The State of ASHRAE Guideline 36: Promise, Progress, Challenges, and Ongoing Activities

The commercial building sector accounts for roughly 35% of U.S. electricity use, with HVAC systems representing the largest end-use. ASHRAE Guideline 36, published in 2018, standardizes high-performance HVAC control sequences to improve efficiency, simplify commissioning, and reduce variability in building control implementation. 

Although California field demonstrations have shown whole-building electricity savings of 11–35% and HVAC savings up to 58%, adoption has been slow and uneven across regions. This paper reports market research from a Minnesota field demonstration and examines the Guideline’s original intent, progress since publication, implementation barriers, and ongoing efforts to accelerate adoption.

This paper was presented at the 2026 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.