The DOE has announced the release of the first Advanced Energy Design Guide (AEDG), designed to assist architects and engineers in the design of energy efficient office buildings.

The guide is part of the 50% series; named as such with the goal of achieving 50% energy savings compared to standard commercial building energy codes.

This particular frontrunner of the AEDG series is a guide for Small and Medium Office Buildings, and is the first of four that are set to be released over the next few months. The guides contain a wealth of valuable information for architects, builders, engineers, and designers:

Help architects and engineers choose energy efficient designs for daylighting, building envelope assemblies, and heating and cooling systems, among other technologies.

Recommends equipment commonly available from manufacturers and reduces the time and cost burdens otherwise required in order for designers to individually model energy use for specific high performance buildings.

Inform the development of future commercial building energy codes.

The best part about the Advanced Energy Design Guide for 50% energy savings in Small and Medium Office Buildings? It’s available right now, completely free – Advanced Energy Design Guide.

The 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide series is being developed through a partnership with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Institute of Architects (AIA), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA).

The Small and Medium Office guide is the first installment in the 50% Series, which will address three additional major commercial building types: K-12 Schools, Medium to Big Box Retail Buildings, and Large Hospitals.

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