Schneider Electric Supports Code for Design of High-Performance Buildings

Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, has announced its support of ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2009, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, a new standard for the design of high-performance green buildings. Standard 189.1 is the first high-performance green-building standard published for adoption by governmental jurisdictions.

“ASHRAE Standard 189.1 provides a long-needed green-building foundation for states, localities, and other building-code jurisdictions striving to write green design, construction, and operation into building codes,” Jim Pauley, vice president of industry and government relations for Schneider Electric, said.

The standard provides approximately 30 percent energy savings over the existing ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2007, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. Standard 189.1 gives users guidance on a broad range of aspects affecting high-performance green buildings. While many people think of sustainability as being synonymous with energy efficiency alone, building design and operation affect the environment in other ways. In response to that, Standard 189.1 addresses site sustainability, water-use efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and a building's impact on the atmosphere, materials, and resources. The standard drew from expertise and tools already developed by sponsoring organizations, including existing standards on many of these topics, such as ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, and Standard 90.1.

Energy codes periodically are enhanced by recognizing new technology to ensure the industry can use these new methods and drive building performance to a higher level. Standard 189.1 is the next logical step for building owners and jurisdictions to adopt as the minimum requirements for high-performance building design. Not only will jurisdictions, such as cities and states be interested in utilizing green-building codes and standards, but some corporations and federal buildings may also choose to do so. In support of that, Standard 189.1 is now a jurisdictional compliance option in the International Code Council's recently drafted International Green Construction Code.

For more information on Standard 189.1, visit ASHRAE's Website.