HOUSE COMMITS FUNDS TO BUILD GREEN SCHOOLS
The U.S. House of Representatives has committed more than $20 billion during the next five years to help states build and renovate schools to make them more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The legislation, which is sponsored by Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Ky.), passed 250 to 164 and now must be considered by the Senate. Democrats said the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act would save school districts billions of dollars in energy costs and reduce asthma and other health problems. Congressional Republicans and the White House see the bill as a federal intrusion into education matters normally under the jurisdiction of states and local governments. Under the act, projects would have to meet one of three green-building standards: LEED from the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council; Energy Star from the Washington-based U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; or the San Francisco-based Collaborative for High Performance Schools. For more information, visit edlabor.house.gov/issues/schoolfacilitiesact.shtml.
ASHRAE LEADS BRIEFING ABOUT BUILDING REPORT
The Atlanta-based American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. was the lead sponsor of a briefing for the U.S. Congress and congressional staff about a new assessment report that addresses high-performance buildings. Bill Coad, former ASHRAE president, served as chair of the committee that wrote the assessment, which contains seven recommendations to assist in encouraging the creation and operation of high-performance buildings. The formation of the High Performance Building Congressional Caucus also was announced during the briefing. It was formed in part to address the assessment report’s recommendations. The caucus will work to heighten awareness and inform policymakers about the major impacts buildings have on health, safety and welfare. For more information, visit www.ashrae.org.