Learn how ASHRAE Standard 189.1 serves as an alternative compliance pathway to the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) for high-performance green buildings.
Table of Contents
Question
ASHRAE 189.1 is an alternative compliance path to what building code?
A. American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
B. International Green Construction Code (IGCC)
C. ASHRAE 90.1
D. California’s Title 24
Answer
B. International Green Construction Code (IGCC)
Explanation
ASHRAE 189.1 is a standard for the design of high-performance green buildings that covers various aspects of sustainability, energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and more. It is an alternate compliance path for the IGCC, which is a model code that contains minimum requirements for green building design and construction. In jurisdictions that adopt the IGCC, a builder has the option to design and construct a building in accordance with the provisions of ASHRAE 189.1 rather than those of the IGCC.
ASHRAE Standard 189.1, titled “Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings”, provides a comprehensive set of requirements for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. It was developed as an alternative compliance path to the International Green Construction Code (IgCC).
The IgCC, developed by the International Code Council (ICC), is a model code that provides minimum requirements for increasing the environmental and health performance of buildings. It is the first model code to include sustainability measures for the entire construction project and its site.
By complying with ASHRAE 189.1, a project automatically complies with the IgCC, as the standard is considered “deemed-to-comply” with the IgCC. This allows projects to follow the more detailed and specific requirements of ASHRAE 189.1 as an alternate path to meeting the broader IgCC criteria.
The other options listed are related but incorrect:
- ANSI is the organization that approved ASHRAE 189.1 as an American National Standard, but it is not a building code.
- ASHRAE 90.1 is a different standard that focuses specifically on energy efficiency in buildings.
- California’s Title 24 is a state-specific energy code and is not directly related to ASHRAE 189.1 or the IgCC.
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