The MLC is the allowable mechanical energy consumption for cooling and air movement. It is expressed as a function of the local climate. Warmer climates get a higher allowance (because cooling is harder), while cooler climates get a lower allowance. The formula is:

Some jurisdictions (e.g., the U.S. Green Building Council or specific state energy offices) host "read-only" versions for reference. However, these are usually watermarked and not printable.

The International Code Council (ICC) sometimes offers standards like ASHRAE 90.4 for free online viewing (non-downloadable) as part of their "Get Free Access" initiative. You cannot save the PDF, but you can search and read it.

Do not trust random "ASHRAE 90.4 PDF download" links on Google Drive or Scribd. They often contain malware or the superseded 2016 draft.

The MLC allowance can be very tight for small facilities because overhead doesn't scale linearly. Solution: The standard allows a "simplified approach" using packaged equipment with listed efficiencies.