NRMCA Advocates for Energy Efficiency, Sustainability at ASHRAE Conference

Last week, NRMCA participated in the 2024 ASHRAE Annual Conference held from June 22 - 26 in Indianapolis. Director, Energy Codes and Standards, Darryl Dixon; Director, Sustainability, Codes and Standards Tiffany Reed-Villarreal and Director, Codes and Standards, Julian Mills-Beale advocated to move forward key legislative initiatives and discussed material decarbonization, sustainability and energy efficiency in the built environment along with other building science professionals and industry allies.

As members of multiple ASHRAE project committees, the NRMCA codes and standards team played a crucial role in shaping industry guidelines. A key area of focus was the clarification of thermal resistance and thermal bridging determinations. These concepts are vital in assessing the energy efficiency of buildings and their components. The proposals under consideration have far-reaching implications for the construction industry. By clarifying these thermal performance metrics, the committee aims to enhance the accuracy of building energy assessments.

The NRMCA team's involvement in the 90.1 and 189.1 project committees underscores the concrete industry's commitment to energy-efficient and sustainable construction. The codes and standards teams’ input helps ensure that concrete's thermal properties are accurately represented in industry standards, promoting its use in energy-efficient building designs.

During the conference, long-time NRMCA consultant and industry advocate Martha VanGeem received the ASHRAE Exceptional Service Award for her service on numerous technical committees, presentations and publications. NRMCA thanks her for her advocacy efforts and dedication to the industry. As a leading advocate for concrete within the codes and standards community, we celebrate Martha’s achievement and contributions to NRMCA and its partners.

For more information on NRMCA’s energy codes and standards advocacy activities, contact Darryl Dixon at Darryl Dixon. For structural and resilience codes and standards advocacy, contact Julian Mills-Beale at Julian Mills-Beale. For sustainability codes and standards advocacy, contact Tiffany Reed-Villarreal at Tiffany Reed-Villarreal.