ASHRAE has announced the development of future editions of the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The development responds to the changing market and customer needs for operational emissions reduction.
As part of the 90.1 Standing Standard Project Committee's (SSPC) 2028 and 2031 six-year work plan, Standard 90.1 will maintain its primary focus on energy efficiency and energy cost requirements consistent with its purpose. This direction reflects strong industry stakeholder feedback and reinforces the standard's historical role as a widely adopted and enforceable benchmark for commercial building energy performance.
The committee will also develop a separate, aligned document that better seeks pathways to lower operational emissions. The operational framework will provide a template for establishing commercial building requirements and procedures aimed at reducing operational emissions, including opportunities to account for the availability of renewable energy.
To better support this, the committee will move the optional Addenda M and N, introduced in the 2025 edition of Standard 90.1, as operational carbon-focused appendices, from the core standard and transition those concepts into a separate, dedicated publication. The new publication will focus on operational greenhouse gas emissions reduction and provide a blueprint for jurisdictions and other users interested in developing operational carbon reduction standards and codes.
Updated framework will also include:
The restructuring of Standard 90.1 reflects input from regulators, designers, owners and other stakeholders seeking greater clarity in the purpose and application of ASHRAE’s flagship commercial building energy standard.
ASHRAE will continue to develop both documents through its consensus-based process, using economic justification with opportunities for public review and comment in accordance with ANSI procedures.
