Recently in ASRAE - Amer. Society of H, R, AC Engineers Category

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is working toward a building energy labeling program  -- the Buliding EQ label.

For years, ASHRAE has sought ways to help move the nation's building stock toward net-zero-energy use.

The new Building Energy Quotient program seeks the answers to that question with metrics for measuring both the energy the building is designed to use and the energy actually being consumed. The ASHRAE program is being designed to close the gaps between intention and operation.

ASHRAE
http://buildingeq.com/

David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency , appeared before Congress to discuss the potential for increased energy efficiency in new and existing buildings to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

In order to provide a solid basis for efficiency improvement in the buildings sector we are working to evaluate and strengthen building energy codes.

Residential: To ensure that all new homes become more energy efficient, DOE has long participated in the development of the International Code Council's (ICC) International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The ICC, a voluntary, consensus-based industry standards development organization, updates the IECC every three years.

The Department's current goal is a residential energy code that is 30% more efficient than the 2006 IECC.

The ICC is currently considering code proposals that have the potential to improve the residential code by 18 to 22% when the next IECC update is published in 2009.

Commercial Energy Efficiency Sector

In the commercial sector, DOE is also partnering with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to develop model building codes that are 30% more efficient by 2010 for all new commercial buildings compared with 2004 standards.

ASHRAE and DOE have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to demonstrate their mutual commitment to work together toward this goal. Additionally, the MOU includes commitment by ASHRAE and DOE to improving the efficient use of energy, promoting viable and widespread use of renewable energy sources, and minimizing the impact of energy use on the environment. 

Design Guides for Energy Efficiency

As it is much more cost-effective to realize profound improvements in building performance at the time of construction than to retrofit homes or buildings, we encourage and are helping states to adopt and implement these code changes.

We are also expanding assistance available to states and local governments and working with the private sector to develop 30% and 50% "beyond code" design guides to encourage maximum efficiency in buildings nationwide.

DOE projects that its building energy code-related activities save the nation's home owners $200 million and commercial building owners $1.9 billion in 2010 (2000 dollars). Cumulatively, since the inclusion of the 1992 Model Energy Code as part of the 1992 Energy Policy Act, DOE estimates savings from codes (in 2008) at $6.4 billion for commercial buildings and $600 million for homes.

By 2030, DOE estimates that full adoption and implementation of 30% model codes in America's homes and buildings has the potential to save approximately 2.7 Quads of energy per year and to avoid nearly 160 million metric tons of C02 equivalents per year, which could potentially save consumers up to $20 billion in annual energy expenditures.

Net-Zero Energy Buildings -- The Goal

We are working ultimately to enable builders and the construction industry to increase production of net-zero energy buildings--grid-connected buildings that, over the course of a year, produce as much energy as they use--and make it more profitable for them to do so.

The Builders Challenge

In February, Secretary Bodman launched the Builders Challenge:

The Builders Challenge is a voluntary national energy savings program calling on the U.S. homebuilding industry to build 220,000 high-performance, energy efficient homes by 2012.

A high-performance home would use at least 30% less energy than a typical new home built to meet criteria of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code.

Homes qualifying will meet a 70 or better on a new EnergySmart Home Scale, or E-Scale, that will be affixed to the homes allowing buyers to understand at a glance the energy performance of that home.

To date, 185 builders and 99 other partners have already pledged to build an estimated total of 10,000 high-performance homes. Ultimately, DOE aims to see 1.3 million homes of this high standard constructed by 2030. Significantly increasing the energy efficiency of homes is essential to achieving the DOE goal that, by 2020, a consumer will have the opportunity to buy an affordable net-zero energy home. The Builders Challenge establishes a framework for continuous improvement that will help propel the market toward zero-energy performance.

SOURCE: 
Testimony of David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency before the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, United States House of Representatives. Topic: Buildings Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gases, July 17, 2008, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/office_eere/rodgers_testimony_071708.html