Features
Sustainable design growing in South America

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), with the help of partnering organizations in South America, have produced tools to help develop the growing green market in that region.

Two ASHRAE standards regarding energy efficiency and sustainability were recently translated into Spanish and Portuguese.
            
“South America is very progressive and aggressive when it comes to green building,” Ross Montgomery, ASHRAE vice president who works closely with members in South America, said. “There are many green building engineering firms, contractors and vendors who are working to deliver green building design and green technology products to the marketplace. These translations, along with the cooperation between ASHRAE and other building industry groups in the region, provide new tools to help further green building technologies.”

ASHRAE’s Argentina Chapter recently translated ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2009, Standard for the Design of High Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, into Spanish. The Argentina Chapter, along with other groups including the Asociación Argentina del Frío (AAF), is working to increase the market for green buildings in that country.

“Making our society aware of the benefits of sustainable buildings is one of our most important priorities,” said Florentino Roson, past President of the Argentina Chapter, VP of AAF and a green building controls expert in Argentina. “The translation was spurred by our desire to save energy through responsible building. Although application of the standard is not yet mandatory in Argentina, we believe Standard 189.1 will be used as a benchmark in the design, building and maintenance of sustainable buildings in the near future.”

In addition, ASHRAE also worked with the Green Building Council Brasil on the Portuguese translation of Standard 90.1-2007, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The Council wanted a translation of the standard for use in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating program in that country. ASHRAE past President Kent Peterson visited Brazil earlier this month to support ASHRAE chapters and the Society’s work with ABRAVA, SMACNA and Green Building Council Brasil.

For more information, go to www.ashrae.org.

September 8, 2010  By  John Gilson