ASHRAE Earns EPA Energy Star for Superior Energy Efficiency

ALBUQURQUE — ASHRAE has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) prestigious ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency, for its renovated Headquarters in Atlanta. This signifies that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency.

Jean Lupinacci, chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch, presented the award during ASHRAE's 2010 Annual Conference taking place this week. Lupinacci spoke today,   June 28, during the Presidential Luncheon and presented ENERGY STAR to ASHRAE President Gordon Holness.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation's buildings is critical to protecting our environment, “Lupinacci said. “From the boiler room to the board room, organizations are leading the way by making their buildings more efficient and earning EPA's ENERGY STAR.”

“In deciding to renovate our existing Headquarters building, ASHRAE followed its mission of "promoting a sustainable world,"” ASHRAE President Gordon Holness said. “The renovation gave us the opportunity to demonstrate that existing buildings can be upgraded to provide equal or better than new building performance. We are delighted to have achieved the ENERGY STAR rating as further indication of successful implementation and real-world performance.

Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.                          
ASHRAE improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to its building.   ASHRAE has prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity use from nearly 22 households for a year.

The national average site energy use index (EUI) is 68 and average source EUI is 228. ASHRAE's site energy intensity is 49 and source is 162.

To earn ENERGY STAR, ASHRAE took the following actions:
– Reduced its estimated annual energy usage by more than 32.5 percent through enhancements to the building envelope and use of the following systems: Dedicated outside air system with energy recovery, ground-source heat pumps, and mini-split systems with heat recovery.
– Utilizing an extensive permanent air quality monitoring system to help sustain occupant comfort and well-being in the renovated building.
– Utilizing a 6,000 CFM dedicated outside air system for the building that can provide ventilation rates to each space that are 30 percent higher than Standard 62.1-2004.
– Reduced IAQ problems resulting from the construction/renovation process in order to help sustain the comfort and well-being of construction workers and building occupants by developing and following a construction IAQ management plan.
– Providing a comfortable thermal environment that supports the productivity and well-being of all building occupants by adhering to the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 55 and by surveying their occupants for feedback on a regular basis.
– Demonstrating how PV arrays can be utilized to generate clean power by taking advantage of under-utilized space on building roof. It is estimated that the installed array will provide more than 8 percent of the building's total annual energy cost in the form of renewable energy (in addition to the energy savings measures taken).

For a complete list of sustainability measures undertaken by ASHRAE, visit www.ashrae.org/building.

The building received an A- rating as designed in a new building energy labeling program being launched by ASHRAE. The Building Energy Quotientâ„¢ program, which is known as Building EQ, will include both asset and operational ratings for all building types, except residential.

The renovation also earned LEED Platinum Certification in the New Construction 2.2 rating system from the U.S. Green Building Council. It is one of only six buildings in the state of Georgia to receive a LEED Platinum rating, the highest certification the program offers.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.
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