Standard 90.1, the energy conservation standard published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), has been approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999, “Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings,” provide the minimum requirements for the design of energy efficient buildings.

Standard 90.1 had previously been approved by ANSI but that approval was appealed by the American Gas Association (AGA), which was supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council. ANSI denied the AGA appeals, which means the Institute has determined that the standard has met the consensus requirements set by the accrediting standards-writing organization.

“We are very pleased that Standard 90.1 has earned endorsement from ANSI,” said James W. Wolf, ASHRAE president. “Since being developed during the energy crisis of the 1970s, Standard 90.1 has become the basis for national building codes and the standard for national building design and construction.”

The standard is being considered by the U.S. Department of Energy for inclusion in the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Currently, the act references the 1989 Standard 90.1, according to Wolf.

Standard 90.1-1999 is written in mandatory, enforceable language that can be adopted into federal, state, and local building codes. A revised standard, incorporation additional addenda, may be published later this year.