Updated ASHRAE Standard Focuses on Carbon Emissions

Demand continues to grow for reduced energy use and carbon emissions in existing institutional and commercial buildings, and facility managers are looking for as much guidance as possible in achieving these goals for their organizations. To meet the demand, the latest version of the national energy efficiency standard for existing buildings offers an expanded focus to incorporate building decarbonization. 

ASHRAE Standard 100-2024, Energy and Emissions Building Performance Standard for Existing Buildings provides processes and procedures for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions through improved energy efficiency and performance of all types of existing buildings, including residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial. The latest edition of the standard includes carbon emissions performance requirements for existing buildings, as well as emissions targets for dozens of building types. 

Key updates to the standard are as follows: 

• new metrics provided for establishing greenhouse gas emissions targets, along with continued improvements to energy efficiency and performance in existing buildings 
• building requirements to: establish an energy management plan incorporating efficient, low-carbon equipment into capital replacement; achieve energy and emissions performance goals; and implement an operations and maintenance program for continued building performance 
• simple compliance mechanism for energy-efficient and low-emission buildings 
• energy audit and decarbonization assessment and a separate compliance process for building types that do not have energy or emissions targets 
• guidance for jurisdictions seeking to develop their own energy consumption and/or greenhouse gas emissions targets. 

Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management. 

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