ASHRAE Strengthens Standard 90.1 Foundation

New companion publication to address carbon reduction and operational emissions goals.

The ASHRAE logo.

Image courtesy of ASHRAE.

ASHRAE announced a strategic direction for the development of future editions of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

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 justified requirements consistent with its purpose since the 1970s. 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.

In response to growing interest from states, cities and large corporations seeking pathways to lower operational emissions, the committee will also develop a separate, aligned document. The optional 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 support this direction, the committee plans to 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. This new publication will focus specifically on operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and provide a blueprint for jurisdictions and other users interested in developing operational carbon reduction standards and codes.

“Standard 90.1 has helped define energy-efficient commercial building design for more than 50 years, and this direction strengthens the foundation that has made it one of the world’s most influential building energy standards,” said 2026-27 ASHRAE President Sarah E. Maston, P.E., BCxP, LEED AP BD+C. “At the same time, the building industry is evolving, and our tools must evolve with it. By creating a dedicated pathway for operational emissions reduction, ASHRAE can respond to emerging market needs without losing sight of the proven energy efficiency principles at the heart of Standard 90.1. It’s about giving our industry the right playbook for the challenge at hand and positioning our members and stakeholders to lead what comes next.”

The updated framework will:

Reaffirm Standard 90.1 as the baseline energy efficiency standard grounded in cost justified energy and performance requirements.
Transition operational carbon-focused provisions, including Addenda M and N, into a new standalone publication.
Provide clearer pathways for adoption by jurisdictions, regulators, and industry professionals while responding to the needs of states, cities and other users.
Enhance usability, flexibility and responsiveness to market demands, including through digital tools and improved and expanded compliance approaches.

The separate publication will build on prior work to provide an optional, cost-justified framework for advancing operational GHG emissions reductions.

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. Engagement will continue throughout the 2028 and 2031 development cycles, drawing on the expertise of the Standard 90.1 committee’s 153 members and consultants, as well as ASHRAE Technical Committees.