ANSI ASHRAE IES Standard 90.1-2022 (SI edition) PDF

Full title and description

ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2022 (SI edition) — Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low‑Rise Residential Buildings. This edition (SI units) is the ASHRAE consensus standard, jointly sponsored by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and approved as an American National Standard (ANSI), that establishes minimum energy‑efficiency requirements for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of new and altered buildings (except low‑rise residential) and associated building sites.

Abstract

Standard 90.1-2022 provides prescriptive and performance‑based requirements for building energy use, covering the building envelope, HVAC and service‑water‑heating systems, lighting and power, controls, metering and commissioning. The 2022 edition introduces new whole‑building and site‑level provisions including a minimum prescriptive on‑site renewable energy requirement, a new energy credits mechanism, updated lighting and HVAC efficiency metrics, and expanded commissioning and metering requirements. It is intended to be used as a code reference, compliance baseline for rating programs and a design target for energy‑efficient buildings.

General information

• Status: Published; ANSI approved; active/current edition.
• Publication date: Edition year 2022 (standard text published by ASHRAE as the 2022 edition; ASHRAE release published and incorporated into regulatory review processes in early 2023).
• Publisher: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air‑Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); co‑sponsored by Illuminating Engineering Society (IES); ANSI approved.
• ICS / categories: Construction and buildings — primary ICS groups: 91.040 (Buildings), 91.140 (Installations in buildings — HVAC/electrical), 91.160 (Lighting).
• Edition / version: ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1‑2022, SI units edition (full standard published as SI and I‑P unit versions).
• Number of pages: 464 pages (SI edition PDF/page count as published by ASHRAE).

Scope

Establishes minimum energy‑efficiency requirements for the design, construction, and a plan for operation and maintenance of new buildings and new portions of buildings (except low‑rise residential), and for certain systems and equipment at building sites. The standard applies to building envelope, HVAC systems, service‑water heating, lighting and power, controls, metering and commissioning, and on‑site renewable energy where specified. Exclusions include single‑family homes and multifamily buildings three stories or fewer above grade, process loads not associated with conditioned space, and buildings that use neither electricity nor fossil fuel.

Key topics and requirements

• Prescriptive and performance compliance paths (Prescriptive packages, Energy Cost Budget method, Appendix G Performance Rating Method).
• Building envelope requirements: updated insulation, glazing, thermal bridging guidance and a whole‑building air leakage testing requirement for many building sizes.
• HVAC requirements: updated efficiency metrics and test references (including newer SEER2/HSPF2 references), tighter performance for many system types, commissioning and part‑load controls.
• Lighting and power: reorganized lighting section, reduced interior lighting power allowances, expanded control requirements and allowances for contemporary LED practice and new space types (e.g., video conferencing, horticultural lighting limits).
• Mandatory minimum prescriptive on‑site renewable energy for many new buildings (first inclusion of prescriptive renewables to the standard; exceptions for small buildings, limited roof access/shading and other specific conditions).
• New Energy Credits mechanism (Section 11) enabling selectable efficiency measures to achieve additional, cost‑effective savings.
• Metering, monitoring and automated demand‑response readiness: expanded metering requirements and fault detection/monitoring expectations for larger or more complex systems.
• New or expanded regulated equipment categories: elevator efficiency classes referenced, compressed air system requirements, refrigeration sub‑metering, and additional requirements for pumps and system controls.
• Numerous normative and informative appendices (including updated Appendix G baseline methodology and informative guidance on thermal bridging, renewable sizing and compliance tools).

These topics reflect major updates from the 2019 edition intended to move the industry toward greater energy savings and to support a pathway to net‑zero carbon building performance over subsequent editions.

Typical use and users

Used by building designers (architects, mechanical/electrical engineers), code officials, energy consultants, commissioning agents, sustainability reviewers, manufacturers and product specifiers, utilities, and program administrators. It serves as a compliance reference for model building codes, a baseline for green‑building and rating programs (e.g., LEED), and a technical resource for specifying minimum energy performance in commercial, institutional and high‑rise residential projects.

Related standards

Commonly referenced and related documents include prior editions of the standard (ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1‑2019), the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and jurisdictional building codes that adopt 90.1 as a compliance path, ASHRAE standards addressing ventilation and IAQ (e.g., ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1), ASHRAE standards for equipment testing and rating (AHRI/AHRI‑referenced test standards), IES lighting guidance, and international energy management standards (for example ISO 50001) where lifecycle or operational energy management is required. The 90.1 User’s Manual and Appendix G model protocols are also standard companion documents.

Keywords

Energy efficiency, building code, commercial buildings, HVAC, lighting power, on‑site renewable energy, performance rating, prescriptive requirements, building envelope, metering, commissioning, ANSI, ASHRAE, IES, SI units.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1‑2022 (SI edition) is the ASHRAE consensus energy standard that sets minimum energy‑efficiency requirements for sites and buildings except low‑rise residential buildings; it is ANSI approved and co‑sponsored by IES.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers prescriptive and performance requirements for the building envelope, HVAC and service‑water heating, lighting and power, controls, metering and commissioning, and includes new provisions addressing on‑site renewable energy and an energy credits mechanism to encourage additional cost‑effective measures.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Architects, MEP engineers, energy modelers, code officials, commissioning agents, product manufacturers, utility program staff and green‑building reviewers — anyone responsible for demonstrating compliance with commercial building energy requirements or designing to a published energy baseline.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2022 edition is the current published edition (ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1‑2022). ASHRAE continuously maintains the standard through addenda; jurisdictions may adopt later addenda or updates as they are published. Note: while the edition year is 2022, ASHRAE issued the published standard text and triggered regulatory review processes in early 2023. Users should check for any addenda issued after publication that may affect compliance.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — Standard 90.1 is published on a regular (three‑year) cycle and forms part of ASHRAE’s family of standards addressing energy and indoor environmental performance. It is related to other ASHRAE standards (e.g., 62.1 for ventilation, 90.2 for low‑rise residential guidance, and equipment‑specific standards) and is often referenced by model codes and green‑building rating systems.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Energy efficiency; commercial buildings; HVAC; lighting; building envelope; on‑site renewables; performance rating; prescriptive requirements; metering; commissioning; ANSI; ASHRAE; IES.