by Shane Henson — October 19, 2011—The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the U.S. Department of Energy have partnered to release the second installment in a series of four 50% Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs).
According to ASHRAE and DOE officials, this latest guide was created to help architects, engineers and contractors design and build highly efficient K-12 school buildings, saving taxpayer dollars. The 50% AEDG series provides a practical approach to designing schools and other major commercial building types that achieve 50% energy savings compared to the commercial building energy code used in many parts of the nation.
Not only will these guides help builders achieve energy efficiency performance beyond the current energy code, but they also provide climate-specific recommendations to incorporate today’s off-the-shelf energy-efficient products. These recommendations help designers and builders choose advanced building envelope assemblies and highly efficient heating and cooling systems, and incorporate other energy-saving measures such as daylighting and associated control systems. Additionally, the guides inform the development of future commercial building energy codes.
