ASHRAE - Press Release

For Release:

April 9, 2012

Contact: Jodi Scott

Public Relations

678-539-1140

jscott@ashrae.org

Changes Related to Data Centers, Lighting, Space Heating Energy Source Proposed for ASHRAE/IES Energy Standard

ATLANTA – A proposed change to the ASHRAE/IES energy standard regarding data centers recognizes the role that system efficiencies – vs. only equipment – can play in reducing energy consumption.

“This change regarding data centers represents a building block as we work to build on the foundation of energy conservation in the standard,” Drake Erbe, 90.1 vice chair, said. “We recognize that equipment used in buildings is reaching maximum capabilities in energy efficiency. We now must examine the role that system efficiencies play in saving energy. Inclusion of data centers in the standard was a step in that direction.”

With publication of the 2010 standard, ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, data centers were included within its scope for the first time. Most data centers were required to have economizers, but some in the data center industry disagreed with the requirement, maintaining that economizers are subject to static discharge due to low humidity, gaseous contaminants and reliability.

Erbe said the 90.1 committee worked with the data center industry and ASHRAE’s technical committee on mission control facilities, technology spaces and electronic equipment to develop an alternative path known as power usage effectiveness (PUE) to allow use of developing technologies for which there are no energy modeling tools available. The path is addressed in proposed addendum ap, which is currently open for public comment.

“This is a significant issue to design professionals in that without a simulation program available to model these systems they have to receive approval from the authority having jurisdiction for an exceptional calculation method, which, in most cases, is beyond the jurisdiction’s knowledge level,” Erbe said. “The PUE values were developed using water cooled chillers with water size economizers and air cooled chillers with air side economizers, using prescriptive requirements currently in the standard. The PUE values for all climate zones are able to be achieved by both of these conventional system types.”

In total, 15 proposed addenda to Standard 90.1 are open for public review. For more information, visit www.ashrae.org/publicreviews.

Also open for public comment is addendum ao, which offers an alternative compliance path for lighting requirements aimed at the large number of smaller, simpler buildings that make up a majority of new construction and retrofit activity, according to Eric Richman, chair of the standard’s lighting subcommittee.  It provides a less complicated set of requirements that should be easier to apply to these types of facilities, and also includes more stringent Lighting Power Density (LPD) limits that may restrict the application of more lavish space lighting designs not commonly found in these facilities. This compliance path will replace the current whole building LPD table and only applies to a subset of building types that encompass many of the smaller, simpler buildings.  The use of this method is optional and the full space-by-space method used by most designers for larger more complex facilities still remains for application to any building type, Richman said.

In addition, addendum al is open for public review.  Users of Appendix G of the standard have noted that the baseline energy budget is different depending on whether electricity or natural gas is chosen for either space heating and water heating, according to Don Brundage, a member of the Energy Cost Budget subcommittee.  In some cases, this can provide greater energy savings estimates from Appendix G when using one fuel versus another, and provides a strong incentive to specify the fuel that will provide the greatest energy savings using Appendix G.

“Proposed addendum al would make the baseline building energy budget (the minimum code baseline for determining energy savings) the same regardless of the choice of fuel in the proposed building, eliminating this bias,” Brundage said. “This is done by setting rules to determine the fuel to be used in the baseline building for space and water heating. These rules are based on climate zones for space heating and type of building usage for water heating.   This would make energy savings estimates using Appendix G more consistent and fair than under the current version of the standard.”

In addition to addendum al, ao and ap, eight other addenda are open for public review from March 23 until May 7. They are addenda af, ag, ai, am, an, aq, ar and at.

Four addenda are open for public review from March 23 until April 22. They are addenda ad, ah, aj and as.

ASHRAE - Press Release

For Release:

March 27, 2012

Contact: Jodi Scott

Public Relations

678-539-1140

jscott@ashrae.org

Public Input Sought on Alternative to ASHRAE Standard 62.1 Ventilation Rate Procedure Proposed

ATLANTA – A proposed change to the ventilation rate procedure in ASHRAE’s indoor air quality standard is open for review after changes were made based on public input last year.

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, sets minimum ventilation rates and other requirements for commercial and institutional buildings.

The ventilation rate procedure provides a prescriptive method for determining minimum ventilation requirements. It accounts for pollutant sources from both the building and its occupants, and allows the designer to account for the efficiency of different ventilation systems when delivering outdoor air to the breathing zone.

Proposed addendum f was first released for public comment in September 2011 after some users of Standard 62.1 indicated the ventilation rate procedure was “too complicated,” according to Standard 62.1 chair Roger Hedrick. He said the 62.1 committee agreed that application of the multiple-zone recirculating system equations described in Section 6.2.5 and Appendix A can be complex.

“When designing multiple zone recirculating ventilation systems, Table 6-3 provides a default value of Ventilation Efficiency (Ev) based on the largest value of the zone primary (Zp) outdoor air fraction, for all the zones served by the system,” he said. “However, if Max (Zp) exceeds 0.55, then Appendix A must be used to design the system outdoor airflow.  Addendum f attempts to simplify the design process by providing a simplified default approach for cases with Max (Zp) greater than 0.55.”

The earlier review draft set the default value of the zone primary outdoor air fraction based on a default minimum zone primary airflow set as 30 percent of the zone design primary airflow.

“The public review comments pointed out that this formulation did not work mathematically under certain conditions,” Hedrick said. “This new public review version instead simply allows Ev to be set to 0.6, unless a higher value is provided by Table 6-3 or by using Appendix A.  Use of a relatively low value of Ev will result in higher outdoor airflow rates, but using the default will simplify the system design process.”

Also open for review is addendum i, which would add limits for low humidity. Recent studies have shown that excessively low humidity may result in unacceptable indoor air quality. The Standard 62.1 committee is interested in the appropriateness of the relative humidity limit and the climate zones where the requirement applies.  The addendum is open for an advisory public review, meaning comments received allow for constructive input and need not be resolved or formally acted on by the project committee.

In addition to addenda f and i, three additional addenda are open for public review from March 23 until April 22. For more information, visit www.ashrae.org/publicreviews. They are:

•       Addendum h –Table 6-1, includes ventilation rates for “Sports arena (play area)” and “Gym, stadium (play area).” Both space types have ventilation rates based on floor area only, the per person rate is zero. Users of the standard have expressed interest in applying demand controlled ventilation to these space types, which is effectively prohibited by the lack of a per person component to the ventilation rate. This proposed addendum replaces both of these space types with “Gym, Sports Arena (play area)”, with Rp = 20 cfm/person and Ra = 0.06 cfm/ft² and assigns this new space type with an air class of 2 rather than class 1 from the first publication public review version.

•       Addendum k adds an exception to the recirculation limits on Class 4 exhaust airstreams from laboratory hoods which would allow use of heat wheel energy recovery in some cases.  The exception defines several criteria which the airstream must meet before such heat recovery can be used, and the heat recovery system must limit recirculation airflow to less than 0.5 percent of the outdoor air intake flow.

•       Addendum l adds a refrigerated warehouse space type to Table 6-1, providing revised ventilation rates for these spaces. These rates include a “People Outdoor Air Rate, Rp” which will require ventilation during periods of expected occupancy, but do not include an “Area Outdoor Air Rate, Ra” which will allow the ventilation rate to be zero for refrigerated warehouses with no occupants.

In addition, addendum j is open for public review from March 23 until May 7. The proposed addendum would add requirements to the Indoor Air Quality Procedure (IAQP) for determining minimum ventilation rates which require consideration of the combined effects of multiple contaminants of concern on individual organ systems. This “additive” effect is already implicit in the Ventilation Rate Procedure. This proposed change is intended to improve the IAQP by requiring consideration of these additive effects that are well established in the literature for many organ systems, according to Hedrick.

ASHRAE - Government Affairs Update

Welcome to ASHRAE's Government Affairs Update! Along with the Government Affairs Webpage, these periodic Email updates feature information on government affairs-related activities of interest to ASHRAE members and others interested in the built environment. Archives of previous updates are available from the Government Affairs Webpage (www.ashrae.org/advocacy). 

Please pass this information on to interested colleagues who also may subscribe from the ASHRAE Government Affairs Webpage. Should you wish to unsubscribe, information appears at the end of this Email.

If you have any recommendations regarding content, or have questions about or would like to participate in Washington Office activities, please contact ASHRAE Government Affairs staff at (202) 833-1830 or washdc@ashrae.org. 

ASHRAE Government Affairs Update, 3/23/2012

• From Coast to Coast and Across Borders, ASHRAE Grassroots Sprout
• ASHRAE Provides Suggestions to EIA for Improving the 2012 CBECS
• Prominent House Republican Releases Budget – Is There Any Relevance for ASHRAE?
• High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Holds Briefing on SBIC’s Beyond Green Awards
• Pentagon Seeks Less for Construction, More for Conservation
• Lawsuit Prompts Smart Meter Opt-Outs for Opponents in Hawaii

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From Coast to Coast and Across Borders, ASHRAE Grassroots Sprout

ASHRAE’s new grassroots government activities initiative is growing day-by-day. As noted in the last edition of Government Affairs Update, ASHRAE members in California weighed-in in force on a proposal, which, if adopted, would prohibit engineers, commissioning agents, and other licensed professionals from performing acceptance tests, while allowing only testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) agents and electrical contractors to perform such tests. Though the outcome of member input in still in question, it underlies the importance of ASHRAE members getting involved when appropriate.

How else is ASHRAE expanding its advocacy scope at the chapter level?

• An ad hoc Society subcommittee is crafting training materials – an “Advocacy 101,” if you will – so that the message of member involvement may be easily disseminated and put to good use.
• Those materials will be put to the test at upcoming Chapter Regional Conferences (CRCs) in Regions II (covers eastern Canada) and XI (covers the Pacific Northwest and western Canada) and, thereafter, will be made available to North American regions and chapters through various avenues.
• Also speaking to Canadian chapters, Government Affairs staff is working with leaders in Regions II and XI to develop a “gap” analysis to see where member engagement – particularly as far as adoption of ASHRAE standards (e.g., iterations of Standard 90.1, Standard 189.1) – is most needed.
• Government Affairs staff is in conversations with the Southeastern Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) – one of the now six regional energy efficiency organizations – to ascertain where their efforts on promoting efficiency in the built environment through high-performance codes and standards may gel with what Regions III, IV, VII, and VII members are trying to do on that front as well.
• Members in the Central Florida chapter are starting the process of banding together with other engineering societies in the Sunshine State to fight any efforts by the state engineering licensing board to impose “master’s or equivalent” requirements on individuals seeking PE licensure.

These are just a handful of initiatives ASHRAE is undertaking to expand its reach in the grassroots arena, so should you want to become part of the movement toward a vibrant network of engineer-advocates:

• Continue reading Government Affairs Update for the latest news from Capitol Hill and beyond;
• Review advocacy resources available on the Government Affairs Website;
• Contact your chapter leaders about your interest in promoting and preserving the profession;
• Follow us on Twitter (@ASHRAEGovAffs, @ASHRAE_Ames) for regularly updated streams of articles and information related to advocacy, standards, and many other topics; and
• Contact ASHRAE’s Washington, DC staff to learn more.

ASHRAE members cannot stand on the sidelines while public policy is made without their technical expertise, so get in the game and make a difference!

ASHRAE Provides Suggestions to EIA for Improving the 2012 CBECS

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is moving full steam ahead with the 2012 edition of the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) – a national survey of U.S. commercial building energy consumption, characteristics, and expenditures. The first step in rolling out the 2012 CBECS is designing the questionnaire for the Survey.

In an effort to improve the Survey, EIA reached out to ASHRAE and several other building community stakeholders, and asked us to submit suggestions for improving the questionnaire. ASHRAE’s comments can be found at http://ow.ly/9P7CX.

EIA is now collecting comments from interested individuals and groups on the 2012 CBECS. A formal request for comments will soon appear in the Federal Register, however interested individuals and groups are encouraged to email Joelle Michaels, CBECS Survey Manager (Joelle.Michaels@eia.gov), and request additional information prior to the announcement to give yourself more time to respond.

In-depth information on the 2012 CBECS and prior Survey editions can be found at www.eia.gov/emeu/cbecs.

Prominent House Republican Releases Budget – Is There Any Relevance for ASHRAE?

Earlier this week U.S. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan released his budget proposal in a document titled “The Path to Prosperity: A Blueprint for American Renewal”. This plan would slash spending for a large list of programs to help reduce the federal deficit. This plan is getting a lot of press – and it recently won approval by the House Budget Committee (albeit narrowly – the vote was 19 to 18, with two Republicans voting against it). A key question for ASHRAE is, does it have much relevance for the Society?

The short answer is ‘no’ – at least not directly. Chairman Ryan’s budget does not directly address building energy efficiency, indoor air quality, climate change, water conservation, or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. (These are areas that ASHRAE pays particular attention to.)

The absence of these issues does not mean that they aren’t considered important by House leaders, rather that they are not main political targets in Chairman Ryan’s budget plan.

For more information on House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan’s budget proposal, including summary tables, charts, and video, visit http://budget.house.gov/fy2013Prosperity.

High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Holds Briefing on SBIC’s Beyond Green Awards

The High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition held a briefing on Capitol Hill this past Thursday showcasing the winners of the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council’s (SBIC) Beyond Green High-Performance Building Awards. Winners presented case studies from a wide variety of building types from across the country, which highlight the successful integration of sustainability and energy efficiency with cost-effectiveness, safety and security, accessibility, historic preservation, and aesthetics.

Additional information on the Beyond Green awards can be found at http://sbicouncil.org/beyond-green.

Pentagon Seeks Less for Construction, More for Conservation

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is making an effort to increase energy efficiency and conservation while pushing down costs. Here are a few interesting excerpts from a recent press release on the Pentagon’s FY 2013 budget request:

• The budget request includes $547 million to replace or renovate 11 Defense Department schools that are in poor or failing condition, mostly overseas. By the end of fiscal 2018, more than 70 percent of DOD schools will have been replaced or undergone substantial renovation.
• DOD is the owner of 300,000 buildings. The Department has a $4 billion energy bill for its installations that comes almost entirely from commercial power grids. DOD is trying to change that through energy conservation programs and innovations in alternative energy.
• The Department has created 70 test projects on innovations in areas such as microgrid and storage technologies, advanced lighting controls, high performance cooling systems, waste heat recovery and on-site generation, she said.

Check out the full release at http://ow.ly/9Q43g.

Lawsuit Prompts Smart Meter Opt-Outs for Opponents in Hawaii

Privacy and security concerns in Hawaii have resulted in a lawsuit that has halted the installation of smart meters in Hawaii for those that oppose the devices. More information is available at http://ow.ly/9Q5m4.

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ASHRAE - News Release

Subject: Operation and Maintenance Guideline from ASHRAE Now Available

For Release:

March 22, 2012

Contact: Jodi Scott

Public Relations

678-539-1140

jscott@ashrae.org

Operation and Maintenance Guideline from ASHRAE Now Available

ATLANTA – A newly published guideline from ASHRAE gives facility managers and building operating staff a strong foundation on which to improve performance of all buildings.

ASHRAE Guideline 32-2012, Sustainable, High Performance Operation and Maintenance, provides guidance on optimizing operation and maintenance of buildings to achieve the lowest economic and environmental life cycle cost without sacrificing safety or functionality.

“The guideline will assist those who operate and maintain buildings to achieve high performance: safe, productive indoor environments; low economic life cycle cost; low energy, water and resource use; and low impacts on the environment,” Michael Bobker, chair of the Guideline 32 committee. “The guideline applies to all buildings, not just new ones. We believe that all buildings can move toward sustainable high performance in their operations and maintenance.”

The guideline applies to the ongoing operational practices for buildings and systems with respect to energy efficiency, occupant comfort, indoor air quality, health and safety. These systems include the building envelope, HVAC&R, plumbing, complementary energy systems, and utilities and electrical systems.

“Modern air conditioning systems protect the health, comfort and productivity of building occupants,” ASHRAE Presidential Member Bill Harrison, whose presidential theme focused on the need for operation and maintenance, said. “Unfortunately, they consume a lot of energy while providing these benefits.  When these systems are not operated properly, the energy they use can increase by 50 percent or more.  ASHRAE Guideline 32 helps building owners and managers evaluate and eliminate the wasted energy caused by poor operating procedures.  The elimination of non-value producing energy helps protect our environment while saving the building owner money.  Guideline 32 provides a no regrets path to improving energy efficiency in our buildings.”

The guideline contains recommendations for three levels of building oversight: senior managers, facility managers and technicians.  Checklists for tracking that appropriate steps are being taken to move toward high-performance operation and maintenance are included for each.

Among the items on the checklist are:

•       Technicians

o       Develop an HVAC system maintenance program using ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 180,       Standard Practice for Inspection and Maintenance of Commercial Building HVAC Systems

o       Maintain access and code required clearances to all HVAC and electrical equipment

•       Facility managers

o       Develop and implement protocols for good facility/system documentation

o       Establish performance baselines and targets. Institute a system for regular reporting and evaluation.

•       Senior managers

o       Assess buildings, workforce, practices, management tools and systems

o       Measure and report on building performance as part of regular business analytics

The cost of ASHRAE Guideline 32, Sustainable, High-Performance Operations and Maintenance, is $69 ($59, ASHRAE members).  To order, contact ASHRAE Customer Contact Center at 1-800-527-4723 (United States and Canada) or 404-636-8400 (worldwide), fax 404-321-5478, or visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore

ASHRAE - Government Fellowships

ASHRAE leaders-

We are looking for your help in getting the word out to ASHRAE members of a unique and challenging opportunity for growth in Washington, DC.

ASHRAE is sponsoring a 12- to 18-month fellowship program with placement at the Department of Energy in the Office of Building Technologies, Building Energy Codes Program in Washington, DC. This fellowship provides the traditional ASHRAE Member with exposure to the area of public policy. This assignment will enable a selected ASHRAE member to assist DOE in one of the following code deployment activities:

1.                  Code Compliance;

2.                  Residential Duct Test Training;

3.                  Assessment of the Impact of Updating State Energy Codes; or

4.                  Advanced Energy Code Training.

Federal government fellowships provide a valuable public service to the nation while, at the same time, providing engineers and scientists with a unique opportunity to participate directly in the policy-making process. This is an exciting, rewarding, and educational period in their professional careers. This enriching experience enables ASHRAE/DOE Fellows to bring back to their employers an insider's perspective on government decision-making that can contribute significantly to the mission and vision of the organization.

If you know of any members in your regions and/or chapters who might be a good fit for this opportunity, please have them contact Doug Read email, our Director of Government Affairs, at their earliest convenience.

Thanks for your attention - and we look forward to interest from your members to play an integral role in growing the relationship between DOE and ASHRAE.

Regards,

Mark Wills

Mark Wills, Manager - State and Local Government Affairs

ASHRAE
1828 L Street N.W Suite #810 Washington, DC 20036
Direct Line: 202-833-1830 ext 2003     Fax: 202-833-0118     eMail: MWills@ashrae.org     Web: www.ASHRAE.org

Register today for ASHRAE's 2012 Annual Conference, Jun 23-27, San Antonio, Texas

National Engineering Society Celebrates National Engineers Week

For Release:                                          
Feb. 21, 2012  

Contact: Amanda Dean
Public Relations
678-539-1216
adean@ashrae.org

National Engineering Society Celebrates National Engineers Week

ATLANTA –Engineers don’t just shape our buildings and infrastructure; they help transform our world.

Atlanta-based ASHRAE is a partner in the National Engineers Week program (Feb. 19-25), which celebrates the contributions that engineers make to our society and encourages engineering as a career path among young students by promoting pre-college literacy in math and science. For specific information about the program, please visit www.EWeek.org.
  
“National Engineers Week is so important because it highlights the crucial role of engineering in our everyday lives” ASHRAE President Ron Jarnagin said. “Additionally, it gives engineers a chance to mentor and develop the future leadership of the industry—a key pillar of my presidential theme. The students and young engineers who are participating in this week’s events have the potential to influence and change engineering as we know it.”

ASHRAE has served as lead organization in National Engineers Week several times. The last time, in 2011, ASHRAE launched the New Faces of Engineering: College Edition program as part of the weekly celebration; College Edition complements the Society’s legacy program started in 2003, New Faces of Engineering.

New Faces of Engineering: College Edition recognizes outstanding juniors or seniors enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Engineering program who are proving themselves to be leaders in the field of engineering.

ASHRAE’s first New Face of Engineering: College Edition is Ibrahim Adewale Ogundeko, third year, mechanical engineering, University of Lagos, Akoka, Nigeria. Ogundeko believes that if mechanical engineering were a part of speech, it would be a verb because “it is an action profession.” “Whatever is vividly envisioned, ardently desired and enthusiastically acted upon will inevitably come to pass in mechanical engineering,” he said. Ogundeko holds leadership positions in several engineering clubs and societies, including president, ASHRAE student branch; assistant secretary, Mechanical Engineering Students’ Association; and even plays for the Mechanical Engineering soccer team. Ogundeko will receive a $1,000 scholarship to help him continue in his mechanical engineering education.

The New Faces of Engineering program promotes the accomplishments of young engineers across various disciplines by highlighting their engineering contributions and the resulting impact on public welfare. The program targets those age 30 and younger.  Engineering associations, societies and government groups nominate candidates each year which are selected for recognition in USA Today.

ASHRAE’s New Face of Engineering is Amy Jarvis, mechanical engineer, Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch, Portland, Ore. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, Calif. As an engineer committed to local, national and global sustainability, Jarvis is one of three lead authors of the World Health Organization’s forthcoming “Healthcare in the Green Economy, How Carbon Reduction May Impact Health in Health Sector Services,” for which she developed strategies combining reduced carbon impact with improved health care and is also a contributing author to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) for Healthcare Reference Guide. She is the lead energy analyst and LEED coordinator for Kaiser Permanente’s first LEED project and a key team member and lead energy modeler for the Kaiser Permanente Small Hospital Big Idea Competition to develop the hospital of the future with a near-zero environmental impact.  Jarvis works with Healthcare Without Harm to develop guides for low-resource facilities to implement these strategies. Jarvis will be featured in a full-page ad in USA Today along with other participating societies’ New Faces, as well as represent ASHRAE at the Annual Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Meeting in London, U.K., this April.

Several events will take place in conjunction with National Engineers Week, including Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (Feb. 23) and the Future City Competition (Feb. 21),  at which ASHRAE members will serve as judges and award the Best Indoor Environment and Most Sustainable Building award.

Additionally, Representatives Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) and Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.) introduced a resolution with 23 bipartisan cosponsors supporting the goals and ideas of National Engineers Week. With the encouragement of ASHRAE, the governors of Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii and Kansas, as well as the mayor of New York City, were among those that also issued proclamations supporting EWeek.

“In these uncertain times, we always look for ways to promote future job creation, educating America's youth about engineering and science needs to be a national priority,” Lipinski said in a speech on the House floor. “Each year, National Engineers Week seeks to do just this through events aimed at inspiring students and fostering public awareness of the vital contributions made by engineers.”

ASHRAE Press Release

For Release:                                                   
Feb. 1, 2012                                                    

Contact: Amanda Dean
Public Relations
678-539-1216
adean@ashrae.org

Best Practices to Improve Building Performance Focus of ASHRAE High Performing Building Conference

ATLANTA— The engineering, architectural and green building communities, as well as governmental agencies, are seeking to fundamentally change energy-use aspects of the built environment. The ASHRAE conference, High Performance Buildings: A Focus on Deep Energy Savings, addresses what really works when tackling major improvements in energy efficiency, renewable applications and operating practices in buildings.

The conference is sponsored by ASHRAE’s High Performing Buildings magazine and takes place March 12-13, 2012 in San Diego, Calif.

“The conference’s focus on case studies and networking offers attendees an up close and personal exchange of ideas on best practices for high performance buildings,” Kent Peterson, conference chair, said. “It’s an intense two days of examining what has and hasn’t worked in the past, what we’re doing right now and what we can do in the future to ensure that ‘high performance’ is the obvious choice when it comes to design and construction.”

The full technical program offers more than 50 presentations in 16 sessions on topics such as applications results; energy audits; commissioning; benchmarking of utility consumption; economics, design and construction; energy efficient IEQ strategies and technologies; and energy efficiency strategies for envelopes and lighting.

Particular sessions of interest include “U.S. Army Net Zero Policy, Initiatives and Progress,” presented on March 12, by Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army (installations, energy & environment). The Army is the largest facility energy user in the federal government, with an energy bill that exceeded $1.2 billion in FY10. A recent initiative by the Army has announced 17 installations that will participate in a pilot project to achieve net zero by 2020 in one of four categories: energy, water, waste or all three.

Additionally, “Life-Cycle Commissioning: Maximizing Investment in Construction, Operation and Maintenance,” on March 13, addresses the importance commissioning throughout the entire life-cycle of a building, versus new building or retro-commissioning alone. Life-cycle commissioning maximizes the capital, operating and strategic investments in facilities and a necessary evolution for an efficient building.

Jeanne Clinton, special adviser to the Governor for Energy Efficiency, presents a keynote speech on “Energy Management Meets Economic Development.” Other keynote speeches are presented by ASHRAE President Ron Jarnagin and Eric Corey Freed, who will speak on “Dodo-Sapiens: How Our Way of Life Is Killing Us and the Need for Regenerative, Bio-Based Buildings.”  The conference also includes a presentation on this topic by Douglas Pierce.

In conjunction with the conference, ASHRAE Learning Institute is offering the Implementing Standard 189.1-2009 for High-Performance Green Buildings seminar. Presented by Tom Lawrence, a professor at the University of Georgia, this six-hour seminar focuses on the minimum requirements for the design, construction and plans for operating high-performance buildings. The seminar takes place on March 11, and the cost is $485 ($395 ASHRAE, USGBC and AIA members).

Cost of registration for the conference is $650, non-member ($550 ASHRAE, USGBC and AIA members). The conference will be approved for AIA LUs, NY PDHs and GBCI credits for LEED APs. An “on-demand” virtual conference is included with the registration fee. A Virtual Conference only registration is $149 ($99, member). Registration is limited to 300 attendees. To register or for more information, go to www.ashrae.org/HPBConference.

ASHRAE - 2011 Green Standard

For Release:

Jan. 30, 2012

Contact: Jodi Scott

Public Relations

678-539-1140

jscott@ashrae.org

Standard Features Energy Savings

2011 version of the Green Standard Now Available from ASHRAE, USGBC, IES

ATLANTA – Changes to help make buildings and systems more sustainable are part of the newly published version of the high performance green building standard from ASHRAE, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)

ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2011, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, provides a green building foundation for those who strive to design, build and operate high performance buildings. It covers key topic areas of site sustainability, water-use efficiency, energy ef¬ficiency, indoor environmental quality and the building’s impact on the atmosphere, materials and resources.  When first introduced in 2009, the standard was the first code-intended commercial green building standard in the United States.

“Since Standard 189.1 was first published, we have received much input from the industry offering suggestions on how to strengthen it in all areas,” chair Dennis Stanke said. “This 2011 version incorporates much of that input. More importantly, the 2011 version incorporates updated connections to its referenced standards – primarily ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010 and ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1-2010. Compliance with these updated provisions will result in further improvements to indoor environmental quality, while further reducing energy use and environmental impact through high-performance building design, construction and operation.”

The most significant change in energy-related provisions results from new requirements in ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, adding to and superseding requirements in the 2007 version. In October 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy found that the 2010 version of Standard 90.1 contains significant energy savings over the 2007 standard. The energy savings in the Standard 90.1-2010 provisions also result in energy savings for building projects complying with Standard 189.1, according to Stanke.

In addition, mandatory and prescriptive renewable energy requirements were clarified to reduce confusion and simplify calculations; now both mandatory provisions to prepare for on-site renewable energy and provisions to produce prescribed levels of renewable energy must be met. Additionally, buildings that meet the prescriptive requirement for renewable energy production are now deemed to comply with the mandatory requirement for renewable energy site-preparation.

The standard also updates the performance option for energy efficiency (Appendix D) so that it refers to Appendix G of Standard 90.1-2010, which is now a normative appendix. Appendix G of 90.1 applies to projects seeking to reduce annual energy cost more than would be possible by merely meeting the requirements of that standard.  Appendix D in Standard 189.1, on the other hand, provides a performance option for compliance as an alternative to the less-complex prescriptive option; it must show that the project design results in annual energy cost equal to or less than would be possible by meeting the mandatory plus prescriptive requirements of the standard, according to Stanke.

Additional changes to the 2011 standard include:

•       More stringent Lighting Power Density allowances due to the change in reference to Standard 90.1-2010.   Both interior and exterior values are now set as a percentage of the Standard 90.1 allowances, based on building, space or area type.

•       Automatic controls are now required for lighted signs visible during daytime hours; controls must reduce the lighting power to 35 percent of full power. For other outdoor signs, automatic controls must now turn off lighting during daytime hours and reduce the lighting power to 70 percent of full power after midnight.

•        Open-graded (uniformed size) aggregate and porous pavers (e.g., open-grid pavers) qualify as a hardscape surface for heat island mitigation with no further testing.  Permeable pavement and permeable pavers must meet a minimum percolation rate rather than a minimum solar reflectance index (SRI).

Standard 189.1 is currently a jurisdictional compliance option in the International Green Construction Code developed by the International Code Council, ASTM International and the American Institute of Architects.

The cost of ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2011, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, $119 ($99 ASHRAE members).

To order, contact ASHRAE Customer Contact Center at 1-800-527-4723 (United States and Canada) or 404-636-8400 (worldwide), fax 404-321-5478, or visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore.

ASHRAE - President's Message

My fellow ASHRAE members, I have some exciting news to share regarding a rebranding of our great Society. For more than 100 years, ASHRAE has provided guidance for HVAC&R. As time and technology have changed, so has ASHRAE, moving from focusing solely on HVAC&R to providing guidance for total building design, reconstruction, construction and operation. In recognition of this evolution, ASHRAE is making some changes regarding how we brand the Society. Our promise for sustainability encourages us to improve the quality in the built environment while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. The new ASHRAE brand supports our focus on improving engineering standards and our market position as a community of engineers and related professionals united by knowledge, mission and a code of ethics to design, construct and operate better places for people to live, work and play. First, and most visible, is a refreshening of the ASHRAE logo. Market research showed us that the logo had a dated brand presence (the logo was created in 1959 to recognize the merger between The American Society of Refrigerating Engineers and the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers) and that we needed a more modern look that fully reflects the evolving structure of the Society and our aspirations. Along with this logo, we have created an ASHRAE Logo Guide document to ensure that we maintain a consistent brand image. In addition, we have created a tagline to help explain to outside audiences the expanded role of ASHRAE in the world around us. “Shaping Tomorrow’s Built Environment Today” presents ASHRAE as the dynamic and innovative Society it is today and promises our members, the industry and the world that whatever the future brings in the built community, ASHRAE will be at the forefront for research and guidance. Lastly, we are doing business as “ASHRAE” vs. using our full legal name of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Use of ASHRAE reflects our global membership and that our services will continue evolving globally. In addition, the rebranding coincides with a redesign of ASHRAE.org. With this redesign comes better navigation, a better search engine and better tracking, all of which will help you find the information you need whether it’s for your role in the industry or ASHRAE. An announcement regarding the rebranding was made today at the Society’s 2012 Winter Conference being held in Chicago. We also shared an inspirational video with the audience that tells the story of ASHRAE. You can view the video here. Following the Conference, we will provide additional guidance and information for our grassroots regions, chapters and student braches on how this change impacts how these groups conduct business. In addition, we have created a Frequently Asked Questions document that provides answers to some of the questions you may have. This is an exciting time for our Society! I look forward to working with you and our more than 52,000 members around the world to shape tomorrow’s built environment today. Thank you. Ron Jarnagin 2011–12 ASHRAE President

Government Affairs

Attention Puget Sound ASHRAE Members:

Mark Wills, ASHRAE Manager – State and Local Government Activities, forwarded the following email regarding opportunities for STEM engagement coming up for discussion next week in Olympia.  Please click on the links for HB 2209 and SB 6041 below to read the bills in their entirety.  These 2 bills directly impact the upcoming workforce in our industry and you are encouraged to respond to your legislators.

Thank you,

Leslie Jonsson

Puget Sound ASHRAE Advocacy Chair
______________________________________________________________________________

Washington State chapter leaders-

I have been reviewing legislation introduced in the first few days of your state’s legislative session and two bills speaking to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education are coming up for committee discussion next week:

·         If enacted, HB 2209 (being heard in the House Education Committee at 1:30  p.m. on the 20^th) would add STEM-related curricula as mandatory for credits in alternative learning environments.

·         If enacted, SB 6041 (being heard in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee at 8 a.m. on the 18^th) would allow elementary schools to serve as “lighthouse” schools as exemplars of best practices in the teaching of STEM subjects. In addition, the bill would establish a dedicated state account for these schools at all levels (it appears to me that, currently, the “lighthouse” program has no specified funding mechanism).

I don’t know if you have an interest in being engaged on this issue, which is a high-level advocacy priority for ASHRAE, but if you’d like to to learn more about ASHRAE’s position on STEM-related issues or wish to become involved in more direct advocacy on either (or both) of these bills, please let me know at your earliest convenience.

Thanks in advance for your attention.

Regards,

Mark Wills, Manager - State and Local Government Affairs

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
1828 L Street N.W Suite #810 Washington, DC 20036
Direct Line: 202-833-1830 ext 2003     

Fax: 202-833-0118    

eMail: MWills@ashrae.org     

Web: www.ASHRAE.org

ASHRAE - Government Affairs Update

Happy Friday the 13^th and welcome to ASHRAE's Government Affairs Update! Along with the Government Affairs Webpage, these periodic Email updates feature information on government affairs-related activities of interest to ASHRAE members and others interested in the built environment. Archives of previous updates are available from the Government Affairs Webpage (http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy).
Please pass this information on to interested colleagues who also may subscribe from the ASHRAE Government Affairs Webpage. Should you wish to unsubscribe, information appears at the end of this Email.
If you have any recommendations regarding content, or have questions about or would like to participate in Washington Office activities, please contact ASHRAE Government Affairs staff at (202) 833-1830 or washdc@ashrae.org.
ASHRAEGovernment Affairs Update, 1/13/2012

·         State Legislatures Convene, Address Top-Line ASHRAE Policy Concerns

·         U.S. House and Senate Members Return Later this Month; Congressional Staff Peer Into Legislative Crystal Ball for 2012

State Legislatures Convene, Address Top-Line ASHRAE Policy Concerns

There is a buzz in state capitols right now as legislatures from coast to coast are beginning their 2012 sessions. To date (January 13), 33 of the 47 legislatures (including the District of Columbia’s Council) meeting in regular session this year – the legislatures in Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas are not slated to meet in 2012 – have convened and are already discussing measures of import to ASHRAE at both a Society and chapter level.

As has been reported in past Updates, at ASHRAE’s Annual Meeting last summer in Montreal, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to develop grassroots advocacy programs at the state, provincial, and local levels within the Society’s membership. We are working to mobilize ASHRAE chapters and members in encouraging adoption of ASHRAE standards in their states, provinces, cities, and counties, as well as other public policies in line with ASHRAE advocacy priorities, including (but not limited to):

·         Building energy codes;

·         Building energy disclosure;

·         Engineering licensure (e.g., “Master’s or Equivalent” [as outlined in the November 18 Update], continuing education requirements, etc.)

·         Measures related to a higher-performance built environment; and

·         Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education initiatives.

By utilizing a new legislative monitoring service, ASHRAE Government Affairs staff has already identified nearly 400 state-level measures that address the above issues, with a view toward acting as a centralized resource and clearinghouse of legislative information to ASHRAE regions, chapters, and members so that all can help to shape positive public policy.

If you would like to be kept up-to-speed on the policy issues that matter the most to the HVAC&R professional in your state or region, please contact ASHRAE’s Government Affairs Office at washdc@ashrae.org or call (202) 833-1830 and ask for Mark Wills (Manager, State and Local Government Affairs).

U.S. House and Senate Members Return Later this Month; Congressional Staff Peer Into Legislative Crystal Ball for 2012

U.S. House and Senate members are back in their states and districts, meeting with constituents and campaigning, while their congressional staffers back here in Washington, DC are trying to see through the political fog and find a path to a legislative win for their bosses. Clouding their view are the upcoming U.S. Presidential and House and Senate elections, and President Barack Obama’s upcoming State of the Union address and his budget request to Congress, both of which will outline the President’s 2012 legislative priorities.

Given the high degree of partisanship within Congress and between the President, there will likely be few chances for large-scale legislation to pass, and yet there will be opportunities. For instance, some Senate leaders would like to block out time to debate energy efficiency legislation on the Senate floor, and are meeting to discuss this in greater detail in the coming weeks. The exact legislation is yet to be determined, but there is a fair likelihood that it could resemble the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (S.1000), which ASHRAE and a large number of technical societies and organizations have been working on since April, 2011.

2012 is shaping up to be an interesting year, and even legislation that doesn’t pass will help set the stage for 2013.

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ASHRAE Washington Office
1828 L Street, NW * Suite 906 * Washington, DC 20036
(202) 833-1830 * fax: (202) 833-0118 * washdc@ashrae.org
http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy

ASHRAE - Government Affairs Update

Good day and welcome to ASHRAE's Government Affairs Update. Along with the Government Affairs Webpage, these periodic updates feature information on government affairs-related activities of interest to ASHRAE members and others interested in the built environment. Archives of previous updates are available from the Government Affairs Webpage (http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy). 

Please pass this information on to interested colleagues who also may subscribe from the ASHRAE Government Affairs Webpage. Should you wish to unsubscribe, information appears at the end of this Email.

If you have any recommendations regarding content, or have questions about or would like to participate in Washington Office activities, please contact ASHRAE Government Affairs staff at (202) 833-1830 or WashDC@ashrae.org. 

ASHRAE Government Affairs Update, 12/16/2011

• Congress Nears a Down Payment on New CBECS

• Congress Passes National Defense Bill – Requires New Report on Standards 189.1-2011 and 90.1-2010 for Military Construction and Repair

• DOE Releases New Version of Energy Modeling Software

• Workshop Held on DOE’s Proposed Commercial Building Energy Asset Rating Program

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Congress Nears a Down Payment on New CBECS

Unless plans unravel, today (or shortly thereafter), Congress will pass a funding deal that combines several bills into a single package, and averts a partial government shutdown. Tucked away in this massive, near $1 trillion bill, which President Barack Obama is expected to sign into law, is a down payment to conduct the next edition of the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS).

Conducted about once every four years, CBECS is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption and expenditures. The Survey is administered by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and is a prime example of one of those little known programs that underpin several public and private sector buildings programs and activities. For instance, CBECS data help form the basis for understanding the patterns of energy use, are used by ASHRAE’s standards, and are utilized by the ENERGY STAR Buildings program, ASHRAE’s Building Energy Quotient (Building eQ) building energy labeling program, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings, Green Globes®, and many others.

ASHRAE and the building industry have been relying on CBECS data that is nearly a decade old (the latest data is from 2003), and without assistance from Congress, a new CBECS would not occur, and because there is no other survey like it, the needed information on building energy use could not otherwise be easily obtained. As a result, ASHRAE has been leading a coalition of building industry stakeholders to work with key Members of Congress to help ensure that a new CBECS is conducted.

For additional information, please contact ASHRAE’s Washington Office at WashDC@ashrae.org.

Congress Passes National Defense Bill – Requires New Report on Standards 189.1-2011 and 90.1-2010 for Military Construction and Repair

This week Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (NDAA). President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill into law. The NDAA requires the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to issue a new report on the energy efficiency and sustainability standards used by DoD for military construction and repair. This report will include a cost-benefit analysis, return on investment, and long-term payback for ASHRAE Standard 189.1-2011 Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver, gold, and platinum certification, as well as LEED volume certification. Other, non-specified, American National Standards Institute-accredited standards may also be examined in the report as well.

ASHRAE assisted the House and Senate Armed Services Committees in drafting the ASHRAE building standards section of this bill, and many of our recommendations were incorporated into the final bill. ASHRAE has already reached out to DoD staff to begin understanding how this report may be assembled, and will be involved with the report, to the extent possible.

DOE Releases New Version of Energy Modeling Software

(http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=17948)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently released the latest version of its building energy modeling software EnergyPlus, which calculates the energy required to heat, cool, ventilate, and light a building. EnergyPlus is used by architects and engineers to design more efficient buildings, by researchers to investigate new building and system designs, and by policymakers to develop energy codes and standards. Advanced physics calculations within EnergyPlus allow it to model a wide range of residential and commercial buildings and HVAC system types, including passive building designs and low-energy systems.

EnergyPlus v7.0 features many enhancements and has 25 to 40 percent faster execution speeds on a wide variety of models. EnergyPlus is a part of DOE's strategy of Building Energy Modeling (BEM), a key technology that helps achieve DOE's mission of significantly reducing energy consumption in new buildings and retrofits. In addition to helping architects and engineers find low-energy building designs, BEM is used in the development of building energy efficiency codes and standards, in the creation of energy design guides, in the certification of building energy performance, and other applications. EnergyPlus v7.0 is available free of charge for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Source code licenses are also available. For additional information, please see the DOE press release.

Workshop Held on DOE’s Proposed Commercial Building Energy Asset Rating Program

Last week the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) held a workshop on their proposed Commercial Building Energy Asset Rating (AR) Program. ASHRAE attended this two-day meeting, and previously submitted comments to an earlier request for comments from DOE. ASHRAE’s comments can be viewed at http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy/page/1348. Click on the link titled “ASHRAE Comments to DOE on DOE’s Development of a Voluntary National Asset Rating Program for Commercial Buildings”, under the Letters and Testimony section of the Webpage.

DOE expects to issue a request for information on the design of their pilot AR Program in late February/early March, and to begin the pilot in April, 2012.

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ASHRAE Washington Office
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(202) 833-1830 * fax: (202) 833-0118 * washdc@ashrae.org
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ASHRAE Government Affairs Update

Good day and welcome to ASHRAE's Government Affairs Update. Along with the Government Affairs Webpage, these periodic Email updates feature information on government affairs-related activities of interest to ASHRAE members and others interested in the built environment. Archives of previous updates are available from the Government Affairs Webpage (http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy). 

Please pass this information on to interested colleagues who also may subscribe from the ASHRAE Government Affairs Webpage.  

If you have any recommendations regarding content, or have questions about or would like to participate in Washington Office activities, please contact ASHRAE Government Affairs staff at (202) 833-1830 or washdc@ashrae.org. 

ASHRAE Government Affairs Update, 12/2/2011

• National Defense Bill May Require Study of Standards 90.1 and 189.1 for Military Construction and Renovation
• President Obama Joins Leaders in Announcing $4 Billion Investment in Public and Private Building Energy Efficiency
• ASHRAE Comments on DOE Commercial Building Workforce Job/Task Analyses
• DOE Seeks Comment on Residential and Commercial Building Energy Performance Data Taxonomy
• U.N. Climate Change Talks Ongoing in Durban, South Africa

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National Defense Bill May Require Study of Standards 90.1 and 189.1 for Military Construction and Renovation

After a week of debate, last night the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, setting off a final round of negotiations between House and Senate leaders that could result in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) conducting a study in 2012 on the effects of using ASHRAE Standards 90.1 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, and 189.1 Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings for DoD military construction and renovation.

The House version of this bill (passed in May) differs in many ways from the Senate-passed version. For instance, the House version would require the study of Standards 90.1 and 189.1, while the Senate-passed version does not. Over the past several months ASHRAE has been working with House and Senate Armed Services Committee staff to improve the study requirements of Standards 90.1 and 189.1 to help provide federal policymakers with the most accurate information on building energy efficiency and sustainability.

Over the weekend and through next week, House and Senate leaders will meet to decide what the final National Defense bill should contain, which could include the study on Standards 90.1 and 189.1. The House and Senate will vote on the final version of this bill following these negotiations, after which it will be sent to the President for his signature.

President Obama Joins Leaders in Announcing $4 Billion Investment in Public and Private Building Energy Efficiency

Today President Barack Obama announced a new commitment to invest $2 billion to improve the energy efficiency of federal buildings over the next two years at little or no cost to taxpayers, by using the long-term savings of energy performance contracts.

Former President Bill Clinton joined President Obama to add that 60 CEOs, local and labor leaders have also committed to invest about $2 billion in building retrofits and related projects to improve building energy efficiency by at least 20 percent by 2020 in 1.6 billion square feet of office, industrial, municipal, hospital, community college, and school buildings.

"Upgrading the energy efficiency of America’s buildings is one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to save money, cut down on harmful pollution, and create good jobs right now.  But we can’t wait for Congress to act.  So today, I’m directing all federal agencies to make at least $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next 2 years – at no up-front cost to the taxpayer.  Coupled with today’s extraordinary private sector commitments of $2 billion to upgrade businesses, factories, and military housing, America is taking another big step towards the competitive, clean energy economy it will take to win the future," said President Obama.

"Investments in building retrofits and energy efficiency can make a real difference in the American economy, by creating jobs, growing our industries, improving businesses’ bottom lines, reducing our energy bills and consumption, and preserving our planet for future generations," said former President Clinton.

The White House press release on this announcement can be found at http://1.usa.gov/uuoWJU

The President's memorandum to Executive departments and agencies can be found at http://1.usa.gov/uyb7vH

ASHRAE Comments on DOE Commercial Building Workforce Job/Task Analyses

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed a set of draft analyses for the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities that a skilled worker should possess for six job classifications. The workforce job/task analyses are intended for use by federal, state, municipal and utility ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs, and organizations and individuals involved with training and accrediting commercial building personnel.

The six job classifications examined are:

• Commercial Building Energy Auditor
• Commercial Building Energy Modeler
• Commissioning/Retro-Commissioning Authority
• Energy/Sustainability Manager
• Facility Manager
• Operating Engineer/Building Technician

According to DOE, the Job/Task Analyses will:

1. Assist training providers in developing course content and curricula consistent with an industry-recognized suite of Job/Task Analyses. 
2. Support increased workforce mobility up career ladders and across career lattices by establishing a clear set of knowledge, skills, and abilities upon which worker credentials should be based. 
3. Lay the foundation for more robust private sector training programs.

In response to DOE’s request for comment on their draft Job/Task Analyses, ASHRAE’s volunteer subject matter experts developed comments and recommendations that were submitted to DOE in late November. ASHRAE’s comments can be found at www.ashrae.org/advocacy by clicking on the Public Policy Issue Briefs, Letters & Testimony link on the left hand side of the Webpage.

Information from DOE on their Job/Task Analyses can be found at http://1.usa.gov/w433mS

DOE Seeks Comment on Residential and Commercial Building Energy Performance Data Taxonomy

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking feedback from building industry stakeholders and the general public on a new scheme it has developed for organizing information on residential and commercial building energy performance data.

This taxonomy is part of DOE’s Building Performance Database project, and represents an attempt to provide a standardized, consistent method of classifying building energy performance data. The taxonomy is intended to be highly flexible and adaptable to a wide variety of uses and stakeholders, including policymakers, utilities, building owners, engineers, financial institutions, and others.

Comments are due to DOE by December 30, 2011. ASHRAE is planning to submit comments.

Additional information on DOE’s taxonomy, including how to submit comments, can be found at http://1.usa.gov/tJc5Nx and http://bit.ly/ugW2aI

U.N. Climate Change Talks Ongoing in Durban, South Africa

Building energy efficiency is one of the many issues being discussed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. Talks are ongoing amongst the over 190 countries and regions attending the conference, which runs from November 28 to December 9, 2011.

The conference features several opportunities for virtual participation, including Webcasts. These opportunities and related information on the conference can be found at http://unfccc.int/meetings/durban_nov_2011/meeting/6245.php

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ASHRAE Washington Office
1828 L Street, NW * Suite 906 * Washington, DC 20036
(202) 833-1830 * fax: (202) 833-0118 * washdc@ashrae.org
http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy

ASHRAE - Extracurricular activity

This is something a little out of the ordinary!!!

To register go to: www.ashraenac.org/rsvp
Questions/Comments: curling@ashraenac.org