ATLANTA, Georgia, United States, 10 July 2020: ASHRAE and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalising the organisations’ strategic partnership, ASHRAE said through a Press release.

Charles E Gulledge III, 2020-21 ASHRAE President and Doreen M Harris, NYSERDA Acting President and CEO, signed the MoU on July 9. The agreement defines parameters on how the two organizations will develop and provide  safe building occupancy guidelines following the spread of COVID-19, including building readiness and reopening guidance, sustainable development practices and associated training, ASHRAE said through the release.

NYSERDA and ASHRAE will work cooperatively to improve the design and application of efficient and low-carbon heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration technologies and their application in New York State, ASHRAE said.

“ASHRAE has taken a leadership role in providing technical resources to help protect the health and safety of building occupants, as we start the transition into a post-COVID-19 environment,” Gulledge said. “Our partnership with NYSERDA will leverage the collective strength of both organizations, as we implement innovative energy management and indoor air quality practices to address today’s building challenges.”

Harris said: “New York is building back better under Governor Cuomo’s unwavering leadership by advancing a framework to address some of society’s most pressing health and climate issues. Through this groundbreaking partnership with ASHRAE, we will advance statewide change with cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions while reducing the overall carbon footprint of New York’s building stock and prioritizing human health and safe indoor air quality.”

According to ASHRAE, the MoU includes, but is not limited to, the following goals:

• The development and/or utilisation of existing research, resources, guidance manuals, training and best practices on minimising airborne pathogen exposure through improved indoor air quality, ventilation and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation for buildings to enable safe reopening and operation.
• The development of job/task specific-contractor and building safety guidelines to minimise airborne pathogen exposure.
• The development of guidance documents on carbon neutral buildings, building electrification, carbon emission load calculations and clean geothermal district systems.

The development and/or delivery of new or existing ASHRAE professional training on the application of codes, standards, guidance documents, manuals and tools.