More insulation and better glass will be required of tomorrow’s building envelope. Here’s a quick look at what’s new and how, where, and when it all applies.
Calling for a 30% energy improvement over the 2004 standard, the law of diminishing returns will begin to come into play as the code authoring committees and designers continue to increase the performance requirements for each new building, squeezing every last kilowatt hour out of the sponge. Today, however, ASHRAE 90.1, with its newest 2010 version, and scheduled for a new release in 2013, stands at a key inflection point. Green Building Council’s LEED also references 90.1, making it one of the most successful and widely adapted energy codes to date. Additionally, the International Energy Conservation Code registers compliance with 90.1 as an alternative way of meeting that code, while the U.S. of Energy to review each new version of Standard 90.1, while requiring all states to adopt energy codes that are substantially equal to the standard as well. In 1992, the Energy Policy Act required the Dept.
As ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, has evolved and expanded over time, so has its impact on the industry.