ASHRAE (pronounced "ash-ray") stands for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. It is a global professional organization, founded in 1894, that publishes the technical standards and design guidelines the HVAC industry builds around. With over 50,000 members in 130+ countries, ASHRAE sets the benchmarks for energy efficiency, ventilation rates, refrigerant handling, and indoor air quality that local building codes frequently adopt by reference.
ASHRAE is not a product certification body. It writes the rules; organizations like AHRI test equipment against them.
Standards That Affect Residential HVAC
Standard |
Governs |
Why It Matters to Homeowners |
62.2 |
Ventilation in low-rise residential buildings |
Sets minimum fresh air exchange rates for homes; affects how tightly sealed a house can be before mechanical ventilation is required |
90.2 |
Energy-efficient design of low-rise residential buildings |
Defines insulation, window, and HVAC efficiency minimums for new construction |
55 |
Thermal comfort conditions |
Establishes the temperature and humidity ranges that qualify as "comfortable" for most occupants (typically 68–76°F at 30–60% relative humidity) |
62.1 |
Ventilation in commercial buildings |
Relevant to offices, schools, and retail spaces; dictates outdoor air volumes per person |
90.1 |
Energy efficiency in commercial buildings |
Referenced in most U.S. commercial building codes and LEED certification requirements |
Standards 62.1 and 90.1 are the two most widely cited in building codes across the United States. When a jurisdiction says a new building must meet "ASHRAE standards," it is almost always referencing one of these.
ASHRAE Professional Certifications
ASHRAE also credentials individual practitioners through six certification programs, each renewable every three years:
BEAP (Building Energy Assessment Professional), BEMP (Building Energy Modeling Professional), BCxP (Building Commissioning Professional), HBDP (High-Performance Building Design Professional), HFDP (Healthcare Facility Design Professional), and OPMP (Operations and Performance Management Professional).
These certifications validate that an engineer or facility manager has passed a proctored exam and met experience requirements in their specialty. Two of them, BCxP and BEAP, carry U.S. Department of Energy recognition under the Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines. For homeowners, seeing these credentials after a contractor's or auditor's name signals formal qualification beyond a general HVAC license.
ASHRAE vs. AHRI
The two acronyms appear together frequently and are easy to confuse. ASHRAE writes standards and guidelines for how systems should be designed and how buildings should perform. AHRI runs a product certification program that tests whether specific equipment meets the performance ratings its manufacturer claims.
An air conditioner can be designed to meet ASHRAE Standard 90.2 efficiency requirements and carry AHRI-certified SEER2 ratings at the same time; the two organizations govern different parts of the same process.