Society News

Contact: Jodi Scott
Public Relations
678-539-1140
jscott@ashrae.org

ATLANTA – Innovative systems and interaction with future leaders of the built environment industry were among the highlights for ASHRAE members who took part in the recent U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

As a sponsor, ASHRAE helped fund events at the Decathlon, which took place Oct. 8-18, 2015, at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif. ASHRAE has been involved in the event for some 10 years.

The Decathlon challenges collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. Stevens Institute of Technology won top honors overall, sweeping all four juried categories, by designing, building, and operating the most cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive solar powered house. 

ASHRAE provided a judge on the engineering jury, with other juries focused on architecture, market appeal and communications. Ginger Scoggins, P.E., is ASHRAE Region IV director and regional chair on the Board of Directors. Michael J. Brandemuehl, Ph.D., P.E., a former director-at-large on the ASHRAE Board of Directors also served as a judge.

“It was extremely enjoyable,” Scoggins said. “The enthusiasm of the students and the systems that they included in their houses were very innovative! These kids worked on these houses for two years and raised money to cover the costs of construction and shipment, which ran in the $300,000 range for most of the homes.”

Scoggins said some of the innovative systems she saw included:

• Houses designed to withstand natural disasters (100 percent waterproof up to 4’ above grade)
• Windows with the same thermal resistance as typical building walls
• Grey water and rainwater collection and treatment systems, some with heat recovery
• Radiant heating and cooling systems – both floors and ceilings
• Evaporative cooling systems that displace and enhance conventional air conditioners
• Lots of heat pump technologies for both water heating and space conditioning
• Phase change material for energy storage
• Thermal energy storage using water tanks, including one integrated with rainwater collection
• A freeze tolerant solar water heating system
• Integrated solar PV and water heating equipment
• PV cells integrated into awnings and building glass
• A forward looking electrical system with both AC and DC distribution
• A variety of smart home energy monitoring, control, and dashboard systems 

ASHRAE also sponsored a lunch for teams based in its Region X, which included the University of California, Irvine; Chapman University; Irvine Valley College; and Saddleback College.

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.

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You could be the ASHRAE 2016 Face of Engineering! The New Faces of Engineering recognition program is part of National Engineers Week—sponsored by DiscoveryE —a coalition of engineering societies, major corporations and government agencies. Engineers Week, February 21-27, 2016, promotes New Faces to provide incentive to those in college and inspire even younger students to consider engineering careers. Learn More >>

 

ASHRAE’s 2016 New Face of Engineering award winner will be:

• Invited to attend the 2016 CIBSE Technical Symposium, held April 14-15, 2016 in Edinburgh, Scotland
• Featured in the ASHRAE Journal
• Promoted in YEA and ASHRAE newsletters and website

Applicants must be 30 years or younger as of December 31, 2015 and have a degree in engineering from a recognized U.S. college or university, or from an equivalent international educational institution. Send your application or nominate a colleague here by Nov. 20, 2015.  

2015 New Face of Engineering Alyssa Wingenfield, P.E., Architectural Engineer, Smartwatt Enginery, Inc, Elizabethtown, PA

Contact: Jodi Scott
Public Relations
678-539-1140
jscott@ashrae.org

ATLANTA – When the smoke cleared and the dust settled at the ASHRAE “LowDown Showdown,” organizers declared the overall “winner” to be the building industry, which will reap the benefits of knowledge shared at the event.

ASHRAE’s LowDown Showdown was featured at the Society’s “Energy Modeling Conference: Tools for Designing High Performance Buildings,” held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, 2015, in Atlanta, Ga. Eight teams with 45 people participated in the modeling challenge and presented their models to conference attendees.

“While it wasn’t exactly the Wild West, there were a lot of ideas flying around and impassioned discussion among attendees,” Dennis Knight, Conference chair, said. “The LowDown Showdown proved to be a big draw and a big success. Hopefully attendees will take the knowledge learned back to their jobs and use it to further the industry in energy modeling.”

The LowDown Showdown complimented the conference’s focus on the practical application of high performance building modeling. The Showdown challenged teams to model a net zero or better than net zero building. It gave team members the opportunity to work with the vendor/developer of their choice to showcase their abilities using the vendor’s simulation tools, innovative workflows and creative problem solving to model a high performance building while having fun. The teams participating in the LowDown Showdown were:

• Autodesk
• Carrier HAP
• DesignBuilder
• EnergyPlus
• eQuest
• IES
• Sefaira
• Trane TRACE

“From the very beginning, the Steering Committee’s intent when creating the challenge was to encourage participation, demonstrate tools’ usage in modeling buildings and have the teams present their models before their peers and colleagues within a ‘fair play’ environment for the benefit of all participants and vendors,” Knight said. “I really want to acknowledge all of the participants for their time and leadership that they devoted to their models – they are all to be commended for their successful projects.”

The modeling challenge included four categories for “judging” the models by live polling from the audience and the Steering Committee.

Knight said, “In retrospect all of the teams could have been recognized but it was decided to recognize the following:

• Best Energy Use Results – TEAM IES;
• Best Innovative Workflow – Team DesignBuilder;
• Best Team Work – Team Trane TRACE; and
• Most Creative – Team eQuest.”

Team’s models are highlighted at www.ashrae.org/emc2015.

“We learned a lot in doing this for the first time,” he said. “The extremely positive feedback from the LowDown Showdown participants and the conference attendees leads us to decide to organize another modeling challenge at the next ASHRAE conference.”

ASHRAE and IBPSA-USA SimBuild 2016 Conference: Building Performance Modeling takes place Aug. 10-12, 2016, Salt Lake City, Utah. There is currently an open call for papers until Oct. 23.  For more information or to submit an abstract, visit www.ashrae.org/simbuild2016.

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 50,000 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.

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Contact: Mark Johnson www.iccsafe.org 1-888-ICC-SAFE (1-888-422-7233), ext. 3248 mjohnson@IccSafe.org

Contact: Jodi Scott Public Relations 678-539-1140 jscott@ashrae.org

 

Water-related code and standard requirements will assist communities to conserve water  

 The International Code Council (ICC) and ASHRAE have partnered to publish 2015 WEP: Water Efficiency Provisions of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). The publication is the most complete code resource on water conservation and efficiency. It includes water-related IgCC provisions to support jurisdictions facing critical water challenges and drought.

“The updated WEP provides the most contemporary requirements for designers, policy makers and the construction community who are looking for ways to deal with severe droughts and the need to better conserve one of life’s most precious resources—water,” said Dominic Sims, CBO, Chief Executive Officer of the ICC. “The WEP provides a concise and comprehensive resource to address the challenges associated with water scarcity.”

This compact, easy-to-use reference includes indoor and outdoor water efficiency and conservation provisions from throughout the 2015 IgCC, as well as 2015 International Plumbing Code, Chapter 13 on Nonpotable Water Systems and water use provisions from ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES 189.1-2014 Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

“Water efficiency and conservation is a critical factor in the design and operation of buildings,” said David Underwood, President of ASHRAE. “Given that buildings consume 20 percent of the world’s available water, this update to the Water Efficiency Provisions is vital in helping our industry save significant amounts of water. It contains water efficiency provisions from Standard 189.1, which deals with all aspects of sustainable building design.”

2015 WEP: Water Efficiency Provisions of the IgCC covers water efficient plumbing, appliances, landscape irrigation, and mechanical systems. Plus, it features the latest provisions for alternate water sources like rainwater, graywater and reclaimed water. It promotes water conservation associated with both the building and the building site addressing numerous systems and components. It can be purchased online in soft cover format or PDF download.

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About us:

The International Code Council is a member-focused association. It is dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes.

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. 

Oct 13, 2015

Contact: Jodi Scott
Public Relations
678-539-1140
jscott@ashrae.org

ATLANTA – Buildings in arctic and subarctic climates face not only challenges related to cold but also remoteness, limited utilities, permafrost and extreme temperature shifts. Designers must meet these challenges while keeping occupants comfortable and minimizing impact on the environment.

The newly published “Cold-Climate Buildings Design Guide” from ASHRAE provides information on the issues commonly faced by designers in these climates. The idea for the guide came from a working session at the 7th International Cold-Climate Design Conference held in 2012 and co-sponsored by ASHRAE, SCANVAC and REHVA.

“Harmonizing human comfort with the climatic realities of these environments is a balancing act,” Erich Binder, who oversaw the writing of the guide, said. “Strategic design is key to building, commissioning and operating efficient and long-lasting cold-climate structures.”

A cold climate is defined by a combination of factors that create a unique set of building design challenges. These factors include temperature, frozen precipitation, wind, humidity, thermal comfort, thermal envelope/enclosure, maintainability, permafrost and frozen ground and remote building locations.

Following are tips from several committee members for designing, operating and maintaining buildings and systems in cold climates:

• What happens when building air exfiltrates a building envelope in cold weather is similar to what happens in cooling coils in hot humid weather – understanding psychrometrics is essential to understanding building envelope performance in cold climates.
• The colder the climate, the more important it is for critical equipment to be sheltered – you can’t expect service personnel to properly repair HVAC equipment in a winter blizzard. 
• In extreme climates, windblown snow takes on a consistency similar to sand and requires special design techniques to keep it from getting into the HVAC intakes.
• The manual also covers the design impacts from non-mechanical components of a facility such as the building envelope and roof construction. For instance, snow and ice sliding down of a metal roof can shear off mechanical roof penetrations as well as hoods on the exterior wall below.
• A building envelope must address all modes of heat loss to be truly efficient; ignoring any mode of loss may lead to excessive thermal transfer.
• Frost can be devastating for HVAC equipment, blocking intake hoods, filters, coils, etc.
• Design out cold bridges in both building fabric and engineering penetrations.
• Avoid or minimize any external service pipe runs.
• Locate air inlets and exhausts in locations that avoid snow drift and blockage.
• Ensure condensing pipes never freeze and block.
• Provide safe access to roof mechanical plants in all weathers – frozen roof surfaces can be a hazard.

Frank Mills, who helped write the guide, noted that the book applies to all climates that have a heating season, not just the very cold ones.

“We do cover the extreme cold climates very well, but we also have very useful information for any buildings which have heating for part of the year,” he said. “This covers a lot of climate regions – including Europe where I am.”

In addition to cold-climate considerations in HVAC calculations and system design, this book’s chapters cover sustainability, controls, building design, and commissioning, all from this distinctive climatic perspective. The book also includes an appendix with seven case studies of buildings located in cold and extreme cold climates. These buildings are leaders in their field with regard to both efficiency and cold-climate design.

The cost of the “Cold-Climate Buildings Design Guide” is $90 ($77, ASHRAE members).

To order, visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore or contact ASHRAE Customer Contact Center at 1-800-527-4723 (United States and Canada) or 404-636-8400 (worldwide) or fax 678-539-2129.

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.

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Contact: Jodi Scott
Public Relations
678-539-1140
jscott@ashrae.org

ATLANTA – The most up-to-date information on the standards that guide industry technology, along with presentations focused on upcoming ASHRAE publications, is featured at the ASHRAE 2016 Winter Conference.

The ASHRAE Conference takes place Jan. 23-27, Orlando Hilton, while the ASHRAE co-sponsored AHR Expo takes place Jan. 25-27, next door at the Orange County Convention Center. To register for the ASHRAE Conference, which includes free access to the Expo, visit www.ashrae.org/orlando. Information about the Expo can be found at www.ahrexpo.com.

The Technical Program features eight tracks, some 100 sessions and more than 300 speakers. It runs Sunday, Jan. 24 through Wednesday, Jan. 27, and offers over 200 Professional Development Hours, as well as Continuing Education Units, which can be applied toward a Professional Engineering license in many states, including the state of Florida.

Among the sessions are several providing updates on ASHRAE and industry standards and publications.

“Since ASHRAE is the leader in HVAC&R standards and guidelines, these sessions are a hot topic for attendees,” Jennifer Leach, Conference chair, said. “This year, we will focus on some international standards like EU Qualicheck and the International Institute of Refrigeration as well as ASHRAE standards related to environmental quality, energy and Legionella. Attendees can use the information shared through the Technical Program while walking the Expo floor to see how it directly impacts the development of technology.”

Among the standards addressed in the program are ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 205, Standard Representation of Performance Simulation Data for HVAC&R and Other Facility Equipment; ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015: Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems; the ICC/ASHRAE 700 National Green Building Standard; the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) sponsored by ASHRAE, the American Institute of Architects, the International Code Council, the Illuminating Engineering Society and the U.S. Green Building Council and its inclusion of ANSI/ASHRAE/ICC/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings; and bi-national ground loop heat exchanger/ground-source heat pump standards.

Publication updates include the Combined Heat and Power Design Guide (slated for publication in May 2015), the Cold Climate Buildings Design Guide, and the ASHRAE Survival Guide to Design-Build.

The Conference also features several innovative sessions in the Cutting Edge and International Design tracks as well as residential programs, numerous refrigerant update presentations, especially on low global warming potential, and fundamentals, applications, systems and equipment sessions.

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.

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Sep 29, 2015

Contact: Jodi Scott
Public Relations
678-539-1140
jscott@ashrae.org

ATLANTA – Helping commissioning providers ensure optimized operation of their facilities and systems is the focus of a newly published guideline from ASHRAE.

ASHRAE Guideline 0.2-2015, Commissioning Process for Existing Building Systems and Assemblies, outlines a systematic quality-oriented process that improves the performance and sustainability of existing facilities. This roadmap includes planning, assessing, investigating, implementing, verifying and documenting performance to meet operational requirements.

“Guideline 0.2 provides commissioning providers with the latest tools needed to address the growing market of commissioning existing buildings that require improvements to reduce energy consumption, improve occupant comfort and increase operational efficiency,” Tom Cappellin, vice chair of the committee that wrote the guideline, said.

The step-by-step process guides owners and facility managers through the process of ensuring optimum effectiveness from their facility for the lowest investment and provides the tools to ensure those benefits last for the life of the building.

Guideline 0.2 is intended for use by owners, facility decision makers and commissioning providers who are seeking to achieve goals as identified in the owner’s “current facility requirements.”

It expands on the commissioning principles developed in ASHRAE Guideline 0.  Guideline 0.2 includes 10 sections that explain recommended steps to apply the existing building commissioning process, as well as 23 informative annexes that explain how the process steps can be organized into a comprehensive set of activities and commissioning documents.

The annexes include flow charts, costs/benefits information, RFQ and team selection information, and guidance on preparing various commissioning reports. Many of the annexes include links to example documents prepared for actual projects.

Other commissioning guidance from ASHRAE includes Guideline 0-2005, The Commissioning Process; Guideline 1.1-2007, HVAC&R Technical Requirements for the Commissioning Process; and Guideline 1.5-2012, The Commissioning Process for Smoke Control Systems; and Standard 202-2013, Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems.

ASHRAE also is working on several other guidelines related to commissioning:  Guideline 1.2P, The Commissioning Process for Existing HVAC&R Systems; Guideline 1.3P, Building Operation and Maintenance Training for the HVAC&R Commissioning Process; and Guideline 1.4P, Procedures for Preparing Facility Systems Manuals.

The cost of ASHRAE Guideline 0.2-2015, Commissioning Processes for Existing System and Assemblies, is $72 ($61, ASHRAE members).

To order, visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore or contact ASHRAE Customer Contact Center at 1-800-527-4723 (United States and Canada) or 404-636-8400 (worldwide) or fax 678-539-2129.

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.

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Contact: Kari Arfstrom
Executive Director, HVACR Workforce Development Foundation
Direct: 703.465.1397

Contact: Jodi Scott
ASHRAE Public Relations
678-539-1140
jscott@ashrae.org

Arlington, VA – The HVACR Workforce Development Foundation released three new reports and accompanying executive summary today confirming that demand outstrips the supply of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration employees. In particular, mechanics and installers are in critical shortage in most areas of the nation.  ASHRAE is a member of the Foundation.

Due to the increased growth in the sector and the ongoing retirement of Baby Boomers, HVACR programs in technical and community colleges are not filling the seats available to meet the current and anticipated demand. HVACR employers are having a difficult time filling positions, especially for refrigeration and HVAC technicians, respectively 44 and 36 days longer than the national average of 29 days for similar positions.

“HVACR programs in the U.S. and Canada are seeking new students, whether you are a recent high school graduate, veteran or second-career adult,” said Kari M. Arfstrom, executive director of the HVACR Foundation. “With HVACR certifications or an associate’s degree, new employees can be assured of a solid middle class job that cannot be off shored, is high tech and offers better than average pay.”

Almost half of all mechanics and installers will retire in the next decade according to the new research, but post-secondary HVACR programs are not filling the seats needed to support these jobs. The reports detail the opportunities available for HVACR workers and address the unique issues constraining the pipeline for these roles. Concluding the analysis of supply and demand is the introduction of a North American Plan to reduce the employment gap.

An executive summary of the three reports, The HVACR Workforce: Demand Heats up as Supply Melts Away, is available on the HVACR Foundation’s website www.CareersinHVACR.org.  

The summary is based on the three commissioned reports:

• The Next Generation of HVACR Installers and Technicians: What instructors are saying and what needs to be done, the first-ever survey of instructors in HVACR programs in U.S. and Canada.
• Heating up: The Sweltering Demand for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Workers, prepared by Burning Glass Technologies.
• A Labour Market Investigation of the HVACR Sector in Canada, by Prism Economics and Analysis.

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About HVACR Workforce Development Foundation
The HVACR Workforce Development Foundation is dedicated to leading an industry effort to develop and promote educational projects, programs, and partnerships to attract committed and skilled employees to a career in HVACR. The Foundation’s objectives are to raise the awareness of the HVACR industry and the importance it plays in daily lives; to create interest in the HVACR industry as an attractive and profitable career choice; and to enhance the quality and quantity of available workforce for the HVACR industry.

For more information, including the eight funding organizations, please visit www.CareersinHVACR.org