ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 4

COMMENTARY Setting Standards ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is an important achievement for ASHRAE and its partners, and a welcome development for the sustainable buildings movement. The standard was formally approved at ASHRAE’s Winter Conference in January. It is the first code-intended standard for green buildings and enables the transition from voluntary guidelines and programs to enforceable criteria that can be used by local, state or federal jurisdictions. It also is ASHRAE’s first standard to address site sustainability, water use, emissions, materials and high-performance operation. “The greening of building codes is the next natural progression in the evolution of standards for building design,” says Kent Peterson, P.E., Fellow/Presidential Member ASHRAE, chair of Fred Turner the 189.1 development committee. “This standard allows us to weigh system solutions against their impact on the environment, while ensuring that buildings meet the needs of those who live and work in them.” THIS EDITION includes a question/answer article with Peterson that explains how the new standard fits with other standards, rating systems and programs. He also discusses what the typical consulting engineer will find new and different. This issue also features an article on the history of ASHRAE Standard 90, which is celebrating its 35th year. Standard 90 was born out of an energy crisis of 1973, and the realization that the U.S. needs reasonable minimum efficiency requirements for buildings, which consume about 40% of all energy. We also have an article on the application of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality. The article, by Dennis Stanke, Fellow ASHRAE, immediate past chair of the 62.1 committee, covers dynamic reset for multi-zone systems. ASHRAE’S FIRST standard is thought to be the Safety Code for Mechanical Refrigeration. It was recognized as American The Best of the Best in HVAC&R Design The ASHRAE Energy Awards were first presented in 1981. While the name has been changed to ASHRAE Technology Awards, the purpose is the same. The award, said Charles F. Sepsy, ASHRAE’s president in 1981, “is part of a continuing effort to encourage and honor contributions by ASHRAE members in the area of energy conservation and to promote the dissemination of successful technologies.” This year’s 22 winning projects are featured in this edition. Case studies on almost all of the projects will be published in 2010 in ASHRAE Journal or High Performing Buildings magazine. Each winning project has been judged at chapter, region and international levels based on innovation, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, maintenance and operation, and environmental impact. Each includes at least one year of measured energy data. “All are proven energy-savers,” said Sepsy in honoring the first nine winners. “That is what makes ASHRAE Energy Awards one of the profession’s most coveted and prestigious honors.” Standard B9 in 1930 after 11 years of work by the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers (ASRE), one of ASHRAE’s predecessors. The standard lives today as ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 15, Safety Standard for Refrigeration Systems. ASHRAE now manages 117 published consensus standards, with 31 proposed standards in development. Of the published standards, 81 are methods of testing, which enable marketplace credibility for the HVAC&R industry. Others cover specific issues. All are developed through the often arduous consensus process. Work on Standard 189.1, for example, started in 2006 and included four public reviews. The end product represents thousands of volunteer hours from some of the world’s leading experts. At any point in time, at least 400 volunteers are involved on ASHRAE standing standards committees. This doesn’t include a lot more who are involved as reviewers and contributors. All deserve thanks and recognition. A SHRAE ® Journal | 1791 Tullie Circle NE | Atlanta, GA 30329-2305 | Phone: 404-636-8400 | Fax: 404-321-5478 | A SHRAE Online: www.ashrae.org Publisher W. Stephen Comstock Editor Fred Turner | fturner@ashrae.org Managing Editor Sarah Foster | sfoster@ashrae.org Associate Editors Rebecca Matyasovski | rmatyasovski@ashrae.org Charlotte Tubbs | ctubbs@ashrae.org Christopher Weems | cweems@ashrae.org Copy Editor Jeri Eader | jeader@ashrae.org Publishing Services Manager David Soltis Production Jayne Jackson Tracy Becker Advertising Sales Manager Greg Martin | gmartin@ashrae.org Advertising Production Coordinator Vanessa Johnson | vjohnson@ashrae.org Circulation Specialist David Soltis | dsoltis@ashrae.org ASHRAE OFFICERS President Gordon V.R. Holness, P .E. President-Elect Lynn G. Bellenger, P .E. Treasurer Ronald E. Jarnagin Vice Presidents William P Bahnfleth, Ph.D., P . .E. James R. Fields Sheila J. Hayter, P .E. Thomas E. Watson, P .E. Secretary & Executive Vice President Jeff H. Littleton POLICY GROUP 2009 – 10 Chair Publications Committee Stanley A. Mumma, Ph.D., P .E. Washington Office washdc@ashrae.org Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation ASHRAE Journal ashrae.org March 2010

ASHRAE Journal - March 2010

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