ASHRAE and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America are working together to strengthen requirements of Standard 90.2, Energy Efficient Design of Low-Rise Residential Buildings. Previously, the standard was developed only by ASHRAE and was first published in 1993.

According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the standard provides minimum requirements for the energy-efficient design of residential buildings. Last year, ASHRAE’s board of directors recommended to the standard committee that it consider a goal of writing the standard so that it is 30 percent more efficient than the 2004 version. The standard committee plans to have an advisory public review of the standard later this year to determine whether proposed changes are meeting the needs of the audience.

“ASHRAE is honored and proud to have IES as a co-sponsor of Standard 90.2,” said ASHRAE President Lynn G. Bellenger. “The partnership between ASHRAE and IES originated 35 years ago when we joined together to create the first building energy conservation standard, ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90-1975, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The partnership has flourished as we’ve collaborated on updates to that standard and created Advanced Energy Design Guides. Now, as we focus on the residential market, whose 107 million housing units consume 22 percent of the primary energy in the U.S., we have the opportunity once again to define the actions needed to make energy conservation our ‘first fuel.’ By identifying ways for this major market to reduce energy use and costs, we serve the public and increase our energy security.”