ASHRAE Green Building Standard Adopted by US Army
ASHRAE announced that its leaders recently met with U.S. Army officials about a new sustainable design and development policy that incorporates requirements of the standard.
ASHRAE leaders recently met with U.S. Army officials regarding a new sustainable design and development policy that incorporates requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2009, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, which was developed by ASHRAE, the U.S. Green Building Council, and IES.
The U.S. Army has a policy to promote sustainability and improve green building standards for its facilities. On Oct. 27, 2010, Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy, and the environment, issued a policy memorandum that incorporates 189.1-2009 and sets a new approach to the design and construction of efficient military construction projects and major renovations by using the standard as the baseline.
The policy requires that facility construction projects follow specified requirements and guidance in the standard for siting, energy efficiency, cool roofs, metering, storm water management, and indoor and outdoor water consumption. "After nearly four years of peer review and collaboration with various members of industry, we are extremely pleased that the Army has taken up the initiative to incorporate the standard into its day-to-day practices," said ASHRAE President Lynn G. Bellenger. "The Army is clearly committed to taking the lead within the military to incorporate innovative practices proven by the private sector. Their willingness to adopt this standard speaks volumes about its value and efficacy."
The Army policy applies to all construction and renovation of new buildings and structures in the U.S. territories, permanent overseas Active Army installations, Army Reserve Centers, Army National Guard facilities, and Armed Forces Reserve Centers. The total footprint of existing Army buildings and structures worldwide is more than 954 million square feet, according to ASHRAE.
"We are committed to sustainable design and development, but our commitment extends far beyond construction and renovation savings," Hammack said. "We are on a path to integrating energy and sustainability considerations into our fundamental way of thinking as we progress toward net-zero energy, water, and waste in buildings and installations."
Standard 189.1 was published this year by Atlanta-based ASHRAE in conjunction with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) and USGBC.