The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) are co-sponsoring the development of a new ASHRAE/USGBC/IESNA minimum standard for high performance green building.

The proposed standard 189P, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, details minimum requirements for the design of sustainable buildings to balance environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, occupant comfort and well-being, and community sensitivity. Using the Green Building Council’s LEED green building rating system, which addresses the top 25 percent of building practice as a key resource, Standard 189P is designed to drive green building into mainstream building practices.

Scheduled for completion next year, the proposed standard will apply to new commercial buildings and major renovation projects, addressing sustainable sites, water use efficiency, energy efficiency, a building’s impact on the atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.

"Sustainability is kind of a catch phrase right now that a lot of people have sort of confusion with as to what's a sustainable building," Terry Townsend, president-elect of the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and president of Townsend Engineering, told CPN this afternoon. "We're working to develop a guidance through the standard of producing buildings that are efficient, healthy and comfortable, and that have the least impact upon the natural resources of the earth."

From a bottom line standpoint, Townsend noted that the standards, when followed properly, can reduce costs and improve productivity. "Developers (subsequently) can have much higher occupancy rates," he said. "And the aspect of a green building shows that developers are progressive and concerned about the environmental impact of construction on local communities and areas. And with a sustainable building, you try to reuse resources in local areas so it's more beneficial to the area where the construction takes place."

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