ASHRAE Journal - August 2023 - 7

INDUSTRY NEWS
ASHRAE Awarded $2.85 Million Grant
for Energy Code Training Collaborative
ASHRAE, along with seven partnering organizations,
announced that it has been awarded a $2.85 million
grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Building
Technologies Office for Resilient and Efficient Codes
Implementation (RECI).
RECI is a product of the Infrastructure Investment
and Jobs Act, which provides an opportunity to advance
the efficiency and resilience of buildings through
successfully implementing updated energy codes in
states and local jurisdictions throughout the
United States.
The program invests $225 million over five years,
encompassing fiscal years 2022 through 2026, to " enable
sustained cost-effective implementation of updated
building energy codes. "
The award will fund the " Energy Code OfficialTraining
& Education Collaborative " (ECO-TEC), a
project led by national model code organizations,
ASHRAE and the International Code Council (ICC),
with vital support from the National Association of
State Energy Officials (NASEO) and agencies from
the states of Oregon, Michigan, New Jersey and West
Virginia.
The ECO-TEC will increase energy code enforcement
activities through a multi-module training targeted to
building energy code officials (ECOs).
An important component of the project will include
connecting with disadvantaged and rural communities
through new communication channels to expand the
ASHRAE, UNEP Announce
Lower-GWP Award Selections
ASHRAE and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
have announced the project selections for the 2023
ASHRAE-UNEP OzonAction Lower-GWP Refrigeration
and Air-Conditioning Innovation Awards. The annual
international award program promotes innovative
design, research and practice by recognizing people who
have developed or implemented innovative technological
concepts applied in developing countries to promote
lower global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants
through refrigeration and air-conditioning applications.
workforce and provide career opportunities to those
populations through training stipends.
The impacts from the project are expected to save the
four state partners approximately $18.5 million over the
course of the project. This impact reflects the difference
between " Standard " and " Improved " compliance and
assumes that the partner states adopt the latest model
energy codes.
The potential savings for 48 states (minus California
and Washington) with " Improved " to " Aggressive
Compliance " using their current codes range between
$12 to $41 million in year one and $149 to $335 million by
year five.
" Improved " to " Aggressive Compliance " would also
prevent between 0.06 MMT (million metric tons) to
0.20 MMT of CO2 emissions in year one and 0.81 MMT to
1.77 MMT of CO2 in year five.
Program effectiveness will be evaluated to ensure
sustained compliance and impacts.
" The ECO-TEC will significantly contribute to
advancing energy efficiency and resilience in our
buildings, ultimately leading to a more sustainable
future, " said Jeff Littleton, Executive Vice President,
ASHRAE and Principal Investigator of the ECO-TEC.
" By empowering code officials and professionals with
the necessary knowledge and skills, we can effectively
transform the built environment and promote
sustainable practices nationwide. We are thrilled to
partner on this important project. "
The projects in each category were selected based on
delivering innovative solutions to meet refrigeration
and air-conditioning needs by using lower-GWP
technologies. The selection criteria included:
* Extent of need;
* Innovative aspects in transforming conventional
practices; and
* Technical replicability to developing countries.
Judges also accounted for economic feasibility when
possible, considering that growing acceptance of new
technologies will favorably influence cost and availability.
For more information on the awards and its winners,
visit tinyurl.com/Lower-GWP-Awards.
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 ashrae.org ASHRAE JOURNAL
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http://tinyurl.com/Lower-GWP-Awards http://www.ashrae.org
ASHRAE Journal - August 2023

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