Tech Council Update

Architectural Firm Hired

Walking the Talk: ASHRAE Moves Toward Sustainable Headquarters

ATLANTA - ASHRAE continues to move toward a sustainable headquarters with creation of a Webpage dedicated to the project and selection of an architectural firm.

ASHRAE currently is studying whether to renovate its headquarters in Atlanta as a sustainable building. The Society recently selected Richard + Wittschiebe, an Atlanta architectural firm, to develop a schematic design for the project. ASHRAE also has created a Webpage so members and others can follow the progress of the project.

"This is an exciting opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of using ASHRAE's standards and to 'walk the talk' by creating a showcase for sustainable renovation," William Harrison, who is chairing the renovation committee, said. "We envision creating a 'living lab' where ASHRAE technical committees can conduct research projects to determine the effectiveness of procedures designed to conserve energy, to prolong the efficient operation of mechanical systems, and to improve indoor air quality."

"ASHRAE is addressing the larger global issues facing our world today by exploring renovation of its building and submitting for gold level LEED certification," Janice N. Wittschiebe, partner, Richard + Wittschiebe, said. "Richard + Wittschiebe Architects is honored to have the opportunity to work with ASHRAE in developing a project that will provide an example of how a building can incorporate concepts of aesthetics and functionality as well as sustainability."

The Webpage, www.ashrae.org/building, contains photos of the building throughout the years, technical information about the building and a comments area.

"We look forward to considering ideas and suggestions from ASHRAE members and encourage them to explore the headquarters renovation page,"

Harrison said. "We want both our renovated headquarters building and the process we use to develop our plans to serve as models for the successful renovation of existing buildings."

The schematic design is scheduled to be completed by June with discussion by ASHRAE's Board of Directors taking place at the 2006 Annual Meeting, June 24-28, Quebec City.

Harrison also noted that the proposed renovation addresses the four goals outlined in ASHRAE's recently adopted strategic plan: by demonstrating sustainable construction, providing space and a laboratory for educational programs, demonstrating ASHRAE's expertise, and providing a global headquarters with technology features to serve the needs of members anywhere in the world.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 55,000 persons. Its sole objective is to advance through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.

ASHRAE Technical Program Features More Sessions

ASHRAE's technical program will feature shorter sessions, more sessions and fewer conflicts, beginning with the Society's 2006 Annual Meeting in Quebec City, June 24-28.

ASHRAE has reconfigured the time allowed for seminars, forums and Transactions sessions, which will allow for greater time utilization for attendees.

"ASHRAE's technical program has remained in its current form for several decades," Kirk Mescher, Program Committee chair, said. "Input from attendees showed us they want more sessions packed with more technical content. Changes in presentation technology and the make-up of the technical program also have led to the need to modify the presentation schedule."

With the schedule changes, some 30 additional time slots have been created. These additional slots will allow for ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturers and two-part presentations. Time slots for seminars and Transaction sessions are being reduced to 1-1/2 hours from 2 hours.

Another change was made in renaming some of the sessions. Technical sessions and symposia receive equal treatment for technical review. Because of this, they are being renamed as Transactions sessions, which indicate the presentations are formally published in ASHRAE's technical resource, Transactions.

The program features a variety of sessions, including 22 programs in the area of alternative and sustainable technologies; 11 in commercial systems and applications; 25 in indoor air quality and ventilation; and eight in refrigeration.

The technical program is comprised of 80 seminars (presentations on a central or related topic with no published papers), 15 Transactions sessions (presentations with papers on a central subject), 18 open-discussion forums and a poster session. A total of 67 papers will be presented.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 55,000 persons. Its sole objective is to advance through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.

Use of ASHRAE Standard 62.1 in IMC Would Provide Lower Costs

ATLANTA - Use of ASHRAE's new ventilation rate procedure in the International Mechanical Code (IMC) would reduce first costs and energy costs.

ASHRAE has proposed that the ventilation rate calculation procedures from ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, be adopted into the IMC published by the International Code Council. The code establishes minimum regulations for mechanical systems using prescriptive and performance-related provisions.

The current ventilation criteria in the IMC are based on ASHRAE Standard 62-1989. Through research, information on indoor air quality and ventilation has evolved. In response, ASHRAE has enhanced its standard to include the new rate procedure. This code change would make the IMC consistent with the standard and the 2006 Uniform Mechanical Code.

The procedure requires designers to account for pollutant sources other than occupants and to account for the efficiency of ventilation systems to deliver outdoor air to the breathing zone, according to Steve Taylor, an ASHRAE member who oversaw development of the proposal.

"Ventilation systems designed using the new procedure will result in somewhat lower outdoor rates for most occupancies compared to the current code, reducing first costs and energy costs," he said.

The proposed changes are scheduled to be evaluated in September 2006 for possible inclusion in the 2007 IMC Supplement.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 55,000 persons. Its sole objective is to advance through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.

ASHRAE Proposes Changes to IECC Based on Standard 90.2

ATLANTA - Two proposals based on ASHRAE's residential energy standard have been made to the International Energy Conservation Code.

ASHRAE has proposed that portions of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 90.2-2004, Energy-Efficient Design of Low-Rise Residential Buildings, be adopted in the International Energy Conservation Code published by the International Code Council.

The standard provides minimum requirements for the energy-efficient design of residential buildings.

ASHRAE's proposal addresses two key areas where Standard 90.2 provides greater energy efficiency than the current IECC provisions, according to Chris Mathis, vice chair of ASHRAE's Code Development Committee who oversaw the proposals. These are fenestration solar heat gain coefficients (SHGC) in southern climates and modeling assumptions to quantify the benefits of exterior shading, as these are applied to code compliance using the performance path.

The first proposal seeks to require a lower SHGC, 0.37 from 0.40, for the reference house fenestration assumptions in climate zones 1 and 2.

These zones are the most southerly of United States climates as defined by code.

This makes the prescriptive envelope requirements consistent with those of Standard 90.2 and the reference house in the code equal in efficiency assumptions to Standard 90.2 when seeking compliance using the simulated performance alternative in the code.

For example, under the current 0.40 SHGC reference case in the IECC, up to 20 percent of the improvement over code needed to qualify for Energy Star Homes in hot southern climates can be obtained by improved fenestration, such as typical, low-E windows with a 0.32 SHGC, according to Mathis.

"The .40 maximum SHGC requirement was originally established in 1997 when the ratings by the National Fenestration Rating Council were in their infancy and few products were rated," he said. "Today hundreds of thousands of products are rated, many with significantly lower SHGC values. The 90.2 committee's analysis showed these values as cost effective for these climates, so we felt this element of the standard should be considered for the IECC."

The second proposal regarding Standard 90.2 deals with modeling assumptions related to external shading. Currently, the IECC assumes that the reference house design in the simulated performance alternative has no external shading of any type. However, many residential buildings have permanent exterior shading from overhangs and other architectural features, nearby trees and adjacent buildings.

The ASHRAE proposal seeks to make sure that the external shading assumptions of the reference house design are the same as those of the proposed house design. This would eliminate any "false credit" from manipulation of shading assumptions when seeking compliance with the IECC, according to Mathis.

The proposed changes are scheduled to be evaluated in September 2006 for possible inclusion in the 2007 IECC Supplement.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 55,000 persons. Its sole objective is to advance through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.

ASHRAE and Elsevier Launch New eLearning System

ATLANTA - A new eLearning system is being launched by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and Elsevier.

The new eLearning system provides complete learning experiences that focus on learning-by-doing that can be taken at any time and at the learner's own pace. It offers online instruction with interactive exercises and problem-solving demonstrations supplemented by authoritative course readers in eBook and printed formats.

The system also offers integrated assessment, skills tracking for earning CEU/PDH credits and online registration and retrieval of certificates of course completion.

"ASHRAE eLearning Systems from the ASHRAE Learning Institute offer a flexible, skills-focused, approach that meet today's learning needs," said Gordon V.R. Holness, P.E., chairman emeritus, Albert Kahn Associates, Inc.

Architects and Engineers. "These learning on-demand programs are backed up with authoritative references from the ASHRAE Learning Institute, providing the 'real-world' training experience that employers are seeking."

"We believe the ASHRAE eLearning System will revolutionize HVAC&R professional development by allowing engineers to earn their CEU/PDH in an interactive online environment from their office or home without being burdened by the additional expense of accommodation and travel," said Jim DeWolf, Vice-President Publishing with Elsevier.

The first course Fundamentals of HVAC Systems became available April 3. The course will be supported by Learning Bursts, in-depth scenario-based training and simulation exercises with a heavy focus on applicability.

Learning Bursts allow learners to apply the information presented and practice extensively without making costly mistakes in the real world.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 55,000 persons. Its sole objective is to advance through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Elsevier's 7,000 employees in 77 offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, bibliographic databases, and online reference works.