United States. ASHRAE received a final resolution issued by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Building Energy Code Program, which states that the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2016 (Energy Efficiency Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings), achieve greater energy efficiency in buildings subject to the code. Standard 90.1-2016 was published in October 2016.
The standard achieved this determination through DOE analysis indicating that buildings that meet the 90.1-2016 standard (compared to the previous edition of 2013) would generate savings in the cost of national energy of approximately 8.2 percent, as regulated by the model code.
"The 90.1 standard has been a reliable source of guidance on energy efficiency requirements for built environment professionals for more than 40 years," says Bjarne W. Olesen, president of ASHRAE 2017-2018. "DoE's final determination serves to reinforce 90.1's prestige as the energy efficiency standard for U.S. commercial buildings."
The following are the DOE's calculations of national savings in commercial buildings:
8.3% energy savings
7.9% source energy savings
6.8% on-site energy savings
This 2016 version of 90.1 is the tenth edition published since the original standard was first published in 1975 during the U.S. energy crisis. Standard 90.1 provides the minimum requirements for the energy efficiency design of most buildings except low-rise residential buildings. It provides, in detail, the minimum energy efficiency requirements for the design and construction of new buildings and their systems, new portions of buildings and their systems, and new systems and equipment in existing buildings, as well as the criteria for determining compliance with these requirements.
States must certify that the provisions of their commercial building code regarding energy efficiency and, as necessary, updated codes have been revised to meet or exceed the updated edition of Standard 90.1.
More information on the DOE determination can be obtained, along with the supporting analysis and public comments received in energycodes.gov/determinations.
