ASHRAE Proposes “Backbone” for Building Rating Programs

ASHRAE has proposed a standard that would serve as the “backbone” for the content of building rating programs.

According to ASHARE, various building rating systems are used to rate buildings, and each yields varying results. By providing a non-commercial consensus standard that can be used in international, national and regional legislation, policy making and regulation activities, rating systems could produce more meaningful and consistent results.

ASHRAE Standard 214P, Standard for Determining and Expressing Building Energy Performance in a Rating Program, provides a way to identify what rating systems should be used to comply with building energy disclosure ordinances and as a guideline for those developing rating systems. The standard would establish the following requirements:

• Disclosure of building energy use via a rating label and supporting summary documentation.
• Determining and expressing energy use, with metered data, of buildings and building sites that are in operation.
• Acceptable credentialing criteria for individuals applying the standard and reporting building energy use.
• Pre-occupancy (design) and post-occupancy (in operation) conditions.
• Format and content of the rating disclosure, the label and supporting documentation.

ASHRAE anticipates that the proposed standard will have minimal impact on existing rating systems. The proposed standard is open for public comment until September 28.