ASHRAE, REHVA Team to Promote Sustainability

February 12, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

"ASHRAE and REHVA must work together to find the best sustainable technology for superior indoor environment for buildings. Coordination and cooperation is needed so that duplication of efforts is avoided and that the limited resources are used most efficiently," said Olli Seppänen, president of REHVA.

Europe's goal for energy saving is set at 20% by the year 2020. Steps toward this goal include an energy efficiency and energy services directive from April 2006 that sets the goal for energy savings in the member states at 1% per year during the next nine years, and requests national energy efficiency plans in June 2007.

The European commission also prepared a directive for minimum energy performance standards for 14 priority energy products in 2007. ASHRAE is pursuing a similar goal, with aims to achieve net-zero energy use by the year 2020.

"We must continue to work together to gain technical knowledge and to share it. The engineers who belong to ASHRAE and REHVA are searching for new technology and guidance to develop safe, comfortable, healthy energy-efficient buildings," said Terry Townsend, president of ASHRAE. "This agreement encourages our organizations to work together to ensure more sustainable environments all around the world."

Source: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. (ASHRAE).