” THE ANNUAL conference featured the installation of new president, Lynn G. Bellenger, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE. She is a partner in Pathfinder Engineers and Architects LLP, Rochester, N.Y. Bellenger’s presidential theme is Modeling a Sustainable World. Her complete presidential address is published in this edition. “Our biggest challenge is implementing integrated design in daily practice,” she says. “The silo approach… misses the rich opportunities for optimizing building performance…. It’s a shift that has to occur if we are going to reach our goal of net zero energy buildings.” THE EDITION also includes articles on: • Air cooler rating methods: This issue is important in refrigeration because nominal catalog ratings can lead to grossly undersized air coolers. • DOAS and building pressurization: This article discusses the need for reserve capacity, and integrated balanced flow. • Implications of thermal guidelines for data centers: The author says there are considerable energy savings to be had from operating at the upper end of the thermal envelope. Columns cover variable frequency drives and ground heat exchangers. And Joe Lstiburek, Ph.D., P.Eng, Fellow ASHRAE, is back after a brief vacation. WE HOPE you enjoy the issue, and we hope that Standard 90.1-2010 can make its way into state energy codes through the federal Energy Policy Act. We know that most buildings are built to code. Raising the minimum by 21.7% to 30.9% will have a tremendous effect.

PUBLISHING SERVICES
Production Jayne Jackson Tracy Becker

Publishing Services Manager David Soltis

ADVERTISING

Advertising Sales Manager Greg Martin gmartin@ashrae.org Advertising Production Coordinator Vanessa Johnson vjohnson@ashrae.org

CIRCULATION

Circulation Specialist David Soltis dsoltis@ashrae.org

ASHRAE OFFICERS
President Lynn G. Bellenger, P .E. President-Elect Ronald E. Jarnagin Treasurer Thomas E. Watson, P .E. Vice Presidents William P Bahnfleth, Ph.D., P . .E. Sheila J. Hayter, P .E. Ross D. Montgomery, P .E. T. David Underwood, P .Eng. Secretary & Executive Vice President Jeff H. Littleton

POLICY GROUP

2010 – 11 Chair Publications Committee John A. Clark, P .E. Washington Office washdc@ashrae.org
Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

ASHRAE Journal - August 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - August 2010