The 2016 version of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, the Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, was recently released.
The update includes a new compliance path and significant technical changes affecting building envelope, and mechanical and lighting systems. The document contains 121 new addenda since publication of the previous version: the 2013 standard.
The 2016 edition contains a new compliance path, the Performance Rating Method, which is included in Appendix G. The provision was previously used only to rate “beyond code” performance of buildings; it now serves as an alternative to the traditional performance path.
Among the most significant technical changes are:
Envelope:
• Mandatory requirements for envelope verification, supporting reduced air infiltration, and increased requirements for air leakage to overhead coiling doors.
• More stringent prescriptive requirements for metal building roofs and walls, fenestration, and opaque doors.
• Improved clarity of exterior walls definitions, building orientation, and clarity around the effective R-value of air spaces.
• New requirements based on the addition of climate zone 0.
Lighting:
• Modified control requirements to simplify advanced lighting control applications.
• New exterior and interior lighting power densities based on LED technology.
• Requirements for dwelling units to set limits on light source efficacy.
• Additional controls for lighting in parking areas.
Mechanical:
• Chilled water plant metering, requiring large electric driven chilled water plants to be monitored for electric energy use and efficiency.
• DOAS requirements, adding efficiency and rating requirements for dedicated outside air systems.
• Elevator efficiency, introducing requirements for identifying usage category and efficiency class.
• Economizer fault detection and diagnostics, implementing monitoring system requirements for air-cooled DX cooling units with economizers, helping to ensure that equipment is working properly.
• New requirements for replacement equipment, such as adding economizers or fan speed control, which previously only applied to new installations.
More information on code adoption and related technical assistance is available at energycodes.gov.
Related Stories
Contractors | Nov 14, 2022
U.S. construction firms lean on technology to manage growth and weather the pandemic
In 2021, Gilbane Building Company and Nextera Robotics partnered in a joint venture to develop an artificial intelligence platform utilizing a fleet of autonomous mobile robots. The platform, dubbed Didge, is designed to automate construction management, maximize reliability and safety, and minimize operational costs. This was just one of myriad examples over the past 18 months of contractor giants turning to construction technology (ConTech) to gather jobsite data, manage workers and equipment, and smooth the construction process.
University Buildings | Nov 13, 2022
University of Washington opens mass timber business school building
Founders Hall at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, the first mass timber building at Seattle campus of Univ. of Washington, was recently completed. The 84,800-sf building creates a new hub for community, entrepreneurship, and innovation, according the project’s design architect LMN Architects.
Giants 400 | Nov 9, 2022
Top 50 Data Center Contractors + CM Firms for 2022
Holder, Turner, DPR, and HITT Contracting head the ranking of the nation's largest data center contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 110 Sports Facility Architecture and AE Firms for 2022
Populous, HOK, Gensler, and Perkins and Will top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 60 Sports Facility Contractors and CM Firms for 2022
AECOM, Mortenson, Clark Group, and Turner Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Industry Research | Nov 8, 2022
U.S. metros take the lead in decarbonizing their built environments
A new JLL report evaluates the goals and actions of 18 cities.
Hotel Facilities | Nov 8, 2022
6 hotel design trends for 2022-2023
Personalization of the hotel guest experience shapes new construction and renovation, say architects and construction experts in this sector.
Green | Nov 8, 2022
USGBC and IWBI will develop dual certification pathways for LEED and WELL
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) will expand their strategic partnership to develop dual certification pathways for LEED and WELL.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Nov 8, 2022
Renovation work outpaces new construction for first time in two decades
Renovations of older buildings in U.S. cities recently hit a record high as reflected in architecture firm billings, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Sponsored | Steel Buildings | Nov 7, 2022
Steel structures offer faster path to climate benefits
Faster delivery of buildings isn’t always associated with sustainability benefits or long-term value, but things are changing. An instructive case is in the development of steel structures that not only allow speedier erection times, but also can reduce embodied carbon and create durable, highly resilient building approaches.
