[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 14 (Friday, January 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4169-4172]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-1380]



[[Page 4169]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Public Meeting on Analysis of ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy is in the process of making a 
determination as to whether ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 would 
save energy in commercial buildings. In doing so, we are performing a 
comparative analysis of the 2007 edition of that standard to the 2004 
edition and seeking input on our considered approach to carrying out 
that analysis.

DATES: The Department will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, February 
18, 2009, in Washington, DC. Please send requests to speak at the 
meeting so that we receive them by 4 p.m., Wednesday, February 11, 
2009. DOE must receive a signed original and an electronic copy of 
statements to be given at the public meeting no later than 4 p.m., 
Friday, February 13, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Requests to make statements at the public meeting and copies 
of those statements should be sent to Brenda Edwards-Jones at the 
following address: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121.
    You should identify documents as either, ``Request to Speak,'' or 
``Statement,'' followed by, ``Public Meeting on Analysis of Standard 
90.1-2007''.
    The public meeting will begin at 9 a.m., on Wednesday, February 18, 
2009, in Room 1E-245 at the U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal 
Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC. You can read 
copies of the transcript of the public meeting in the Freedom of 
Information Reading Room (Room No. 1E-090) at the U.S. Department of 
Energy, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    You may obtain copies of the reference standard ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA 
Standard 90.1-2007 by request from the American Society of Heating, 
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., 1791 Tullie Circle, 
NE., Atlanta, GA 30329, (404) 636-8400, http://www.ASHRAE.org. A copy 
of the ``Draft Methodology for a Comparative Analysis of ANSI/ASHRAE/
IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 and Standard 90.1-2004'' may be downloaded 
from Building Energy Codes Program Web site at http://www.energycodes.gov/implement/determinations_com.stm. The latest 
information regarding the public workshop is available on the Building 
Energy Codes Program Web site at http://www.energycodes.gov/implement/determinations_com.stm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald B. Majette, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EE-2J, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-7935, e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

A. Authority

    Section 304(b)(2) of title III of the Energy Conservation and 
Production Act (ECPA), as amended, requires the Secretary of Energy to 
determine whether the revisions of the American National Standards 
Institute (ANSI)/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-
Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)/Illuminating Engineering Society of 
North America (IESNA) Standard 90.1 will improve energy efficiency in 
commercial buildings. (42 U.S.C. 6833(b)(2)(A)) A notice of the 
determination is required to be published in the Federal Register. (42 
U.S.C. 6833(b)(2)(A)) If the Secretary makes an affirmative 
determination, each State is required to certify to DOE within two 
years of the determination that it has reviewed and updated the 
provisions of its commercial building code regarding energy efficiency 
and that its State commercial building code meets or exceeds the 
revised standard. (42 U.S.C. 6833(2)(B)(i)).

B. Background

    Standard 90.1 was revised by ASHRAE in 2007. In preparation for 
making a determination as to whether the recent revision would improve 
energy efficiency in commercial buildings, DOE is doing a comparative 
analysis between the 2004 edition and 2007 edition of Standard 90.1. 
DOE's determination for ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004 was 
conducted using the same methodology as the previous determination for 
ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999. The analysis used in the 
determinations for both the 1999 and 2004 versions was discussed in 
detail at 67 FR 46464 (July 15, 2002). DOE is considering modifying the 
methodology used in the determination associated with Standard 90.1-
2007. DOE is holding a meeting to obtain comment on the new approach 
prior to analyzing ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2007 and to identify any 
issues. This meeting is the subject of today's notice.

C. Summary of Draft Methodology for Comparative Analysis of ANSI/
ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 and Standard 90.1-2004

    DOE is considering both a qualitative and quantitative comparison 
of the Standard 90.1-2004 and Standard 90.1-2007. The considered 
analysis would provide qualitative comparisons of the stringencies 
between the two editions of Standard 90.1 in the scope of the standard; 
the building envelope requirements; the building lighting requirements; 
the building mechanical equipment requirements; and the paths to 
compliance. The quantitative comparison of energy codes would be done 
on whole building energy simulations of specific building prototypes 
compliant with each standard. For the determination, DOE is considering 
to simulate several representative building types in 16 representative 
U.S. climates. The detailed methodology for the quantitative comparison 
is presented in ``Draft Methodology for a Comparative Analysis of 
ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 and Standard 90.1-2004.'' DOE is 
considering a new methodology for two reasons. First, DOE is 
considering use of the EnergyPlus building energy simulation software 
in place of the BLAST building energy simulation software used in 
previous determinations. EnergyPlus is the newest simulation software 
developed by DOE and most DOE buildings-related analysis is now being 
conducted with EnergyPlus. Second, DOE is considering the use of a DOE 
benchmark building for the building models. The Benchmark buildings are 
a set of prototypical buildings developed by DOE for evaluation of 
commercial building energy programs, including codes and standards.

II. Discussion

A. Draft Methodology for a Comparative Analysis of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA 
Standard 90.1-2004 and Standard 90.1-2007

    DOE is considering both a qualitative and quantitative comparison 
of the Standard 90.1-2004 and Standard 90.1-2007.
Qualitative Comparisons
    The draft analysis would provide qualitative comparisons of the

[[Page 4170]]

stringencies between the two editions of Standard 90.1 based on 
examination of the differences between the editions in each of the 
following areas:
    Scope of the standard,
    Building envelope requirements,
    Building lighting requirements,
    Building mechanical equipment requirements, and
    Paths to compliance.
    The emphasis of the qualitative comparison would differ between the 
envelope, lighting, and mechanical sections. In the building envelope 
section, the comparison would focus on the impact of the different 
building envelope requirements on the building heating and cooling 
loads for different building types and climates. The envelope 
comparison would examine requirements for all envelope components, 
including roofs, walls, floors, and fenestration, as well as explore 
variations in construction types and in the window-to-wall ratio.
    In the lighting requirements comparison, the focus would be 
primarily on the impact the different lighting requirements have on 
lighting energy use, as well as on building loads. The comparison would 
look separately at the whole building and space-by-space lighting 
requirements in both standards in a variety of commercial building 
types, as well as examine the effect of any ``additional lighting power 
allowances.''
    The mechanical requirements comparison would be divided into 
comparisons of equipment efficiency requirements and system design 
requirements. The system design requirements affect both the system 
efficiency, system load, and may have direct energy impacts due, for 
instance, to fan design. Tables of relative stringency and estimated 
positive or negative national energy impact would be prepared based on 
practical application of the system design requirements in each 
standard.
    Each standard has multiple ways to demonstrate compliance. DOE 
would enumerate the multiple paths to compliance, but is not 
considering a detailed comparison of the relative stringency of 
alternate paths within a single standard or between standards. The 
large quantity of variables among the alternative compliance paths 
would make such analysis prohibitive to undertake. Further, we know of 
no data on which to base the selection of representative requirements 
for such an analysis. Assignment of requirements would be arbitrary. 
Rather we would focus on what we believe is the most common approach to 
using the standard in question for particular building types.
    The qualitative comparison methodology proposed for the Standard 
90.1-2007 determination is identical to that used for the Standard 
90.1-2004 determination.
Quantitative Comparison
    We are considering basing the quantitative comparison of energy 
codes on whole building energy simulations of buildings built to each 
standard. The simulated buildings would utilize EnergyPlus prototype 
buildings developed within DOE as reference buildings for tracking and 
predicting the energy impacts of DOE programs. (These prototypes are 
known as DOE's Benchmark Buildings.) The use of EnergyPlus prototypes 
represents a significant change from past determinations where the 
BLAST simulation tool was utilized and where a scaling process was used 
to represent buildings of varying size within a specific building type.
    DOE is developing 17 building prototypes under its Benchmark 
buildings effort. Each benchmark prototype is being developed through 
support of DOE national lab staff at Lawrence Berkeley National 
Laboratory (LBNL), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and 
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), as well as being reviewed 
by members of ASHRAE Standing Standard Project Committee (SSPC) 90.1, 
with the purpose of being as representative of current building designs 
as possible. However, not all of these prototypes are expected to be 
completed in sufficient time for DOE to meet its statutory deadline for 
the 90.1-2007 determination on December 31, 2008. DOE expects to have 
between five and ten prototypes completed in time for use in the 
quantitative aspect of the determination. DOE intends to simulate the 
available prototypes over a range of climate locations (16 versus 11 in 
previous determinations).
    For the 90.1-2007 determination, DOE plans to develop weighting 
factors by climate zone for each building prototype simulated based on 
historical construction data. These weighting factors would be based on 
historical construction square footages by building types assigned to 
each climate zone. DOE intends to weight simulated building energy use 
intensities (EUI) across the climate zones by building type to 
determine the relative change in efficiency by building type and will 
report these results as was done in previous determinations. In 
previous determinations, a national estimate of relative energy 
improvement was provided by weighing the resulting improvements across 
building types. If the available building prototypes can represent a 
sufficiently large percentage of the commercial building market, DOE 
intends to publish in the determination an estimate of relative 
national improvement in energy efficiency based on weighting EUIs 
across building types. If not, DOE may choose not to publish a national 
estimate of relative improvement, but will make relative weighting 
factors available.
    As more benchmark prototypes become available, DOE plans to 
complement its 90.1-2007 determination analysis with simulation results 
from other prototypes and intends to make this additional data 
available on the Energy Codes Program Web site at the address provided 
above. The 17 benchmark building types being developed by DOE are: 
Large Office, Medium Office, Small Office, Stand-Alone Retail, Strip 
Mall, Primary School, Secondary School, Outpatient Health Care, 
Hospital, Small Hotel/Motel, Large Hotel, Public Assembly, Fast Food 
Restaurant, Sit-Down Restaurant, Mid-Rise Apartment, High-Rise 
Apartment, and Non-Refrigerated Warehouse. These buildings (minus the 
two apartment buildings) together account for approximately 82 percent 
of commercial building energy use, according to the Commercial 
Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS). Mid Rise and High-Rise 
residential buildings are also within the scope of ASHRAE 90.1, but are 
not represented in CBECS. DOE envisions that at a minimum that Medium 
Office, Large Office, Mid-Rise Apartment, Warehouse and Hospital 
building prototypes will be available for the Determination.
    The 16 climates considered for the analysis represent the 15 
distinct climate zones identified in the United States and utilized in 
Standards 90.1-2004 and 90.1-2007. One location per climate zone would 
be included in the determination with the exception of Zone 3B, for 
which two climates are being considered. The climate locations selected 
are: Miami, Florida (Zone 1A); Houston, Texas (Zone 2A); Phoenix, 
Arizona (Zone 2B); Atlanta, Georgia (Zone 3A); Los Angeles, California 
(Zone 3B-California), Las Vegas, Nevada (Zone 3B-other than 
California); San Francisco, California (Zone 3C); Baltimore, Maryland 
(Zone 4A); Albuquerque, New Mexico (Zone 4B); Seattle, Washington (Zone 
4C); Chicago, Illinois (Zone 5A); Denver, Colorado (Zone 5B); 
Minneapolis, Minnesota (Zone 6A); Helena, Montana (Zone 6B); Duluth, 
Minnesota (Zone 7); and Fairbanks, Alaska (Zone 8).

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    Note that only changes to new buildings would be considered in this 
quantitative analysis. The scopes of both Standard 90.1-2004 and 90.1-
2007 also address additions and renovations to existing buildings. 
While this may have a significant energy impact, we do not believe the 
data is available to quantify this impact.
    The differences between the quantitative analysis proposed for the 
Standard 90.1-2007 determination and the Standard 90.1-2004 
determination are summarized below in tabular form.

   Table 1--Comparison of Prior to Current Quantitative Determination
                               Methodology
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               Standard 90.1-1999    2007 Determination
-----------------------------     and 90.1-2004    ---------------------
                                 Determinations
  Building simulation tool   ----------------------      EnergyPlus
                                      BLAST
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source and Description of     Pacific Northwest     Building-specific
 Building Models.              National Laboratory   Building Models
                               (PNNL; GUMBY).        from DOE Benchmark
                                                     Building Task.
                              Single generic three-
                               story 48,000 sf
                               slab on grade
                               building model with
                               changeable envelope
                               characteristics
                               (e.g. Window-Wall-
                               Ratio, Wall-Type)
                               and Changeable
                               Internal Plug Loads
                               and Lighting Loads
                               and Schedules.
Building Types Included in    Office..............  Medium Office.
 Comparison.
                              Retail..............  Large Office.
                              Warehouse...........  Warehouse.
                              Education...........  Hospital.
                              Lodging.............  Mid-Rise Apartment.
                              Public Assembly.....
                              Food Service........
                              (Multi-family         ....................
                               Residential
                               buildings not
                               included).
Method of characterizing      Changing of internal  Building-specific
 building ``type''.            loads and schedules   designs based on
                               in building models.   typical building
                                                     characteristics,
                                                     including building
                                                     design, size and
                                                     shape, and
                                                     schedules developed
                                                     from various data
                                                     sets and
                                                     engineering
                                                     judgment during DOE
                                                     Benchmarks
                                                     development.
Method of characterizing      National              National
 building-type population      Characteristics       Characteristics
 characteristics.              Data Set (CBECS99)    Data Set (CBECS03)
                               used in development   used in development
                               of weights for key    of Benchmarks
                               characteristics       Building Models
                               known to vary         characteristics.
                               within building
                               ``types'' (i.e.
                               window-to-wall
                               ratio, mass versus
                               frame wall
                               construction,
                               electric resistance
                               versus gas heat
                               fuel source;
                               simulations done
                               for each of the
                               above
                               characteristics and
                               weighted to final
                               EUI.
HVAC System Type............  Generic Single Zone   Varies depending on
                               DX equipment with     building types.
                               Gas Furnaces used     Cooling Systems
                               for all buildings     include Single Zone
                               by Lodging. Lodging   DX Systems, Central
                               category              Chiller VAV, and
                               represented with      Water-loop Heat
                               PTAC equipment with   Pumps. Heating
                               electric              Systems include
                               resistance. More      hydronic boilers
                               detailed system       and furnaces and
                               models not            zone reheat systems
                               considered.           in VAV models.
HVAC Efficiencies...........  HVAC efficiencies     Same; however,
                               improvements          efficiencies with
                               modeled.              effective dates
                               Determination         that are more than
                               ``Credit'' given      3 years out from
                               for changes to HVAC   date of standard
                               efficiencies in       are not included.
                               Standard if not
                               already in Federal
                               Law.
Ventilation Rates...........  Ventilation based on  Ventilation based on
                               Standard 62-1989.     Standard 62-2004.
Extracted Data..............  Zonal Energy used     Whole-Building
                               for Direct Electric   Energy Use Data for
                               Loads, DX Cooling     Electric and Gas
                               Energy including      Energy Use
                               Fan Energy, Zone      extracted for each
                               Heating energy and    building model.
                               SHW energy in
                               central plant.
                              Zonal Data used to
                               develop
                               representative EUI
                               for building
                               population with the
                               simulated
                               characteristics
                               using core and
                               perimeter zone area
                               weights developed
                               from CBECS Size and
                               Form Factor Data
                               for represented
                               building ``types''.
Fuel Types--Cooling.........  Electric............  Electric.
Fuel Types--Heating.........  Gas Furnace or        Gas and Electric
                               Electric Resistance   depending on
                               Furnace, with         Benchmark building
                               Electric Furnace      HVAC system
                               weights developed     characteristics.
                               through CBECS
                               estimates.
Fuel Types--Hot Water.......  Gas and Electric      Electric resistance
                               (Electric assumed     for mid-rise
                               for all buildings     apartment and
                               with electric heat).  warehouse, gas for
                                                     other building
                                                     types.
Climate Zones Simulated.....  11 Climate Locations  15 climate
                               used in 1999          locations, each
                               development.          representative of
                                                     one of the 15 U.S.
                                                     climate zones used
                                                     in defining the
                                                     requirements in
                                                     Standard 90.1-2004
                                                     and Standard 90.1-
                                                     2007.

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Mapping between simulated     Specific Climate      A representative
 locations to geographic       Simulations mapped    climate is selected
 regions.                      to geographic         for each of the
                               census divisions      geographic climate
                               using PNNL-           zones.
                               developed weighting
                               factors (vintage
                               1996).
Building Construction         Construction Weights  Construction weights
 weights.                      developed based on    developed based on
                               EIA-NEMS estimates    5 years recent
                               10 years of future    county construction
                               new construction in   data for building
                               census division by    types represented
                               building type         by Benchmark
                               category.             Buildings (DODGE
                                                     Data, including
                                                     multifamily >3
                                                     stories).
Energy Characteristics        EUI by Building Type  EUI by Building Type
 Reported.                     and Census Division   across U.S.
                               National EUI          National EUI
                               estimates through     weights not
                               weighting across      proposed until more
                               modeled building      Benchmark building
                               types categories.     type simulations
                                                     can be included.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. Public Meeting

1. Procedures for Submitting Requests To Speak
    DOE invites any person who would like to attend the public meeting 
to notify Brenda Edwards-Jones at (202) 586-2945. You may hand deliver 
requests to speak to the address indicated at the beginning of this 
notice between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays, or send them by mail.
2. Conduct of Public Meeting
    The public meeting will be to receive comments representing the 
individual opinions of participating entities. It is not the object of 
the hearing to obtain any group position or consensus. Rather DOE is 
seeking as many comments as possible from all interested parties. The 
Department may use a professional facilitator to facilitate discussion, 
and a court reporter will be present to record the transcript of the 
meeting. We will present summaries of comments received before the 
public meeting, allow time for presentations by public meeting 
participants, and encourage all interested parties to share their views 
on issues affecting the draft analysis. Following the public meeting, 
we will provide an additional two week comment period, during which 
interested parties will have an opportunity to present further comment 
on the draft analysis. The Department will arrange for a transcript of 
the public meeting and will make the entire record of the public 
meeting, including the transcript, available for inspection in the 
Department's Freedom of Information Reading Room. Any person may 
purchase a copy of the transcript from the transcribing reporter.

C. Issues Requested for Comment

    The Department of Energy is interested in receiving comments and/or 
data concerning issues relating to the comparative analysis of Standard 
90.1-2004 and Standard 90.1-2007. These issues are discussed in greater 
detail in the Draft Methodology for a Comparative Analysis of ASHRAE/
IESNA Standard 90.1-2004 and Standard 90.1-2007 that is posted on the 
web at http://www.energycodes.gov/implement/determinations_com.stm. We 
are especially interested in any comments or data regarding:
    (1) Specific reductions in stringency in Standard 90.1-2007 that 
the Department should be made aware of and that have been identified by 
stakeholders.
    (2) Specific changes in scope between Standard 90.1-2004 and 
Standard 90.1-2007 and how DOE should interpret expansions of scope in 
its determination.
    (3) DOE's considered approach to changes in referenced ventilation 
standards between Standard 90.1-2004 and Standard 90.1-2007.
    (4) DOE's considered approach for addressing future effective dates 
for mechanical equipment requirements.
    (5) The frequency of use of alternative paths to compliance in 
building standards (e.g. space-by-space versus whole building lighting 
power allowances).
    (6) New non-residential building construction data (including mid 
rise and high rise residential) by State or census division and 
building type.
    (7) Data to quantify the impact of Standard 90.1 on additions and 
renovations to existing buildings.
    (8) The relative prevalence of the semi-heated building envelope 
subcategory in the building types draft for analysis (e.g., 
warehouses).
    (9) The relative importance of the Mid- and High-rise residential 
sector in DOE's determination and data for developing weighting factors 
for this sector.
    (10) Data describing the relative frequency of use of alternative 
paths to compliance.
    (11) The impact of using a limited number of building prototypes 
(medium office, large office, warehouse, hospital, and mid-rise 
apartment) in the quantitative portion of the determination.
    These data will help us to make a determination whether ASHRAE/
IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 will improve energy efficiency in commercial 
buildings as well as provide background that will help DOE in future 
determinations on Standard 90.1.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 13, 2009.
John F. Mizroch,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
 [FR Doc. E9-1380 Filed 1-22-09; 8:45 am]
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