Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 25 April 2018: ASHRAE published a new standard describing a methodology to apply building energy modelling throughout the design process, the organisation said through a Press communiqué.

ASHRAE Standard 209-2018, ‘Energy Simulation Aided Design for Buildings except Low Rise Residential Buildings’, defines minimum requirements for providing energy design assistance using building energy simulation and analysis, the communiqué said.

According to ASHRAE, the standard defines consistent energy modelling procedures to quantify the impact of design decisions when they are being made. To minimally comply with Standard 209-2018, building project teams must evaluate energy-efficiency options using modelling early in the design process (schematic design), the communiqué said.

“For many buildings, energy modelling is typically employed only near the end of the design process to determine if a building meets minimum requirements for energy-efficient design, outlined in Standard 90.1,” said Jason Glazer, chair of the Standard 209 committee. “Standard 209-2018 requires building energy modelling earlier in the design process, so the information it provides will more effectively inform design decisions and result in higher performing buildings,” he added.

This new standard will be useful to building owners, architects, government agencies and many others who want their projects to benefit from the use of simulation, the communiqué said. By referencing the standard, they can identify appropriate modelling tasks and procure modelling services that add value in the design process, the communiqué further said.

According to ASHRAE, the standard also describes analysis activities from early concept development to post-occupancy. The standard applies to new buildings, major renovations and additions and defines nominal requirements for using modelling to support integrated design efforts, the communiqué said.

Standard 209-2018 defines seven design-phase modelling cycles, each with specific modelling goals coordinated with the typical design process, the communiqué said. Each modelling cycle is an extension of a general modelling cycle that can be applied any time during design, the communiqué further said. Three additional modelling cycles are defined for construction and operation phases and include a design and post-occupancy performance comparison to help owners and modellers understand the impact of design phase modelling assumptions and inform future modelling efforts, the communiqué added.

According to ASHRAE, the cost of ASHRAE Standard 209-2018 is USD 67 for ASHRAE members (USD 79 for non-members). To order, visit: www.ashrae.org/bookstore.