ASHRAE Releases Prototype Label for Building Efficiency
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Similar in intent to the EnergyGuide label that is present on appliances, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released the prototype design for its advanced building energy labeling program.
The Building Energy Quotient program, which will be known as Building EQ, will rank all types of buildings except residential from a grade scale of ‘A+’ for Net Zero Energy to ‘F’ for Unsatisfactory.  Each asset will have a two rankings based on (i) it’s designed/modeled efficiency and the (ii) operational efficiency of a building - and both will be displayed on the label.
“ASHRAE’s label will help building owners differentiate their product in a technically sound manner while providing tenants with the tools they need to select energy-efficient spaces,” said Ron Jarnagin, chair of ASHRAE’s committee for developing the program .
In the Building EQ system, ASHRAE has borrowed quite a bit from the UK’s Display Energy Certificate (DEC) program. The DEC system became mandatory for large buildings in the UK in October of 2008.
The Building EQ system will officially be launched in 2010, but beta testing by a select group of users will start in the fall of 2009.
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