Page 40 - The Engineering Guide to LEED-New Construction Sustainable Construction for Engineers

Intr oduction 23

ASHRAE The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers, Inc., publishes standards in the areas of HVAC and refrigeration.
ASTM ASTM International was originally formed in 1898 as the American
Society for Testing and Materials. It develops technical standards for
materials, products, systems, and services.
IESNA The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America is recognized as
an authority on lighting and illumination standards in the United States.
ISO The International Organization for Standardization (Organisation
Internationale de Normalisation) is the largest international developer of
standards. ANSI is the U.S. voting member body for ISO.

Standard 189
In 2006, the USGBC, ASHRAE, IESNA, and AIA joined together to develop Standard 189,
a new minimum standard for high-performance green building. The standard is being
led by the newly developed ASHRAE Standard Project Committee 189 (SPC 189). The
standard was initially proposed in January 2006 and as a standard under development is
referred to as SPC 189P. The preliminary title, purpose, and scope as revised through
November 8, 2006 read as follows:
Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential
Buildings
1 Purpose:
The purpose of this standard is to provide minimum requirements for the design of high-
performance, green buildings to:
(a) Balance environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, occupant comfort and well
being, and community sensitivity, and
(b) Support the goal of the development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
2 Scope:
2.1 This standard provides minimum criteria that:
(a) Apply to new buildings and major renovation projects (new portions of buildings and
their systems): a building or group of buildings, including on-site energy conversion or
electric-generating facilities, which utilize a single submittal for a construction permit
or which are within the boundary of a contiguous area under single ownership
(b) Address sustainable sites, water use efficiency, energy efficiency, the building’s impact
on the atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality (IEQ).
2.2 The provisions of this standard do not apply to:
(a) single-family house, multi-family structures of three stories or fewer above grade,
manufactured houses (mobile homes) and manufactured houses (modular).
(b) buildings that do not use either electricity or fossil fuel.
2.3 This standard shall not be used to circumvent any safety, health or environmental
requirements. The ASHRAE Standard Project Committee 189.1 (SPC 189.1) was adopted
dated November 2009.

The Carbon Commitment
Global climate change is a major issue of concern in the world. Some details of
mechanisms and suspected causes of this phenomenon are treated in subsequent