ASHRAE is an acronym for American Society for Heating Refrigeration and Air

conditioning. ASHRAE is an international voluntary organization for people involved

in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R).
The society promotes the general sciences of HVAC&R. The main Society
headquarters is located in Atlanta, Georgia with local chapters located across the
United States and throughout the world. In recent years ASHRAE has extended its
role beyond HVAC & R. For example ASHRAE standard 90.1 stipulates minimum
energy efficiency requirements for Building envelope, lighting, motors etc..
ASHRAE publishes four volumes of handbook as below. These handbooks are
standard references used in the industry

Fundamentals

HVAC Systems and equipment

HVAC Applications

Refrigeration

ASHRAE
referred
all over
made in

also publishes a number of standards and guidelines which is

in building codes, Green Building rating systems and specifications
the world. In this article we will specifically discuss the references
LEED V4 rating system.

2. LEED V4 Credits associated with ASHRAE Standards

Standard

Name

What it Covers?

ASHRAE 90.1
2010

Energy Standards for

Buildings except low rise
residential buildings

Minimum energy
efficiency requirements
for HVAC, lighting, the
building envelope, and
other equipment.

LEED v4 Credits

ASHRAE 62.1-2010

Ventilation for Acceptable

Indoor Air Quality

Natural and Mechanical

ventilation requirements,
minimum ventilation
rates etc.

ASHRAE 52.2-2007

Method of Testing
General Ventilation AirCleaning Devices for
Removal Efficiency by

Test procedure for

evaluating the
performance of aircleaning devices as a

EA Minimum and
Optimum Energy
Performance
MR- Building Life
cycle impact reduction
EQ Interior
Lighting
EA Minimum and
Optimum Energy
Performance
EQ Minimum
Indoor Air Quality
Performance
EQ Enhanced
Indoor Air Quality
Strategies
EQ- Construction
Indoor Air Quality
Management Plan
EQ Enhanced

ASHRAE 55-2010

Particle Size

function of particle size.

Thermal Environmental
Conditions for Human
Occupancy

Specify the combinations

of indoor thermal
environmental factors
and personal factors that
will produce thermal
environmental conditions
acceptable to a majority
of the occupants within
the space.

Indoor Air Quality

Strategies

EQ Thermal
Comfort

3. ASHRAE 189.1 and LEED Rating systems

LEED have been developed for implementation as a voluntary system and not to be
implemented as mandatory requirements within a jurisdiction. LEED Rating system
has number of prerequisites with many optional credits to allow focus on the green
building aspects most important to the user of the system. Standard 189.1 is
primarily based on the mandatory requirements that establish baseline criteria for a
high-performance green building found in voluntary rating systems. Standard 189.1
is a code-intended standard, written in regulatory language.
An updated version of ASHRAE 189.1 (full name: ANSI/ASHRAE/IES/USGBC Standard
189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise
Residential Buildings) will provide baseline metrics and other technical requirements
that align with LEED prerequisites and the IgCC. The standard will likely draw some
technical requirements from LEED, but it will maintain its own consensus process
under ANSI.
The IgCC (for which 189.1 is already an alternative compliance path) will cease being
developed as an independent system and will instead become an adoptable, codeenforceable version of 189.1.