Figure by Daniel Overbey.īased on data from the preliminary energy savings analysis released by the DOE, the 2016 edition of Standard 90.1 results in 46.6 percent less source energy use and 43.6 percent less site energy use compared to the 1989 edition. I ran the numbers and the results are impressive.ĪSHRAE Standard 90.1-2016 improves both source and site energy use efficiency by over 40 percent compared to the 1989 edition of the standard.
However, I was curious to see how the incremental energy efficiency improvements compounded over time. For instance, the DOE has determined that buildings built to Standard 90.1–2013, as compared with buildings built to Standard 90.1–2010, would result in national source energy savings of approximately 8.5 percent and site energy savings of approximately 7.6 percent of commercial building energy consumption. You may not be initially impressed by the incremental improvements from one edition of Standard 90.1 to the next. The DOE also estimates energy use intensity (EUI) in their comparative analyses. Though, it appears that the DOE has begun to assess relative energy cost savings, starting with the 2016 edition. The document provides public notice of the DOE's findings.ĭeterminations are publicly available on the DOE's website appear to go back as far as 2002, when the department published a comparative analysis of the 1999 edition to the 1989 edition.Įach subsequent DOE determination compares the current edition of Standard 90.1 to the most recent previous edition in terms of energy efficiency improvements related to both source energy and site energy. Department of Energy (DOE) has contracted comparative analyses of the latest edition of ASHRAE Standard 90.1 versus the most recent previous edition of the standard regarding energy efficiency improvements.Īfter completing a comparative analysis, the DOE will publish a "determination" memorandum in the Federal Register. Standard 90.1-2010 from S tan dard 90.1-200 7 were evaluated by DOE for their imp act on energy efficiency. It turns out that federal government wonders as well. With each new edition, perhaps you have wondered just how much of a difference the incremental changes in the standard would actually make in application? It is also the energy standard referenced by LEED and other green building certification systems.Įvery few years, Standard 90.1 is updated by ASHRAE in cooperation with other organizations. It serves as the basis for many energy codes across the U.S. It may be the most well-known standard in the building design and construction industry: ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings, Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings (or more commonly, ASHRAE Standard 90.1).