ASHRAE and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizing the organizations’ relationship.

The MoU was signed by Darryl K. Boyce, P.Eng., 2019-20 ASHRAE president, and Dr. Walter G. Copan, under secretary of commerce for standards and technology and NIST director, on Nov. 4. The agreement outlines how ASHRAE and NIST will work cooperatively to improve HVACR technologies and their applications.

Cooperation will focus on the following key areas:

• Improving building performance and cost effectiveness, including through increases in energy and water efficiency and storage technologies, and the health, well-being, and productivity of building occupants
• Improving interoperability of building systems as well as building integration with the electric grid
• Supporting innovation and standards development
• Strengthening resiliency of the built environment
• Bolstering cybersecurity of HVACR infrastructure

"The missions of ASHRAE and NIST reflect our collective efforts to advance building performance and support integrated solutions to improve health and productivity in buildings,” said Boyce. “NIST staff have long been involved in ASHRAE through participation in the development of standards, serving on numerous technical committees and sharing many of their research results in ASHRAE publications. We are excited to formalize our partnership with NIST as we strive to collectively build a more sustainable future and enhance the wellbeing of building occupants in the communities that we serve.”

“This MoU confirms the many areas of mutual interest between NIST and ASHRAE as we work to advance energy-efficient technologies and improve indoor environments,” said Copan. “We look forward to working with our ASHRAE colleagues to promote public-private partnerships and technology transfer to improve the performance, resilience, sustainability and cybersecurity of the built environment.”

NIST has a long history of developing measurement science, predictive models, and performance metrics to improve the energy efficiency of building components and systems, reduce building related CO2 emissions, enhance the quality of the indoor environment, and improve the building design and construction process. As a nonregulatory agency of the Department of Commerce, NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness to enhance economic security and quality of life.