Energy Standard for *Sites* and Buildings

Loading
loading...

Energy Standard for *Sites* and Buildings

June 4, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
,
No Comments

Addendum av to ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2022, Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. This addendum creates more exacting provisions for envelope alterations. The new format is intended to better communicate the requirements, triggers, and allowances associated with performing an envelope alteration to promote energy efficiency within the impacted area(s).  Consultation closes October 6.

ANSI Standards Action Weekly Edition | Given ASHRAE’s revision redlines are frequently uploaded here

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is an ANSI-accredited continuous-maintenance standards developer (a major contributor to what we call a regulatory product development “stream”).   Continuous maintenance means that changes to its consensus products can change in as little as 30 days so it is wise to keep pace.

Among the leading titles in its catalog is ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.  Standard 90.1 has been a benchmark for commercial building energy codes in the United States and a key basis for codes and standards around the world for more than 35 years.  Free access to ASHRAE 90.1 version is available at the link below:

READ ONLY Version of 2022 ASHRAE 90.1

Redlines are released at a fairly brisk pace — with 30 to 45 day consultation periods.  A related title — ASHRAE 189.1 Standard for the Design of High Performance Green Buildings — first published in 2009 and far more prescriptive in its scope heavily  references parent title 90.1 so we usually them as a pair because 189.1 makes a market for green building conformance enterprises. Note the “extreme prescriptiveness” (our term of art) in 189.1 which has the practical effect of legislating engineering judgement, in our view.

25 January 2023: Newly Released ASHRAE 90.1-2022 Includes Expanded Scope For Building Sites

ASHRAE committees post their redlines at the link below:

Online Standards Actions & Public Review Drafts

Education estate managers, energy conservation workgroups, sustainability officers, electric shop foreman, electricians and front-line maintenance professionals who change lighting fixtures, maintain environmental air systems are encouraged to participate directly in the ASHRAE consensus standard development process.

We also maintain ASHRAE best practice titles as standing items on our Mechanical, Water, Energy and Illumination colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [Various]

Category: Mechanical, Electrical, Energy Conservation, Facility Asset Management, US Department of Energy, #SmartCampus

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Larry Spielvogel, Richard Robben

Under Construction:  ASHRAE WORKSPACE


More

The fundamental concept in social science is Power, in the same sense in which Energy is the fundamental concept in physics. - Bertrand Russell

ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2019: Energy Standard For Buildings

ARCHIVE 2002-2016 / ASHRAE 90.1 ENERGY STANDARD FOR BUILDINGS

US Department of Energy Building Energy Codes Program

ASHRAE Guideline 0 The Commissioning Process

Why Software is Eating the World


* Many standards-developing organizations aim to broaden their influence by entering the product standard and certification domain. Although our primary focus is on interoperability standards (within a system of interoperable products), we also consider market dynamics when product performance specifications are incorporated by reference into public law.

Retrodiction

June 4, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
, ,
No Comments

“In a world of infinite information,

the scarce resource is attention.”

Eric Weinstein

 

By design, we do not provide a SEARCH function. We are a niche practice in a subtle, time-sensitive domain with over 30 years of case history.  We were the first movers in the largest building construction market in the world.  We are happy to answer all questions but place priority on collaborations.  We provide links to the most accessed topics in recent days. All queries presented during our “Open Office Hours” every work day, or via email, are gratefully received and prompt a near-immediate response.

Promovendus maakt recyclebaar rubber

Sport Lighting

Architectural Billings

Storm Shelters

Masonry

Fireplace Brickwork

Trowel Trades

Soils and Foundations

Installer Tile Specialist Installation Standards

General Conditions of the Construction Contract

Occupancy Classification and Use

Naming & Signs

Life Safety Code

Abiit sed non oblita | Rebecca Luker

International Property Maintenance Code

THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE FOR COLOUR

Fireplace Safety

Inglenook

Radio 400

Maslenitsa “Pancake Week”

Home Economics

Birds in Winter

Cultural Resource Properties

The “Groundhog Day” Effect

Athletic Equipment Safety Standards

Punxsutawney High School Groundhog Day Assembly

Animal Safety

Throwing Stones

International Zoning Code

City Chickens 101

Abiit sed non oblitus | Michigan

Shoe Fly Pie

Pink Squirrel

7th Edition (2018): Geometric Design of Highways & Streets

Wayfinding

Throwing Stones

Concrete Matters

Life Safety Code

International Zoning Code

Sabbath

Bowling and Billiards

How to Care for Horses in the Winter

Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa & Hot Tub Code

LIVE: KWVS 101.5 FM

California Code Adoption for Local Jurisdictions

Climate Psychosis

Sacred Spaces

Chanson de Nuit, Op. 15, No. 1

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Gallery: Planetariums

Peach Mountain Radio Observatory

Observatories & Planetariums

Catcher in the Rye

Mince Pie & Tea

“Season of Light Illumination”

Animal Care during the Holidays

Evensong “Simple Gifts”

Special Events

Dahlgren Hall & “Seasoned” Coffee Mug Stories

Egg Nog Riot of 1826

Pain aux Raisins & Café au lait avec presse française

Textiles

Dresdner Stadtfest

“Season of Light Illumination”

Gallery: Graduation Commencement Speeches

Acoustics

La Loi Ne Fait Plus Le Bonheur

Theater Safety

Pain aux Raisins & Café au lait avec presse française

Alexis de Tocqueville on the Foundations of American Democracy

Abiit sed non oblita | Rebecca Luker

Christmas Bread & Tennessee Raw Milk

International Property Maintenance Code

What is Happening to the Family, and Why?

Charcuterie

BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU

Clery Act

Sports Equipment & Surfaces

Guide to Premises Security

World Census of Agriculture

Healthcare Organization Management

Cinq ans après

International Fire Code

Traditional Latin Mass

Inglenook

Fireplace Lounges

Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers

Oxford College Student Center

Preparing Your Garden for Winter

Create a Winter Bird Haven

Duncan Stroik Architect

Code ignis MMXXVII

International Fire Code

Gallery: School Bond Referenda

Refrigeration Systems: Cadaver Preservation

Mortuary Arts

Standard for Interactions Between Medical Examiner, Coroner and Death Investigation Agencies

The Halloween Problem

Waterfowl Research

Monster Culture

Gross Anatomy Lab Renovation

Falsus in uno, Falsus in omnibus

Construction Technology Careers: Carpentry, HVAC, Plumbing

Data Centers

Data Center Wiring

Refrigeration Systems: Cadaver Preservation

Energy Standard for Data Centers

August 14, 2003

Social networks and culture in birds

Color Metrology

Interior Finishes

Color Calculation Standard E3415

GET TO KNOW YOUR CREWS: PAINT SHOP

What Is A Standard Drink?

Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa & Hot Tub Code

Paint Hazard Management

Electrical Commissioning Specifications

Construction Technology Careers: Carpentry, HVAC, Plumbing

Sport Lighting

City Chickens 101

LIVE: 91.3 FM Cal Poly Student Radio

Data Center Wiring

High-voltage switchgear and controlgear

Lingua Franca

Water and Sanitation

Bleachers, Folding Seating & Grandstands

Classroom Furniture

First Day of School

Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa & Hot Tub Code

“The Boys in the Boat”

Group A Model Building Codes

Acceptable Performance Standard for District Cooling Systems

Farm Electrical Power

Keeping Animals Cool

Farm Electrical Power

Evensong “Knoxville: Summer of 1915”

Peach Mountain Radio Observatory

Uniform Plumbing Code

Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa & Hot Tub Code

International Zoning Code

Energy Standard for *Sites* and Buildings

Protecting Animals When Disaster Strikes

S. 5: Laken Riley Act

Entertainment Occupancies

Steeplechase Water Jump

C++

The Best Student-Friendly Brownies

print(“Python”)

Michigan State University

Oxford College Student Center

Sacred Spaces

Laboratory Fume Hood Safety

University of Iowa | Johnson County

2028 National Electrical Safety Code

Национа́льный иссле́довательский То́мский госуда́рственный университе́т

Robie House

Making Greenwich the centre of the world

Roger Scruton Memorial Lectures

Electrical heat tracing: international harmonization-now and in the future


Winter Vegetable Soup

Electrical heat tracing: international harmonization-now and in the future

Brankscom Hall Toronto

Fire Alarm & Signaling Code

Ice Swimming

Uniform Plumbing Code


Banished Words 2024

Ædificare & Utilization


“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession

of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

 

 

General Conditions of the Construction Contract

June 3, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
No Comments

International Code Council: Current Code Development Cycle 2024-2026

International Building Code: Chapter 1 Scope and Administration

There are five key components needed to address in each construction contract as a protection against litigation in an industry that is rich in possibilities.
  • Scope of the project. …
  • Total cost and payment requirements. …
  • Project timeline. …
  • Lien law protection. …
  • Dispute resolution.

Today at the usual hour we examine a few representative contracts:

List of all current AIA Contract Documents

University of Michigan Standard General Conditions

Wayne State University Supplementary Conditions of Construction

Princeton University: General Terms & Conditions for Construction Contracts

Universities Wisconsin: General Conditions of the Contract for Construction

The cost of compliance with general conditions in a typical construction project can vary widely depending on factors like project size, complexity, location, and specific requirements. General conditions refer to the indirect costs that support the project—things like project management, temporary facilities, safety measures, and administrative expenses—not the direct costs of labor, materials, or equipment tied to physical construction.

In percentage terms, general conditions typically account for 5% to 15% of the total project cost, with most projects falling in the 5% to 10% range for standard residential or commercial builds. Smaller projects might see percentages closer to or exceeding 10% because fixed costs (like a site trailer or a project manager’s time) don’t scale down as much as direct costs. Larger, more complex projects—like industrial or infrastructure work—might trend toward the lower end (5% or less) since direct costs dominate, diluting the relative impact of general conditions. For example, a $300,000 residential project might allocate $15,000 to $30,000 (5% to 10%) for general conditions, while a $10 million commercial project could see $500,000 or less (5%) if efficiencies kick in.

Related:

Methods of Building Measurement

Global Consistency in Presenting Construction & Life Cycle Costs

Higher Education Estates Management Report 2023

Modular Classrooms

Planning, Design & Construction Team

Architecture and Aesthetic Education

How Blockchain Will Change Construction

Carnegie Classifications

Design Age Institute

Ædificare & Utilization

June 2, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
No Comments

Its been 20 years since we began following educational facilities construction activity.  Starting this month we will examine federal government data together with the best available data about space utilization to enlighten our response to the perfectly reasonable question: “Are we over-building or under-building or building ineffectively”.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

United States: Schools of Architecture

The Society for College and University Planning (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

National Center for Education Statistics

The Financial Impact of Architectural Design: Balancing Aesthetics and Budget in Modern Construction

 

Homeschooling

2022 International Existing Building Code 

  • University College London

As reported by the US Department of Commerce Census Bureau the value of construction put in place by April 2023 by the US education industry proceeded at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $110.168 billionThis number does not include renovation for projects under 50,000 square feet and new construction in university-affiliated health care delivery enterprises.   Reports are released two months after calendar month.  The complete report is available at the link below:

MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION SPENDING April 2025 (released two months after calendar month)


This spend makes the US education facilities industry (which includes colleges, universities, technical/vocational and K-12 schools, most university-affiliated medical research and healthcare delivery enterprises, etc.) the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States after commercial property; and fairly close.  For perspective consider total public + private construction ranked according to the tabulation most recently released:

$135.618 billion| Education Facilities

$152.009 billion | Power

$69.375 billion | Healthcare

Keep in mind that inflation figures into the elevated dollar figures.  Overall — including construction, energy, custodial services, furnishings, security. etc., — the non-instructional spend plus the construction spend of the US education facilities is running at a rate of about $300 – $500 billion per year.

LIVE: A selection of construction cameras at  US schools, colleges and universities

We typically pick through the new data set; looking for clues relevant to real asset spend decisions.  Finally, we encourage the education facilities industry to contribute to the accuracy of these monthly reports by responding the US Census Bureau’s data gathering contractors.

Reconstruction of Ancient Agora

 

As surely as people are born, grow wealthy and die with extra cash,

there will be a home for that cash to sustain their memory and to steer

the cultural heritage of the next generation in beautiful settings.

More

National Center for Educational Statistics

AIA: Billings Index shows but remains strong May 2022

National Center for Education Statistics

Sightlines: Capital Investment College Facilities

OxBlue: Time-Lapse Construction Cameras for Education

Architectural Billing Index

IBISWorld Education Sector

US Census Bureau Form F-33 Survey of School System Finances

American School & University

Global Consistency in Presenting Construction & Life Cycle Costs

Carnegie Classifications

Storm Shelters

June 2, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
, , ,
No Comments

2024 GROUP A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES

Latest News and Documents

“Landscape between Storms” 1841 Auguste Renoir

 

When is it ever NOT storm season somewhere in the United States; with several hundred schools, colleges and universities in the path of them? Hurricanes also spawn tornadoes. This title sets the standard of care for safety, resilience and recovery when education community structures are used for shelter and recovery.  The most recently published edition of the joint work results of the International Code Council and the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute SEI-7 is linked below:

2020 ICC/NSSA 500 Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters.

Given the historic tornados in the American Midwest this weekend, its relevance is plain.  From the project prospectus:

The objective of this Standard is to provide technical design and performance criteria that will facilitate and promote the design, construction, and installation of safe, reliable, and economical storm shelters to protect the public. It is intended that this Standard be used by design professionals; storm shelter designers, manufacturers, and constructors; building officials; and emergency management personnel and government officials to ensure that storm shelters provide a consistently high level of protection to the sheltered public.

This project runs roughly in tandem with the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute SEI-17 which has recently updated its content management system and presented challenges to anyone who attempts to find the content where it used to be before the website overhaul.    In the intervening time, we direct stakeholders to the link to actual text (above) and remind education facility managers and their architectural/engineering consultants that the ICC Code Development process is open to everyone.

The ICC receives public response to proposed changes to titles in its catalog at the link below:

Standards Public Forms

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

You are encouraged to communicate with Kimberly Paarlberg (kpaarlberg@iccsafe.org) for detailed, up to the moment information.  When the content is curated by ICC staff it is made available at the link below:

ICC cdpACCESS

We maintain this title on the agenda of our periodic Disaster colloquia which approach this title from the point of view of education community facility managers who collaborate with structual engineers, architects and emergency management functionaries..   See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting, open to everyone.

Readings:

FEMA: Highlights of ICC 500-2020

ICC 500-2020 Standard and Commentary: ICC/NSSA Design and Construction of Storm Shelters

IEEE: City Geospatial Dashboard: IoT and Big Data Analytics for Geospatial Solutions Provider in Disaster Management

 

Architectural Billings

June 2, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
No Comments

Architectural Record April 2025 

AIA Global Campus for Architecture & Design

Selecting architects for designing large educational campus buildings typically involves a structured process that ensures the chosen architect meets the project’s functional, aesthetic, and budgetary requirements. Here’s an overview of the typical steps involved:

1. Defining Project Goals and Requirements

  • The institution or client identifies the purpose of the building, the estimated budget, sustainability goals, and any specific design or functional needs.
  • A detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is prepared, outlining project objectives, scope, timeline, and submission requirements.

2. Public Announcement or Invitations

  • The RFP/RFQ is distributed through professional networks, industry publications, or procurement platforms.
  • Invitations may also be sent directly to pre-identified firms with expertise in similar projects.

3. Initial Submissions

  • Interested architectural firms submit their qualifications or proposals. These typically include:
    • Firm portfolio: Highlighting past projects, especially in educational architecture.
    • Design approach: How the firm plans to address the project goals.
    • Team composition: Key personnel and their relevant experience.
    • References and certifications.

4. Shortlisting Candidates

  • A committee reviews submissions and shortlists firms based on criteria such as experience, design philosophy, project understanding, and compatibility with the client’s goals.

5. Interviews and Presentations

  • Shortlisted firms are invited for interviews to present their ideas, discuss their approach, and answer questions.
  • Some institutions may request preliminary concept designs to gauge creativity and alignment with the campus’s vision.

6. Evaluation of Proposals

  • Proposals are evaluated based on:
    • Design capability: Innovation, sustainability, and functional design.
    • Experience: Success in similar projects.
    • Cost efficiency: Ability to meet the budget without compromising quality.
    • Cultural fit: Alignment with the institution’s mission and values.

7. Final Selection

  • The committee selects the architect based on scoring, deliberations, and sometimes a voting process.
  • Contract negotiations follow, detailing scope, fees, and deliverables.

8. Community and Stakeholder Engagement

  • In some cases, stakeholders, including faculty, students, and local communities, are involved in providing feedback or participating in design workshops.

9. Formal Approval

  • The governing board of the institution or a similar authority often gives final approval.

This process ensures transparency, accountability, and the selection of the most qualified architect for the project.

 

Related:

American Planning Association

Society for College and University Planning

Higher Education Facilities Act of 1963

Carnegie Classifications

Bechtel Projects

Beauty in a World of Ugliness

Duncan Stroik Architect

American Vitruvius

Robie House

Architecture and Aesthetic Education

Gates of Kiev | Pictures at an Exhibition | Promenade

June 1, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com

No Comments

This content is accessible to paid subscribers. To view it please enter your password below or send mike@standardsmichigan.com a request for subscription details.

Facilities Management Job Description

June 1, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
No Comments

This content is accessible to paid subscribers. To view it please enter your password below or send mike@standardsmichigan.com a request for subscription details.

Layout mode
Predefined Skins
Custom Colors
Choose your skin color
Patterns Background
Images Background
error: Content is protected !!
Skip to content