COMNET (Polcy)

/ Policy

NBI manages the development of COMNET, a quality assurance initiative to standardize building energy modeling, by creating consistent baselines relative to various energy codes and standards. COMNET extends and supports existing systems for assessing and rating the energy efficiency of new commercial and multifamily buildings. The core component is a set of guidelines and procedures that governs this standardization. COMNET offers quality assurance services to green building rating agencies, energy code authorities, utility energy efficiency programs and other programs that rely on, or require, energy models. By creating streamlined processes with technical rigor, institutional credibility, consistency and versatility, COMNET helps make the evaluation of building energy models (BEM) more efficient and cost-effective. COMNET provides step-by-step guidance on complying with IRS tax deductions (via ASHRAE 90.1-2001) LEED v3 (90.1-2007) and the LEED v4 (90.1-2010).

The COMNET Modeling Guidelines and Procedures (MGP) were developed and published for integration into existing building energy modeling software to enable the compliance assessment of the building design. The MGP manual provides a comprehensive framework for modeling the energy performance of new buildings and establishes a set of rules for modeling the actual building and a second set of rules for modeling a baseline, or reference building.


Factsheet

COMNET Overview