Richard Hermans, P.E., chair of ASHRAE's Standards Committee, acknowledges the change is significant.
"Our whole approach to how we relate to the building code industry is changing," Hermans said. "We are seeking more involvement with the model code development community to assist us in our code proposals. We are responding to member concerns over the cost of keeping up with our code-intended standards. By cost, I am not referring to the dollars spent for obtaining the updated documents but rather the cost in time to train employees about the new requirements contained in addenda. And we are aligning our release of certain standards to coincide with the model code schedules for code change proposals."