DOE Unveils New Efficiency Standards for Federal Buildings
Date Posted: March 31, 2022
Posted In: Environment/Sustainability, News,
From ConstructionDive: Beginning next April, all new buildings and major retrofits constructed by the federal government must comply with more stringent energy code requirements, a move that the Department of Energy estimates will save $4.2 million in operating costs in the first year.
Federal projects will be constructed to meet 2021 International Energy Conservation Code and the 2019 ASHRAE Standard 90.1 codes, DOE announced Wednesday morning in a press release shared with Construction Dive.
The federal government is the single largest building owner and manager in the United States, with a portfolio of more than 350,000 buildings totaling more than 3 billion square feet of floor area across the country, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.
Dive Insight:
Designed for HVAC professionals, the 2019 edition of ASHRAE’s Standard 90.1 code includes more than 100 energy-focused updates since the last edition was published in 2016. In addition, the 2021 IECC incorporates significant changes over the 2018 edition, including:
- Increased insulation requirements and reduced fenestration U-factors and solar heat gain coefficients for both residential and commercial provisions.
- Updated mechanical equipment efficiency requirements, new provisions for data centers and plant growth lighting.
- Increased lighting efficacy and decreased lighting power density requirements for commercial buildings.