ASHRAE calls for comments on new standard
For high performance green healthcare facilities
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) are calling for comments on a proposed new standard for the design, construction and operation of sustainable healthcare facilities.
The proposed ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 189.3P would provide the procedures, methods and documentation requirements for the design, construction and operation of high performance sustainable healthcare buildings. It would apply to patient care areas and related support areas within healthcare facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes and licensed outpatient facilities.
The standard covers key topical areas of site sustainability, water use efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and the building’s impact on the atmosphere, materials and resources. There is also a special section to address the emissions, effluents and pollution that are commonly discharged from these facilities.
Standard 189.3 provides guidance to achieve improved energy efficiency
Proposed Standard 189.3 provides guidance to achieve improved energy efficiency for the selection of materials and furnishings and for using green facility operating processes.
The standard builds on the guidance for creating high performance buildings addressed in ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1, Standard for the design of high-performance, green buildings except low-rise residential buildings, while accommodating the factors that affect healthcare facilities.
Specific ventilation requirements for healthcare facilities are addressed in ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170, Ventilation of healthcare facilities.
The proposed new standard is open for public comment from 7 December 2012 to 21 January 2013.
