ASHRAE Supports Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010.
Press Release Summary:
Introduced on Earth Day, Federal Building Personnel Training Act of 2010 will provide training for Federal building personnel regarding areas of building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety, and design functions. ASHRAE president Gordon Holness called this piece of important legislation "an example for the rest of the nation." Doug Read, ASHRAE program director of government affairs, noted ASHRAE played critical role in drafting this bipartisan legislation.
Original Press Release:
ASHRAE Lends Support to Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010
ATLANTA - Federal legislation introduced Thursday, on Earth Day, will provide training for Federal building personnel in the areas of building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety and design functions
The Federal Building Personnel Training Act of 2010 was introduced by Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Judy Biggert (R-Il.) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-De.) and Susan Collins (R-Me.). It is supported by 33 leading organizations involved in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings and by the High-Performance Buildings Congressional Caucus Coalition (HPBCCC), a private sector building coalition established and chaired by ASHRAE. The HPBCCC supports theHigh-Performance Buildings Caucus of the U.S. Congress, which is co-chaired by Carnahan.
The legislation would help provide Federal workers with the necessary training to construct and maintain environmentally sound buildings. Federal workers would be able to be trained in a series of core competencies relating to building operations, maintenance, energy management and safety and future performance. Workers would take courses and be able to obtain licenses and certification for their efforts.
"This is an important piece of legislation for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of our nation's Federal buildings," Gordon Holness, ASHRAE president, said. "The Federal government sets an example for the rest of the nation and its efforts are a visible example of what can be accomplished in building and maintaining energy efficient buildings with high indoor environmental quality."
Doug Read, ASHRAE program director of government affairs, noted that ASHRAE played a critical role in drafting this bipartisan legislation. ASHRAE will work with myriad organizations such as NIBS, the U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects, on behalf of this measure.
"The bill is a bipartisan example of the way the Federal Government can set an example for the rest of our country in developing and maintaining environmentally efficient buildings in accord with Standard 90.1, which sets minimum energy requirements for buildings," Read said.
ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.
