ASHRAE Takes its Annual Conference to Historical HVAC&R City

St Louis Chapter Ads-02

ATLANTA – In 1904, at the World’s Fair held in St. Louis, Missouri, the general population was introduced for the first time to the comfort of air conditioning.

One hundred and twelve years later, ASHRAE is taking its Annual Conference to the city to discuss the latest in built environment technology. The Conference takes place June 25-29, Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel and America’s Center Convention Complex.

To register or for complete information, visit www.ashrae.org/stlouis.

The Conference Technical program features a track on Smart Building Systems, which addresses the revolution in information technology applied to the built environment. Weather and time of day utility rate forecasting, distributed sensors and remote monitoring and control are all included. Also taking place is the fourth annual Research Summit, which reports results on many aspects of ASHRAE-related research.

Tracks are:

  • Advances in Refrigeration Systems and Alternative Refrigerants
  • Fundamentals and Applications
  • HVAC Systems and Equipment
  • Smart Building Systems/Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics
  • Indoor Environment: Health, Comfort, Productivity
  • Professional Skills Beyond Engineering
  • Renewable Energy Systems and Net Zero Buildings

ASHRAE Learning Institute (ALI) offers two full-day seminars and eight half-day courses. New courses include Variable Refrigerant Flow System Design & Applications; Standard 188-2015 – Successfully Managing the Risk of Legionellosis; and Designing Tall, Supertall and Megatall Building Systems. More information can be found at www.ashrae.org/stlouiscourses.

Apply by June 6 to sit for one of six ASHRAE certification exams:  Energy Assessment, Energy Modeling, Commissioning, Healthcare Facility Design, High- Performance Building Design and Building Operations. Apply at www.ashrae.org/stlouisexams.

Technical tours include the Center Ethanol Co., the America’s Center chiller plant and the St. Louis Sheet Metal Workers Apprentice and Training School. General tours include a taste of local culinary delights, a look at facilities related to the city’s baseball history, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, the botanical gardens and historical homes, microbreweries, architecture, and a visit to historical areas of interest.

Jeff Henderson is the keynote speaker at the opening Plenary Session, held Saturday, June 25. Henderson discovered his passion and gift for cooking in a most unlikely place—prison. He is now an award-winning chef, bestselling author and Food Network television star.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its more than 54,000 members worldwide focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability. Through research, standards writing, publishing, certification and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today. More information can be found at www.ashrae.org/news.

###

ASHRAE Congratulates Senate on Passage of Energy Policy Modernization Act

ATLANTA – ASHRAE is pleased to see the passage on Wednesday by the U.S. Senate of the Energy Policy Modernization Act, marking an important step toward making buildings in all sectors more energy efficient.

The Senate passed the Act by a vote of 85 to 12. The bill contains numerous building energy code provisions that were supported by ASHRAE.

“The passage of the Energy Policy Modernization Act demonstrates the power of persistent bipartisan leadership by many leaders throughout the Senate. Each of these senators understands the need for reform and the dangers that lie ahead if we do not change,” ASHRAE President David Underwood said. “This accomplishment is shared by hundreds of stakeholders who have connected with members of Congress, helping them understand the complexities and likely impacts of legislation on the building and many other industries. ASHRAE congratulates the Senate on this accomplishment and stands ready to assist as leaders in both chambers work to produce a final bill that the President can sign, and which truly advances the arts and sciences of HVAC&R to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.”

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its more than 55,000 members worldwide focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability. Through research, standards writing, publishing, certification and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today. More information can be found at www.ashrae.org/news.

 

###

 

An Efficient Future for Buildings of the Past Proposed Under ASHRAE Guideline

ATLANTA – Historical buildings – from those on the local Main Street to world-renowned structures – could be brought from the past into an energy reduced future under a proposed guideline from ASHRAE.

ASHRAE Guideline 34P, Energy Guideline for Historical Buildings, provides advice for energy efficiency and energy conservation improvements involving historic structures. These improvements would seek to minimize disturbances to the historic character, characteristics and materials (significance, value and qualities).

The proposed standard is open for a second public comment until May 2, 2016. To comment or learn more, visit www.ashrae.org/publicreviews.

“The worldwide preservation community recognizes the importance of reducing the consumption of fuels,” William Rose, a member of the Guideline 34P committee, said. “Many codes and standards exempt such buildings from energy conservation requirements, based on an assumption that imposition of energy-saving measures may compete with preservation requirements. Nevertheless, preservationists generally wish to balance the mandate to maintain the integrity and authenticity of their buildings with growing needs for energy conservation. And some codes, notably the recent International Energy Conservation Code, have moved from a blanket exemption to a narrower provision-by-provision basis.”

Guideline 34P, which offers assistance for the range of historic buildings, will help those engaged in preservation to design and provide energy conservation measures. Rose said it also will help those engaged in energy conservation to propose and adopt measures consistent with preservation practice. The guideline addresses planning and operation, mechanical systems, building envelopes and lighting.

The guideline was the idea of Presidential Member Tom Watson for whom historical buildings are a pet project.

“We just can’t give up on using historic buildings,” he said. “They are too valuable and leave too large an environmental footprint to be neglected or abandoned.”

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its more than 55,000 members worldwide focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability. Through research, standards writing, publishing, certification and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today. More information can be found at www.ashrae.org/news. 

###

 

ASHRAE, AIA Look to Future of Energy Efficiency with Signing of New MOU

ATLANTA – Building on past outreach, ASHRAE and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, committing them to working together in a variety of built environment areas.

The MOU recently was signed by ASHRAE President David Underwood and AIA President Russ Davidson. The agreement states the two organizations will work jointly in areas related to development of young professionals, advocacy and public outreach, publications, education, technical activities and research.

“ASHRAE and AIA share many common technical interests, including health and safety, energy efficiency, and resilience,” David Underwood, ASHRAE president, said. “This agreement formalizes our plans to foster technical cooperation in these areas, providing needed guidance to the industry.”

“We are at a pivotal juncture as an industry to address the growing number of design challenges,” said AIA President, Russ Davidson, FAIA.  “The extension of this agreement is important for our organizations to continue to work together to further sustainable design strategies, to be active on building codes related issues, as well as for providing tangible resources that are useful for our respective members in their daily practice.”

In past projects with a focus on improving energy efficiency of buildings and systems, ASHRAE and AIA are part of a group that is developing a new version of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) sponsored by the International Code Council (ICC), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The code, scheduled to be released in 2018, will be powered by ANSI/ASHRAE/ICC/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings developed using the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved ASHRAE consensus process.

ASHRAE and AIA also joined together with IES, USGBC and the Department of Energy (DOE) in developing the Advanced Energy Design Guide series. The nine books in the series provide recommendations for achieving 50% and 30% energy savings over the minimum code requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its more than 55,000 members worldwide focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability. Through research, standards writing, publishing, certification and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today. More information can be found at www.ashrae.org/news.

 

###