Changes to Commissioning Requirements Proposed for Green Building Standard

Changes to the commissioning requirements in ASHRAE/IES/USGBC/ICC Standard 189.1 that would increase its ability to support achieving high performance green buildings are open for public input.

Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High Performance Green Buildings, contains minimum requirements for the siting, design and construction of high performance green buildings in support of reducing building energy use, resource consumption and other environmental impacts, and maintaining acceptable indoor environments.

Eleven addenda to Standard 189.1 currently are out for public review. Proposed addendum aq updates the standard’s requirements for building systems commissioning. In addition, addenda ap and as are open for review until Dec. 19.

Addendum ap updates the normative references in Section 11 and the informative references in Appendix G, primarily to reflect the latest publication dates in referenced standards.

Addendum as updates the acoustical requirements based on new technical requirements as well as review of the International Green Construction Code, Acoustical Society of America documents, Facilities Guideline Institute healthcare guide and the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED. The changes include a requirement that room background noise levels be controlled by calculation instead of by prescribing several interrelated features, allowance of either a prescriptive or testing approach for building envelope and interior assemblies, requirements for mechanical equipment and noise to adjacent properties by equipment and addition of a new section on acoustical testing.

In addition, seven addenda are open for public comment until Dec. 4, 2016. They are:

• Addendum ae addresses plans for the treatment of waste materials originating from the development of a building project site.

• Addendum ag creates a new definition for plants that are suitable for inclusion in this standard.

• Addendum ah revises the lighting power density (LPD) requirements for exterior parking areas.

• Addendum ai adds requirements for testing, installation and commissioning of air curtains when they are installed in building entrances.

• Addendum aj revises the bi-level motion control requirements to better align with addendum as to ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2013, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

• Addendum al modifies the provisions for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

• Addendum ak updates the standard’s life cycle assessment of buildings.

• Addendum am modifies the roof heat island mitigation section that was changed via addendum i.

For more information or to submit a comment, visit www.ashrae.org/publicreviews

This Quick Read was submitted by Naomi Millán, senior editor of Building Operating Management magazine, naomi.millan@tradepress.com. For the latest in LED lighting products, go here.

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