Contact Info/Tracks

• Track 1: Advances in Refrigeration Systems and Alternative Refrigerants

  Track Chair: Frank Schambach

  Email: frankschambach@mindspring.com

  This track seeks papers and programs that explore the wide range of refrigeration systems under development with special emphasis on the use of alternative refrigerants in vapor compression machines to address environmental concerns.

• Track 2: Research Summit

  Track Chair: Jeffrey Spitler

  Email: spitler@okstate.edu

  The fourth annual Research Summit seeks papers that report results on any aspect of ASHRAE-related research including heating, cooling, ventilation, other energy uses in the engineered environment and associated environmental aspects.

• Track 3: Fundamentals and Applications

  Track Chair: David E. Claridge

  Email: dclaridge@tamu.edu

  Fundamental information and applications of fundamentals related to all aspects of HVAC&R are welcome.  This can range from psychrometric properties and processes  to combustion, controls, HVAC system and envelope fundamentals and beyond.

• Track 4: HVAC Systems and Equipment

  Track Chair: Alan Neely

  Email: alan_neely@pghcorning.com

  This track will include presentations on best practices to implement traditional, non-traditional, and hybrid approaches to achieve successful HVAC&R systems design. Objectives include high performance systems and equipment, LEED certified designs and sustainable buildings.

• Track 5: Smart Building Systems/Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics

  Track Chair: Samir Traboulsi

  Email: traboulsi.samir@gmail.com

  Smart buildings address HVAC&R equipment operation (chiller sequencing, soft start), integration into complete systems and can potentially interface with multiple building complexes and micro grid operation.  This track includes papers on advanced communication protocols, system integration, BMS tools, data management and analysis.

• Track 6: Indoor Environment: Health, Comfort, Productivity

  Track Chair: Dennis Alejandro

  Email: denzjac@yahoo.com

  Buildings and other enclosed spaces are increasingly required to provide safe, healthy environments in an energy efficient manner. Papers in this track will review the balance between environmental health and energy efficiency in buildings and help define future education, policy and research directions.

• Track 7: Professional Skills Beyond Engineering

  Track Chair: Rachel Romero

  Email: rachel.romero@nrel.gov

  This track seeks to ensure professional skills are bing developed and maintained beyond engineering essentials.  Emphasis will be placed on meeting the professional development and business needs of today and converting them into the building blocks of tomorrow's success.

• Track 8: Renewable Energy Systems and Net Zero Buildings

  Track Chair: Kevin Gallen

  Email: kevin@gallenengineering.com

  Wind, hydroelectric and solar are just a few of the alternative and/or renewable energy sources that are being used in HVAC design as we strive for Net-zero and high efficiency buildings.  This track will address recent advances in alternative energy systems and equipment and new design strategies for achieving Net-zero buildings.

Conference Program Chair: Tom Kuehn

Email: kuehn001@umn.edu

Staff Support

For information on the technical program, special events, special sessions and general conference inquiries
Tiffany D. Cox
Assistant Manager of Conference Programs
Email: tcox@ashrae.org

Technical Support

For technical problems or for help in submitting an abstract online, email Tech Support

Submission Process

To begin, please choose the program type that you would like to submit a program proposal to: Seminar (1-2 presentations - 60 minutes in length; 3-4 presentations - 90 minutes in length), Forum (1 moderator; 60 minutes in length; no presentations), or Workshop (1 chair, 1-2 presentations; 60 minutes in length; 30 minutes reserved for discussion).

Before beginning your submission, it may be a good idea to gather all the information that you will be required to submit.

There are six steps to the submission process:

1. Track: You will be asked to choose which track you are submitting to.
2. Session Description: Enter the title of the session. Also please provide a 100 word abstract. Please complete the rest of information, including TC sponsors (if any), estimate of the size of audience, etc.
3. People: Provide your name and contact information as the session organizer. Enter presenters by choosing the "Presenter" checkbox. You will need to enter the presentation title as well. Once a presenter has been entered, you will see the presentation title and presenter's name listed on the "People" step. Click on the icon in the Abstract text column to enter the abstract. Click on the author's name to add co-presenters and speaker bios.
4. Objectives: Please include 4 Learning Objectives for the entire session (not required for Forums). The Learning Objectives should complete the statement, "After attending this session, the attendees will be able to..." All 4 Learning Objectives need to be addressed by the speakers. The Learning Objectives should use measurable verbs such as "Explain," "Describe," "Distinguish," "Design," "Apply," etc., such as the example below:
1. Define Smart Grid functions, objectives and architecture
2. Describe how the Smart Grid affects building operations
3. Provide an overview of Smart Grid projects in North America
4. Describe the federal policies and regulations promoting the Smart Grid
5. Method of Assessment: Please include 10 questions and answers (in T/F, Yes/No, or multiple choice format only) for the entire session based on the Learning Objectives and what will be covered within the speakers' presentations (not required for Forums).
6. Confirmation: When your submission is complete, click the "Conclude Submission" button. Note that you will still be able to make changes to your abstract up until the submission deadline.

Publication Schedule

This is the overall publication schedule for the 2016 ASHRAE Annual Conference, St. Louis, MO. For specific details and questions regarding these dates, please contact the appropriate Track Chair.

January 26, 2015	Conference Paper Accept/Revise/Reject Notifications
February 8, 2016	Seminar, Forum and Workshop Proposals Due
February 15, 2016	Revised Conference Papers/Final Technical Papers Due
February 26, 2016	Conference and Technical Paper Final Accept/Reject Notifications
March 23, 2016	Seminar, Forum and Workshop Accept/Reject Notifications
May 6, 2016	Upload of PPTs Begins
June 6, 2016	All PPTs Due Online
June 22, 2016	Final Day for Commercialism Revision Upload

Authors' Resources

Authors' Manual

Note: Conference Papers, as well as Technical Papers, must be prepared in accordance with ASHRAE’s Authors’ Manual.

Conference Paper Formatting

View how a sample paper should be formatted. Download the conference paper template in MS Word. As the instructions indicate, use this Word template to format your conference paper.

Agreement to Publish

Authors of approved Conference Paper abstracts are required to submit a signed Agreement to Publish form. A link will be in the acceptance letter to access and submit the form in electronic format.

Description of Papers

There are two types of paper presentations: Conference Paper and Technical Paper. Both must be submitted by their respective deadlines in order to be considered for presentation at the 2016 ASHRAE Annual Conference in St. Louis, MO. Please note the submission process is different for each paper type.

1. Conference Papers: two-step process - an abstract of the paper (400 words or less) is due for review by September 14, 2015. (Please select the "Submission Process" tab for more details and examples). The abstract must be approved prior to submitting the paper.

   Conference papers are shorter than technical papers, undergo a less stringent review and can be prepared closer to the conferences. Unlike technical papers, abstracts of conference papers are submitted first for review. Upon acceptance of the abstract, papers are due January 4, 2016 and undergo a single-blind review and must be approved by two reviewers. Due to this shorter time frame for review as well as a single review cycle, Conference Papers being submitted should be considered "Final" by the author. "Final" means that it could be published on the internet the next day – which puts responsibility by the author to have quality checks prior to submitting. Conference papers can be a maximum of eight single-spaced pages in length. Papers are submitted in 'final' form using the template.

   Guidelines for Authors of Approved Conference Paper Abstracts
   Below are some guidelines to consider when preparing your Conference Paper. Please note that the guidelines are significant factors in determining the acceptance of your Conference Paper.

   • Adherence to the template.

     The Conference Paper template and paper sample are located on the Author's Resources tab for your reference. Per the conference paper template, please include an author's note at the bottom of page 1 of your manuscript.

     1. Author note with job title, affiliation, and address (city, state, country) must be given for each author in the following form:

        J.L. Doe is associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan. R.L. Roe is president at Consulting Engineers, Inc., Lawrence, Kans.

     2. Paper is no more than 8 single-spaced pages in length total (includes text, tables, figures, etc.)
     3. Non-commercial (paper does not focus on a single product -- proprietary or not.)
     4. Paper has not been previously published.
     5. Equations are accurate.
     6. Paper includes dual units (I-P and SI). Both text and tables require the addition of dual units.
     7. Technical merit, effectiveness of the manuscript (organization & writing), originality.
     8. Relevance to ASHRAE members.
     9. Acknowledgment of the work of others by reference. Refer to the Chicago Manual of Style to make sure your in-text citations and reference list match the proper format. Using the link above, click on the Author-Date tab to see more information for formatting citations. ASHRAE follows the author-date citation format.
     10. Ready to be published.
   • Additionally, your Conference Paper must be submitted as a PDF file, referencing your ID# as the file name.
2. Technical Papers: full-length Technical Papers are due September 14, 2015 and must complete final review by February 26, 2016.
   Technical papers are presented by authors at ASHRAE Winter and Annual conferences and then published in ASHRAE Transactions. Papers submitted for review must be both technically accurate and clearly written. Technical papers undergo a rigorous double-blind review and must be approved by three reviewers knowledgeable in the subject matter. Presentation is by poster or orally, if grouped into a session with related papers. Technical papers can be up to 30 double-spaced manuscript pages in length, including tables and charts, and a maximum of 12 figures (not counted in the page count).

   Guidelines for Complete Submission of a Technical Paper for Review

   To submit a full-length technical paper, go to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ashrae. The following items are mandatory for submission:

   1. When writing your Technical Paper manuscript, please follow the guidelines in the ASHRAE Authors Manual.
   2. Upload a title page with complete authors' listing (Word format). The author's listing should be submitted as a separate file (Word format), and must include:
      • Title of the paper
      • Author names in desired order, principal author first, with (if applicable) ASHRAE membership grade, academic degrees at the doctoral level (e.g., Ph.D., D.Sc.), and professional certification (e.g., P.E., BEMP, BEAP, CPMP, HBDP, OPMP).
      • Author note with job title, affiliation, and address (city, state, country) must be given for each author in the following form:

        J.L. Doe is associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan. R.L. Roe is president at Consulting Engineers, Inc., Lawrence, Kans.

      • Complete contact information for the corresponding author, including mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and email address.
   3. The paper has a maximum of 12 figures.
   4. The length of the text including tables is a maximum of 15 single spaced pages (and figures can be extra.)
   5. Upload your Agreement to Publish form(s) signed by every author.
   6. Upload in Word format 2 Learning Objectives and 4 Question and Answers (select the file designation “not for review”.)
   7. Include dual units of measurements in tables and text (I-P and SI Units)

Learning Objectives and Q&A

ASHRAE submits its conference technical program for approval for NY PDHs, AIA Learning Units and GBCI LEED-AP continuing education credits. Among the requirements for approval are Learning Objectives and Questions and Answers for each of the sessions.

Seminar and Workshop Session Chairs are required to submit 4 Learning Objectives and 10 Questions and Answers. These cover the entire seminar.

Conference Paper and Technical Paper Authors are required to submit 2 Learning Objectives and 4 Question and Answers upon upload of the final paper.

Q&A sets should be in multiple choice or true-false format. These questions will be used for quizzing in the Virtual Conference to provide virtual attendance certificates to Virtual Conference users.

Following are examples of each:

Learning Objectives: The Learning Objectives should complete the statement, "After attending this session, the attendees will be able to…" Learning Objectives need to be addressed by the speakers and should use measurable verbs such as "Explain," "Describe," "Distinguish," "Design," "Apply," etc., such as the example below:

1. Define Smart Grid functions, objectives and architecture
2. Describe how the Smart Grid affects building operations
3. Provide an overview of Smart Grid projects in North America
4. Describe the federal policies and regulations promoting the Smart Grid

Method of Assessment (Q&A): Please include questions with answers based on the Learning Objectives and what will be covered within the Seminar.

Tips for writing Q&As:
DO:

• Do offer answers that are in True/False, Yes/No or multiple choice format only.
• Do provide only one correct answer per question. If your question has multiple answers, all correct answers must be listed together as one option.

DON'T:

• Don't create answers in the "Check All That Apply" format.
• Don't provide more than one correct answer for any question.
• Don't write a question with an answer that may be an opinion. Answers must be objectively correct or incorrect.

Example:

1. Is 55F the desired coil leaving air temperature in Florida?
   1. Yes
   2. No
2. True or false: You should use a humidifier in a Florida Lab.
   1. True
   2. False