ASHRAE Certification
ASHRAE stands for American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers. In June, 2008 ASHRAE administered its first certification test for high performance buildings.
As a society of HVAC engineers, the ASHRAE guidelines pertain mainly to installation and integration of HVAC and lighting systems. The guidelines to date are for new construction only, and conform to many of the LEED specifications and standards. Likewise, LEED draws heavily on ASHRAE standards for its guidelines.
Together, these two organizations represent an excellent start to incorporation of efficient building design and construction with their mutual goal of 30% increased efficiency above the 1999 standards.
4 main design goals are to:
1) Reduce loads on energy systems
2) Size HVAC systems to reduced loads
3) Use more efficient systems
4) Refine systems integration
New Construction of High Performance Buildings
6 Phases of an ASHRA Project include:1) Team formation, including architect, HVAC, electrical, and a building contractor, allows everyone to discuss performance objectives. Additionally, a quality assurance person and commissioning agent are recommended to insure goals are met. Development of performance goals and strategies for achieving the goals are set. 2) Design phase locates building on the lot, includes energy saving design factors, and relies on systems integration. 3) Construction phase includes bids to specify equipment, building standards, and systems integration that reflects the owner's goals. The commissioner typically details the high performance requirements to any sub contractors to minimize cost over runs and maximize efficiency. Quality assurance makes sure the construction goals are met as part of the commissioning process. 4) Acceptance phase includes the punch list, last minute fine tuning, performance testing, and resolution of any control issues. 5) Occupancy phase includes training of maintenance personnel and staff, a finish punch list, establishing a maintenance program, and continued monitoring of performance. 6) Operation phase includes ongoing monitoring, planned maintenance, and documentation of any changes to the systems or additions of equipment. |
Organization like ASHRAE and LEED exhibit leadership by offering standards and certification programs to train the next generation of builders, people who will be able to design and refine the foundations to bring about even greater efficiency. |
Be the change. Go green! |
