ASHRAE Opens Green Building Standard Committee to New Membership

The committee to develop the first national standard for high performance, green commercial buildings – currently comprised of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) – is looking for some additional expertise.

The Proposed Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, will provide minimum requirements for the design of high performance new commercial buildings and major renovation projects to address energy and water use efficiency, a building's atmospheric impact, sustainable sites, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.

Recognizing the complexity of developing this most challenging green building standard, and to better address the varied areas it covers, the committee is seeking additional expertise and more involvement from interested parties. A call for new committee members is open through December 4.

The proposed standard has generated much public interest, with more than 900 comments received during each of the two public reviews. While the standard has undergone two public reviews, it will likely undergo a new full public review in the near future as technical guidance and input is offered by new committee members.

For more information, see the ASHRAE website.