Special Column ASHRAE and § stainability By Terry E, Townsend, PE,, Fellow ASHRAE SHRAP’s involvement with the U.S. Green Building the ASHRAE Board of Directors and the USGBC Board of Directors approved the Memorandum of Under- standing (MOU) between the to organizations, This MOU ¢stablisaed a Joint Steering Committee, composed of one dues- Paying member and one staff member from each organization, The Joint Steering Commitee usually meets semisnaually 10 coordinate joint activities. In August 2003, ASHRAE was invited to become a voting member of the Sustainability Summit of Professionals. This s70up of 14 professional organizations promotes technologies ‘and professional activities supporting sustainability In addition to ASHRAE and USGBC, members include: * American Society of Interior Designers, American Institute of Architects (ALA), International Interior Design Association, * CoreNet Global, Association for Corporate Real Estate Professionals, + Camegie Mellon School of Architecture & Planning, + Construction Specifications Institue, + Urban Land Institute, + International Facility Management Association, + Building Owners & Managers Association, + Association of Higher Education Facilites Officers, + Insitute of Real Estate Management, and * Society for College & University Planning, During the last Joint Steering Committee meeting, USGRC asked ASHRAE to assume the lead organizational position of the Sustainability Summit, Ths is believed to be an excellent ‘Opportunity for ASHRAE to become the primary technical resource for Sustainability Summit organizations and more involved in joint development of educational programs, ‘The biggest annual USGBC event for its membersis Green- Build, which began in 2002, ASHRAE has been involved since 2003 and will have an even greater presence during 2005 GreenBuité since it has a voting member on the program com- mittee. ASHRAE members are presenting technical programs requested by USGBC members for 2005 GreenBuild, Member participation within the other orgenization’s com- mittees also increases cooperation between ASHRAE and USGBC. USGBC membersare involved in ASHRAE Standard Project Committee 90.| for revising Addendum e, the Energy Cost Budget Method, as well asin Standing Standards Project Committees 62 (indoor air quality) and 53 (thermal comfor). s18 Building for the Future | A Supplement to ASHRAE Journal Technical committees with USGBC representation include TC 2.8, Building Envisonmenval Impacis and Sustainability; TC 7.6, Systems Energy Utilization: TC 7.9, Building Commissioning, and TC 9.6, Healthcare Facilities, Likewise, ASHRAE is more involved in USGBC activities, \with voting members on the USGBC Technical and Seientifc Advisory Commitee, GreenBuild Program Committee and new USGBC Research Committee. ASHRAE also is slated ‘o have at least one voting member on each of the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Committees—New Construction (NC), Existing Buildings (EB), Healtheare (HC) and LEED-Residential ASHRAE’ Advanced Fneray Design Guide sercsisintended to give prescriptive guidance on how to achieve 30%, 50% and upto 70% energy savings coward a net-2ero energy use facility Using the year 2000 as the eneray consumption bascline. The first in the series isthe Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Office Buildings (AEDG-SO), published in January. The next AEDG adresses small retail facilities through a collaborative effort between ASHRAE, USGBC, ALA and the Iihuminating Enginecring Society of North Amevica Due to extensive supportcatculstionsinvolvedin the develop ment ofeach AEDG publication, the USGBC LEED-NC com sitter voted to accep (and make retroactive to LEED 2. 1-NC) Use of the AEDG prescriptive guidance in lieu ofthe required ‘energy calculations inthe LEED erieria, This substitution can arn up to energy credits in LEED-NC submittals, Even greater opportunities exist with recent and proposed ties for joint participation between ASHRAG and USGBC, TC 1.4, Conttol Theory and Application, formed a new Green Building Controls subcommittee. TC 7.9, Building Commis. Sioning, is beginning to develop guidance on “Performance Evalustion of Efficient, Healthy and Comfortable Buildings,” One ‘of the main themes in the newly approved ASHRAE Stretegic Research Plan is energy and sustainability. ASHRAE developed ‘wo rescarch programs for TC 96 from needs identified during ‘he 2004 Healthcare Summit. I willprovide valuable information for development of the future AEDG for health-care facilites, ‘Afler thee years, ASHRAE and the USGBC have made s Unified collaborative effort in the development and implemen- tation of design tools, construction guidance and operational metrics forthe worldwide sustainability effort. Both organiza- ‘ions plan to expand collaborative efforts in the most timely and effective manner because togcther, we will “make the energy we use easier On the earth.” Terry E. Townsend. PE. ix president of Townsend Engincer- ing, Chananooga, Tenn. He és president-elect of ASHRAE.® September 2005