ASHRAE is considering adding an addendum to its popular HVAC market energy standard that it says could make it more applicable around the world.

The addendum, known as “W,” would be added to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ standard 90.1, which covers most structures except low-rise residential buildings.

The addendum would add a climate zone to standard 90.1 and is especially useful to HVAC construction in South America, Africa, Middle East, southern Asia and the South Pacific, officials say.

“It gives the standard more of an international view with maps and data never before available to users,” said committee-writing Chairman Dru Crawley. “Previously there was the single U.S. map.  Now there are high-level maps of the world, covering each continent and major countries.”

ASHRAE is taking comments on the change at www.ashrae.org/publicreviews until Jan. 19, 2015.