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RESNET Forms Task Force on Developing High-Rise and Commercial Building Energy Performance Index

There is a growing interest by developers and utility sponsored programs in being able to rate and index the energy performance of high rise multifamily and commercial buildings. Currently there is no national standard for indexing the energy performance of either. To meet this need, RESNET will develop and adopt a new energy performance index for high rise multifamily and commercial buildings. This will be accomplished by working with commercial building energy efficiency programs such as the New Buildings Institute, LEED, the ENERGY STAR Homes Multi-Family High Rise Pilot Program, and RESNET international affiliates such as the Shanghai Real Estate Science and Research Institute and the Japan Energy Star Council.

This effort will focus on developing a high rise multifamily and commercial buildings energy performance index and accreditation procedures for software simulation tools used in performance-based analysis. A set of national commercial building modeling protocols is also being developed in a separate work effort by the New Buildings Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council with funding from the Energy Foundation. This effort will also be coordinated with the Environmental Protection Agency’s modeling efforts with the ENERGY STAR Homes Multi-Family High Rise Pilot Program.

The following is the proposed work plan for developing the RESNET building energy performance index

• Establish procedures for accreditation of commercial building software
  • Software must pass ASHRAE Standard 140, Section 5.2 tests (specific test number to be determined)
  • Establish RESNET software pass/fail criteria (Standard 140 does not specify acceptance criteria)
  • Software must provide for automatic generation of reference buildings
• Establish minimum standards for the rating method
  • Reference building
    • As defined by ASHRAE 90.1-2004, Appendix G
    • California ACM HVAC Systems Map (rule base)
    • Residential lighting budgets
  • HERS Index same as residential (100=code; 0=zero) except
    • Not the RESNET Normalized, Modified Loads Method as in residential rating method
    • Consideration time dependent valuation (TDV) at state or multi-state level
  • On-site power production as defined by RESNET for residential buildings

RESNET is recruiting a task force to provide input to RESNET on the development of the building performance index. All of the work of the task force will be by e-mail.

If you would like to add your voice to this effort please e-mail your interest to serve on the RESNET High Rise and Multifamily Energy Performance Index to Steve Baden at sbaden@resnet.us by December 15, 2008.