The U.S. Department of Energy announced the release of the second installment in a series of four 50 percent Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs). This latest guide will help architects, engineers, and contractors design and build highly efficient K-12 school buildings, saving taxpayer dollars. The 50 percent AEDG series provides a practical approach to designing schools and other major commercial building types that achieve 50 percent energy savings compared to the commercial building energy code used in many parts of the nation. These commercial building guides support President Obama’s goal to reduce energy use in commercial buildings 20 percent by 2020 and will help drive demand for energy-saving products made in the United States. The Advanced Energy Design Guide for 50 percent energy savings in K-12 schools is now available for download.

Not only will these guides help builders achieve energy efficiency performance beyond the current energy code, but they also provide climate-specific recommendations to incorporate today’s off-the-shelf energy efficient products. These recommendations help designers and builders choose advanced building envelope assemblies and highly efficient heating and cooling systems, and incorporate other energy-saving measures such as daylighting and associated control systems. Additionally, the guides inform the development of future commercial building energy codes.

The 50 percent 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 K-12 School Buildings guide is the second installment in the 50 percent series, and follows the guide for Small and Medium Office Buildings released earlier this year. Two additional 50 percent savings guides for major commercial building types – Medium to Big Box Retail Buildings and Large Hospitals – are also in progress.