This National Voluntary Consensus Standard was developed under the auspices of the American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Consensus is defined as “substantial agreement
reached by concerned interests according to the judgment of a duly appointed authority, after a concerted
attempt at resolving objections. Consensus implies much more than the concept of a simple majority
but not necessarily unanimity.” This definition is according to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
of which ASHRAE is a member.