A proposed optional third path to the ANSI/ASHRAE/IED energy standard would provide more flexibility for compliance.
The addendum would add a path to Standard 90.1 that entails 45% improvement over a common baseline design.
In addition, it proposes to make the baseline consistent with the prescriptive requirements in the 2004 version of the standard and to preserve that consistency in future versions.
The current paths to 90.1 compliance – the Energy Cost Budget method and the Performance Rating Method – can lead to different modeling protocols for different functions.
All require slightly different rules, and a single project could require two or more different baselines.
The common baseline could be included in beyond code programs also such as LEED, Standard 189.1, and federal tax incentive programs. Future revisions to these could offer different target percentages of improvement over baseline.