ASHRAE releases Building Performance Standards Guide

ASHRAE recently released a new Building Performance Standards Technical Resource Guide.

Building Performance Standards (BPS): A Technical Resource Guide was created to provide a technical basis for policymakers, building owners, practitioners and other stakeholders interested in developing and implementing a BPS policy. The publication is the first in a series of seven guidebooks by ASHRAE on building decarbonization.

The guide focuses on reducing building operating energy use and emissions in existing commercial and multifamily buildings. Jointly developed by ASHRAE, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its national laboratories, the guide is meant to provide the information needed to make informed policy design decisions for deeper existing building decarbonization and provide equitable outcomes for all involved.

Topics in the guide include:

• BPS Metrics and Terminology
• Performance Targets
• Major Policy Considerations
• Analysis Methods for BPS Policy Design

In a related matter, the ASHRAE Task Force For Building Decarbonization (TFBD) webpage, which includes technical resources, information, videos and publications, was recently updated and redesigned. New features include:

• Descriptions of seven new guidebooks focused on building decarbonization
• A list of related outside decarbonization resources
• A list of key decarbonization terminology