ASHRAE is looking for people to join its new green-building standard-writing committee

ASHRAE is asking for people to join its new green-building standard-writing committee.

The committee is drafting standard 189.1, “Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings,” which will provide minimum requirements for new commercial buildings and large-scale renovation projects. It will also tackle energy efficiency and the project’s impact on the environment.

The standard is being written with the input of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers; the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America; and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Because the standard deals with so many aspects of building, the groups decided to form a new committee to study it. Anyone interested in being considered for membership can apply through Dec. 4here. More than 900 comments have been received on the standard so far, ASHRAE officials said.

“The market will benefit from the lead taken by ASHRAE and its cosponsors in developing this most challenging standard, which addresses ever-evolving technology,” said ASHRAE presidential member Kent Peterson, who serving as chairman of the committee. “As we have proceeded down this path, we recognized that the proposed standard would benefit from additional expertise and more involvement from interested parties. We are committed to developing this green building standard with accurate and appropriate technical content through a rigorous, transparent and fair standards-development process.”

More public reviews of the standard are planned, officials said.