The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, or ASHRAE, is now in the pilot phase of testing its new building rating system called Building Energy Quotient.  The system would give buildings a rating from A+ to F; facilities that are net zero – they produce as much energy as they consume – receive an A+, and buildings that are “unsatisfactory” receive an F.  This report card style rating is easy to understand and will hopefully make owners and tenants more concerned with their current or potential building’s energy use.

ASHRAE’s approach looks to expand on the rather similar Energy Star rating system by including more facility types and providing more information.  Building EQ will give each building two ratings – one for how it is designed and one based on operations data.  The difference between the two will show if the building is maximizing its potential in terms of energy savings, based on how it was planned to work.

The launch, planned for next year, seems to be well timed, as national legislation (American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) and state legislation (California and Washington DC) looking to require buildings’ energy use to be labeled are being considered.

Buildings use 40% of energy in developed countries; hopefully this rating will make people more aware of energy use and help them make smart decisions when designing, buying, or leasing buildings.  Now if we join energy awareness, upgrades and retrofits, and mandatory labels, we can really make a difference in our building energy use.