I was excited for the progress of the joint project of ASHRAE, USGBC and IESNA to develop a standard for sustainable buildings that could be incorporated into building codes. It was proposed in 2006, opened for public comment in 2007 and then ASHRAE abruptly disbanded the committee developing the standard earlier this month.
Such a standard would be welcome in the industry. There are many directors of corporate real estate and portfolio managers who have existing buildings that will not easily (nor realistically) achieve LEED certification in the near future. Yet these real estate executives care about greening their portfolios want to (A) take meaningful action and (B) communicate their actions to the public. A standard such as ASHRAE 189 (albeit for existing buildings) would be a way for these managers to work towards a “green” standard without having to go all the way to LEED.
People familiar with the committee situation have both cynical views and optimistic hopes about the ultimate outcome of ASHRAE 189. It is quite disconcerting that the process, which was begun with an organized effort between leading organizations in the buildings industry, would be halted unilaterally by the hosting organization. However, there are signs that dispanding the committee was necessary to save the standard.
One such sign is the immediate call for committee members to re-apply for a new committee with the same mission. Those who optimitstically subsribe to this theory believe that the new committee will be composed of a broader number of stakeholders which is necessary to develop an accurate and applicable standard.
Cynics (I’m breaking everyone into two extreme categories here) believe, with not a minimal amount of evidence, that trade groups powered down the committee to derail the effort.
Tristan and Nadav are following developments and will likely have updates for us soon.
