The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, along with nine other leading organizations, is forming a consortium in response to the U.S. Department of Energy request for consortia to advise the department on high-performance building issues. The High-Performance Commercial Green Building Partnership brings together leading organizations from all aspects of the building community to provide guidance and technical leadership on key sustainability issues to the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program.

“This partnership will ensure that the voices of the building industry are being heard,” says Bill Harrison, ASHRAE president. “At a time when reducing energy consumption in buildings is paramount, the consortium gives leaders in the built environment and in those industries affecting construction a clear path to offer advice to the DOE on our goals, concerns and new technologies.”

ASHRAE initiated formation of the partnership and will serve as the partnership’s secretariat. Other members of the HPCGBP’s steering committee currently includes

• The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI)
• American Institute of Architects (AIA)
• Alliance to Save Energy (ASE)
• Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)
• International Code Council (ICC)
• Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA)
• National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
• National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
• The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The partnership intends to be recognized as a “Partnership Consortium” by the Department of Energy as requested in response to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 Section 421. Section 421 is part of the formation of the Net-Zero Commercial Building Initiative, which is intended to develop a research, development and deployment strategy toward achieving net zero energy commercial buildings.

For more information, visit www.hpcgbp.org or contact Doug Read in ASHRAE’s Washington Office at dread@ashrae.org or 202/833-1830.