Guidance on how to achieve 30% savings overASHRAE'senergy conservation standard will be published this summer. But what products are available on the market today to help achieve those savings?

"Energy efficient products are available today, and we need to be able to use them effectively," Charles Culp, Ph.D., P.E., Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, said. "Everyone involved in the product use cycle needs to be brought up to speed on how to sell, install, maintain and use these products. Energy efficiency can be made to work in real buildings."

A forum examining existing technologies that would help meet proposed 30% savings over the ASHRAE energy conservation standard will be held at the society's 2004 Annual Meeting, June 26-30, Nashville, TN.

State-of-the-Shelf Technologies for 30 Percent Above Code Designs will take place from 9-9:50 a.m., June 28. It is sponsored by ASHRAE's technical committee 9.5, Residential and Small Building Applications.

ASHRAE, the American Institute of Architects, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, the New Buildings Institute, and the Department of Energy are developing guidance on how to achieve 30% savings over ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

The savings refer to reductions in energy consumption beyond that allowed by 90.1, which sets the minimum energy efficiency required by most building codes. "'State-of-the-shelf' is intended to describe real products that can be installed with users getting the anticipated benefits," Culp, forum moderator, said.

Examples of such products include high-efficiency air conditioners and heat pumps, variable speed fans and pumps for variable capacity control, materials that enhance the heat transfer efficiency, radiant barriers in attics, new window technology including low emissivity, low-U with better insulating frames, and high-efficiency rated appliances. Low-use water products, including faucets, water-closets and showers, also are more widely used, according to Culp.

He noted that issues related to comfort and indoor environmental quality also determine technologies that can used in high efficiency design. Advanced Energy Design Guides will consist of a series of documents applying to a variety of facilities. The first document in the 30% series will provide prescriptive design assistance for office buildings up to 20,000 sq ft. It will be a how-to, user-friendly guide targeted for use by contractors and small design-build firms. It is scheduled to be approved for publication at the ASHRAE annual meeting.

For more information or to register, visit ASHRAE.org.