SPF Industry News

New Website Launched for Green Building Standard

ATLANTA – As publication of the nation’s first code-intended high-performance green building standard draws nearer, a website providing the detailed information about the standard, including a draft copy of the document, has been launched.

The site, www.ashrae.org/greenstandard, serves as a one-stop resource for information on Proposed Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. 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, Standard for the Design of High Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, moved one step closer to publication in December. It was approved for publication by the three groups that are partnering in its development: the Boards of Directors of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). 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.

“Given that this standard will set the foundation for green building codes, it is vital that the building industry is familiar with its requirements,” said Kent Peterson, the chair of the Standard 189.1 committee. “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.”

The standard, slated to be the first code-intended commercial green building standard in the United States, is expected to be published in early 2010.

For more information contact: ASHRAE, www.ashrae.org/greenstandard