ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013 Becomes DOE National Reference Standard

ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013 Becomes DOE National Reference Standard
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a ruling that establishes ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2013, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, as the commercial building reference standard for state building energy codes. This follows a DOE preliminary analysis that concluded the 2013 version contains 8.5% source energy savings and 7.6% site energy savings compared to the 2010 standard. The determination means that states are required to update their codes to meet or exceed the 2013 standard within two years. Currently, states must meet or exceed the 2010 standard, which serves as the commercial building reference standard for state building energy codes.