RP-1481 — Economic Database in Support of ASHRAE 90.2 (Energy-Efficient Design of Low-Rise Residential Buildings)

The objective of ASHRAE 1481-RP was to obtain an economic database in support of Standing Standards Project Committee 90.2 (SSPC 90.2) because a collection of reliable construction cost data is requisite, yet periphery to, the principal goals of the committee. Cost data has been difficult to obtain in the past. In order for the committee to provide timely technical review of standard updates and meet future ASHRAE goals of increasing building energy efficiency, a library of costs to calculate the economic impact of proposed amendments is required.

To accommodate ASHRAE’s requirements as outlined in 1481-RP, the NAHB Research Center worked with four active home builders to produce the database. The Research Center identified builders from different regions with the specific knowledge and expertise to develop costs related to energy-efficiency upgrades, and engaged them as subcontractors on the project. This paper presents the economic database that was compiled for this effort and an overview of the data collection and normalization process.