ASHRAE Insights

WASHINGTON—A report to the U.S. Congress on high-performance buildings was unveiled at a briefing here June 18. The briefing also included the announcement of the formation of the High Performance Building Congressional Caucus.

The newly formed congressional caucus will work to make policymakers aware of the impact buildings have on health, safety and welfare. ASHRAE is one of 14 organizations that form the caucus. Rep. Judy Bigger, R-Ill., and Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., are cochairs.

“Rising energy costs and the increased global awareness of the potential impact of climate change continues to drive home the need for low-energy, environmentally responsible, high-performance buildings in the future,” said 2007–08 ASHRAE president Kent Peterson, P.E. “As such, we need to be more determined to deliver buildings that perform. I am encouraged by the efforts I am seeing in the recommendations contained in this report and formation of the caucus to encourage design, operation and maintenance of high-performance buildings.”

ASHRAE was the lead sponsor of the briefing. Bill Coad, Presidential Member ASHRAE, chaired the committee that wrote the report that encourages the creation and operation of high-performance buildings.

Congress drafted Section 914 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to address not just more energy efficient buildings but rather high-performance buildings that combine the objectives of reducing resource energy consumption and improving the comfort and productivity of building occupants. Congress maintains that achieving both these goals would have a positive economic and societal impact.