Contact Info/Tracks

• Track 1: Fundamentals and Applications

  Track Chair: Sonya Pouncy

  Email: sonyapouncy@gmail.com

  Fundamentals are the foundation for understanding applications in engineering. Key components of ASHRAE fundamentals include thermodynamics, psychometrics, fluid and mass flow. This track provides opportunities for papers and presentations of varying levels across a large topic base. Concepts, design elements and shared experiences for theoretical and applied concepts of HVAC&R design are included.

• Track 2: HVAC&R Systems and Equipment sponsored by GPS

  Track Chair: Rupesh S Iyengar

  Email: rupesh_iyengar@yahoo.com

  HVAC&R Systems and Equipment are constantly evolving to address the changing requirements of the built environment.  Papers and programs in this track will focus on the development of new systems and equipment, improvements to existing systems and equipment and the proper application and operation of systems and equipment.

• Track 3: Research Summit

  Track Chair: Kristen Cetin

  Email: cetinkri@msu.edu

  Active research, and the exchange of those research findings, are critical to the development of our HVAC&R industry and built environment. The 8th annual research summit invites researchers to share those results, including ASHRAE-sponsored research and research of interest to the ASHRAE community. Researchers are invited to present papers, extended abstracts, seminars, forums or participate in panel discussions. The Research Summit includes a partnership with ASHRAE's archival journal, Science and Technology for the Built Environment.

• Track 4: Professional Development

  Track Chair: Marites Calad

  Email: mcalad@norman-wright.com

  As members of a professional organization, we not only participate for the great value of technical exchange, but also the interpersonal exchange. We recognize that the single greatest strength of our organization is its membership. This track is designed to allow those professionals an opportunity to develop in the areas of presentation skills, leadership, team-building, understanding various business operations, interpersonal skills, etc. In short, the Professional Development Track will cover all aspects of business outside of engineering/technical applications and lends itself to interactive session types such as workshops and forums.

• Track 5: Design, Control, and Operation of Critical Environments

  Track Chair: Raul Simonetti

  Email: raul.simonetti@carel.com

  Critical environments often present design, control, and operation challenges that require innovation, attention to detail, and a thorough understanding of the intended operational parameters. This track includes innovative designs and strategies that adapt to the standards and special requirements presented by healthcare, cleanrooms, data centers, laboratories, isolation rooms, and pharmacies. Papers and presentations will also address how controls systems, smart building technologies, and security systems and other technologies are adapting to the emerging needs of critical environments.

• Track 6: HVAC&R for Indoor Plants & Animals

  Track Chair: Ryan MacGillivray

  Email: ryan.macgillivray@dwel.com

  This track addresses HVAC&R systems design for controlled environments that host plants & animals. Papers and programs in this track will present the challenges and opportunities associated with energy and water utilization for indoor growing spaces, including standards and regulations that guide the design of plant & animal habitats. Environmental parameters for indoor agriculture, including controlling temperature, humidity, air movement, air quality will be covered. This track will also address reducing consumption of energy & water and compare how crop types and animal species impact HVAC analysis and design.

• Track 7: Future Proofing - Renewable, Regenerative, and Resilient

  Track Chair: Andy Cochrane

  Email: acochrane@industrialairinc.com

  The HVAC&R industry faces many challenges including climate change, pandemics, natural disasters, catastrophic accidents, and terrorism. Rising to meet these challenges are a host of technologies and strategies, including grid-enabled buildings, demand response, decarbonization, resiliency, zero energy design, energy-efficiency and renewable energy systems. This track invites papers, abstracts, seminars and forums that highlight the innovative technologies and strategies that are reimagining our relationship with the built environment now and into the future.

• Track 8: Hot, Hot, Hot

  Track Chair: Nohad Boudani

  Email: nohadb@inco.com.lb

  The world is warming. The built environment faces increased challenges to meet the demand for comfortable Indoor and outdoor environments in warmer climates. This track is for papers and presentations that address humidity control, outdoor cooling, passive cooling, water scarcity considerations, other design opportunities, and innovative technologies that help HVAC&R professionals adapt to the hottest climate trends.

Conference Program Chair: Christine Reinders-Caron

Email: christinereinders@gmail.com

Staff Support

For information on the technical program, special events, special sessions and general conference inquiries
Haley Booker-Lauridson
Conference Programs Assistant
Email: hblauridson@ashrae.org

Technical Support

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

Submission Process

The Conference Paper submission process consists of 5 steps.

1. Track
   You will be asked to choose which track you are submitting to.
2. Title
   Enter the title of your paper, and your email address so that you can receive a submission confirmation email.
   You will also be asked to indicate whether this paper has been previously submitted. If you choose, you can enter the name of your intended session chair, if your paper is to be part of a planned session. You may also optionally enter a technical committee.
3. Author
   You will be required to enter a presenting author, and may additionally enter co-authors.
4. Abstract Text
   Enter the abstract text for your submission (400 words or less).
5. Confirmation
   You will be asked to review all the information you have entered. Please make sure that everything is correct, then click the Conclude button.

Session Chairs: Please submit your request for Conference Paper Sessions to Haley Booker-Lauridson, hblauridson@ashrae.org. Make sure to include the title and abstract for the session, sponsoring TC, and titles and authors for each paper within in your proposal e-mail. A Conference Organizer will reply to your request to organize a paper session for the conference. The Session Chair's responsibilities are extensive - please review them in the Session Chairs Handbook.

Examples of Abstracts of "Applications-type" Conference Papers Accepted for the Las Vegas Conference

Rehab of DDC at Corporate National Training Center: Three Years of Therapy (LV-11-C004) Alonzo Blalock, P.E., Member, Jacobs, Fort Worth, TX

Abstract Text:

Environmental conditioning or HVAC contributes to many aspects of a 'satisfactory worker environment'. One of the most significant aspects of a 'satisfactory worker environment' is getting the Building Automation System (BAS) to correctly manage the system operations. In some ways, the BAS represents the brain and nervous system for the building body. And thus, careful attention is required when attempting rehabilitation or performing 'brain surgery'.

When reviewing BAS systems in existing large buildings, it is important to evaluate the entire operation similar to the way a good doctor's plan includes a patient stress screening. Various operations can be tested in the Commissioning processes, including reviewing a listing of Hot-Cold calls and conducting a 'laptop' survey at the sensors to reveal details of system performance similar to an EEG.

This Paper will present details of the rehabilitation of a BAS system at a pharmaceutical company's National Training Center campus. Built in New Jersey in the early 90s, the campus is comprised of three, five-story buildings, with approximately 240,000 total square feet (22300 SM). Each building includes a low temperature air supply system with Series Fan Powered VAV units. Following three years of effort in the continuously occupied buildings, the project is now complete and already shows much improved living conditions for the Owner.

The information of this paper is intended to convey the aspects of a detailed replacement of BAS using descriptions similar to those used by a Medical Professional to treat a patient. The Owner expressed a desire in and found greater value in the improved reliability of system operations even more than generating minor energy savings. While the improvement in maintenance staff's ability to maintain occupant's comfort could not easily be calculated, the Owner believed it represented a major financial benefit.

ASHRAE Resources for LEED-Existing Buildings Certification (LV-11-C020) Barry Abramson, P.E. and Lung-Sing Wong, P.E., Member, Servidyne, Atlanta, GA

Abstract Text:

The US Green Building Council's LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) rating system relies upon several standards and procedures developed by ASHRAE. Some are well known, such as the ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007 Ventilation Rate Procedure, but need to be applied under different circumstances than they have typically been in the past. Others, such as ASHRAE Procedures for Commercial Building Energy Audits, were lesser known several years ago, before LEED-EB was introduced. Such terms as "ASHRAE Level I" and "ASHRAE Level II" Energy Audits have now been popularized in the building industry. This paper will address the LEED-EB requirements that rely on these ASHRAE tools and resources and discuss the challenges to the engineer regarding proper application under various existing building scenarios. It will explain the pertinent concepts and definitions as presented in the ASHRAE resource documents, and present strategies for how these ASHRAE resources can most effectively be utilized in the LEED-EB certification process.

Demand Control Ventilation: Lessons from the Field: How to Avoid Common Problems (LV-11-C062) Brad Acker and Kevin van den Wymelenberg, University of Idaho, Boise, ID

Abstract Text:

Demand control ventilation (DCV) has the potential to save energy by reducing ventilation rates in accordance with occupancy levels provided by the surrogate indication of CO2 levels. However, improperly installed, designed, or operated systems may save energy at the expense of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) or enhance IAQ at the expense of energy. These outcomes may have the potential to foul the image of an otherwise viable energy efficiency measure. This paper reports what the authors believe to be common problems in the design, installation and operation of DCV systems which use CO2 as a surrogate for occupancy levels.

Six HVAC systems were investigated: two commercial offices, two medical offices, and two school environments. The design drawings, air balance reports, and current equipment set up were investigated. Four systems were controlled locally through roof top unit control logic and two systems were controlled by central building energy management systems. Functional testing of equipment was carried out and system parameters were logged including CO2 levels, fans states, and air stream temperatures. Functional testing was broken up into three system aspects. First, CO2 control signal functional testing was conducted to confirm that the control link between CO2 sensors and outside air damper positioning was in place. Second, sensor placement functional testing was conducted to confirm that the sensors placement could accurately report the CO2 levels of the controlled zone. Third, the Outside Air (OSA) level test was conducted by inspecting the air balance reports to determine the OSA rates and to confirm that the system was balanced in accordance with DCV standards.

The study found that no systems were functioning properly for a number of reasons, some of which were overlapping. Reasons for non-functionality included poor sensor placement, improper information provided in mechanical schedules or design documents, fan cycling issues, and poor installation. Details on failure modes will be presented. Proper engineering documentation requirements will be explained. Test, Adjust, Balance (TAB) specifications and DCV specific requirements for TAB along with information that building operators need to know about system operation will be presented.

Publication Schedule

This is the overall publication schedule for the 2021 ASHRAE Virtual Annual Conference, Virtual. For specific details and questions regarding these dates, please contact the appropriate Track Chair.

Wednesday August 12, 2020	Conference Paper Abstracts, Technical Papers, and Paper Session Requests Due
Friday August 28, 2020	Conference Paper Abstract Accept/Reject Notifications
Wednesday December 2, 2020	Final Conference Papers and Request for Conference Paper Sessions Due
Monday January 4, 2021	Conference Paper Accept/Revise/Reject Notifications
Wednesday January 6, 2021	Website Opens for Seminar, Workshop, Forum, Debate, and Panel Proposals
Wednesday January 13, 2021	Revised Conference Papers/Final Technical Papers Due
Monday February 15, 2021	Extended Abstracts Due
Thursday February 18, 2021	Conference and Technical Paper Final Accept/Reject Notifications
Monday February 22, 2021	Seminar, Workshop, Forum, Debate, and Panel Submissions Due
Friday March 19, 2021	Seminar, Workshop, Forum, Debate, and Panel Submissions Accept/Reject Notifications

Authors' Resources

Sample Paper

View a sample paper in PDF format.

Templates

Download the conference paper template in MS Word.

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 2021 ASHRAE Virtual Annual Conference in Virtual, . 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 August 12, 2020. (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 December 2, 2020 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 on 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.
     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 August 12, 2020, and must complete final review by January 13, 2020.
   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.

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