In view of the requirement to reduce the climate impact of refrigerants, several refrigerants are proposed for use in direct expansions air-conditioning systems. There are test programs such as AREP and PRAHA to evaluate some of the solutions. The results of these tests do not always give the straight answer that we expect. How should we read these results and what parameters are most important to decide the refrigerant for the specific application. This workshop has the target to give a better insight how the next generation refrigerant can be decided for direct expansion AC equipment.

This workshop attempts to define renewable energy from several different perspectives (government, industry, society). Additionally, it reviews real world examples of what qualifies for renewable energy credits according to different jurisdictions around the world.

Currently the ASHRAE Handbook, Applications volume contains chapters that affect the design of components of semi-conductor and nano-technology facilities. There is no chapter currently that pulls all of it together. What is lacking in the other chapters that can be addressed in a high level chapter discussing these facilities?

First time at an ASHRAE Conference? Been coming for years, but still confused? What is a TC? What is a Standing Committee? Who can attend what? What is the AHR Expo? And why is all this happening at once? This crash course provides you with an introduction to all the ASHRAE Conference activities, explains how you can get involved, and allows you to ask questions to experienced attendees.

This session covers the fundamentals surrounding water flow measurement in hydronic systems. Why, how, what. Hydronic systems (chilled water, heating hot water, or condenser water) are effectively a HVAC transmission. Pumps, pipes and valves make-up the envelop and their effectiveness can be measured by the volume flow rate of water in the pipe. We measure flow rate through pressure drop - such as valves, orifices, venturis, equipment losses; by pump curve; and with throughput measurement equipment such as ultrasonic and magnetic meters. The merits and practicalities of each are covered here.

Potential applications of heat recovery to increase energy efficiency is a practical and viable approach to energy conservation. This session includes papers describing several methods of using heat recovery for increased energy efficiency. Different system and building types are examined along with theoretical, modeling and case evaluations for effectiveness.

CHW pipe insulation systems sometimes fail due to long-term moisture accumulation, particularly in unconditioned spaces in humid environments. The first speaker will describe a case study of several school buildings which suffered from severe mold growth and was successfully remediated. A second speaker will describe a case study of a building that experienced extensive CHW pipe insulation failures and was successfully remediated. A third speaker will summarize the findings of laboratory tests on insulated cold pipes in ASHRAE RP-1646. Finally, a fourth speaker will address the results of computerized hygrothermal analyses simulating four different CHW pipe insulation systems.

Building information modeling (BIM) is a software-based method to enhance the efficiency of integrated building design including HVAC load calculations. This seminar looks at several different methods of performing HVAC load calculations on the ASHRAE Headquarters building. One method involves performing HVAC load calculations inside the BIM authoring software tool. Another method involves exporting the building information to a standard schema and importing that same information into another vendor's HVAC load calculation tool. This seminar examines the advantages and disadvantages along with the struggles of using these tools to perform comprehensive load calculations.

Interest in the use of predictive energy modeling tools as guides to support decision making continues to grow. This session discusses in detail advances in calculation methodology, improved procedures for standardizing model input data and the use of templates for rapidly constructing complex models for energy use predictions. In addition, the session proposes innovative solutions to addressing the performance gap between expected and realized energy performance.

The components of lighting heat gains are a significant contributor to space cooling load in buildings. These components include the fraction of convective and radiative heat gains, as well as the fraction of conditioned space and plenum space heat gains. Relevant data for the LED lighting heat gain is sparse. As the LED technology and application are rapidly growing, the need to identify LED lighting heat gain becomes highly demanded. This seminar summarizes the findings of ASHRAE RP-1681, in which 14 commercially available LED lighting luminaries’ heat gain distributions were determined through systematically designed experiments.

This session's theme is moisture, humidity, dampness and what are the differences between them all? The session focuses on the fundamental concepts of moisture management in buildings, discusses common moisture problems and fixes and attempts to describe dampness as it applies to real world situations.

Developing countries have lower refrigeration capacities than developed countries and thus more post-harvest losses. International organizations and private companies need to invest in these countries.

Nanomaterials development and application are viewed as an emerging discipline but is that new? Concerns have been raised about exposure to nanomaterials as it presents a unique set of exposure pathways with potentially new benefits and risks. This seminar explores the sources of nanomaterials indoors, their impact on indoor air quality and their associated risks.

This seminar presents an overview of hydronic control valve sizing with special emphasis on sizing issues which can affect the performance of the control valves. Actual examples of incorrect valve sizing will be shown with an explanation of the problems caused and the solutions required to correct the problems.

Electronic project management systems and collaborative editing tools are collaborative programs for business and design professionals. These systems can include document management and retention, project scheduling and communication. The communications can include proposals, budgets, submittals, information requests, timelines, submittals and more. With any new system, training and standardizing procedures for efficiency and sustained usage are important. Additionally, this session covers the ASHRAE selected project management system Basecamp. Including the goals of using Basecamp, where ASHRAE is currently, and what the challenges were. Lastly, a demonstration of the ASHRAE Authoring Portal, a collaborative editing tool is shown, including sample projects.

The MGM Grand Fire in 1980 created a new thought process and applications on how fire and life safety systems in buildings are addressed. This session provides a description of the 1980 fire and lessons learned as well as an overview of present day fire and life safety codes, especially applications for tall, supertall and Mega-tall buildings.

CFD is a powerful and efficient tool that provides scientific analysis and images to enhance the design. It is a practical and cost effective method to investigate different design alternatives especially in large industrial and commercial buildings. However, the CFD results should meet some level of accuracy to be used in design process. Some factors like the type of the CFD model, boundary condition set up, mesh dependency, and convergence criteria affect the uncertainty and accuracy. The speakers go through several different industrial applications to show the work flow and importance of uncertainty and validation quality in HVAC industry.

The seminar addresses low-GWP alternative refrigerants and their applications. As regulations and legislation become increasingly more widespread and restrictive, the HVAC&R industry will need to identify viable alternatives for existing refrigerant solutions. This environmentally-driven change is different than past ones since additional constraints are being placed on refrigerants in essence reducing the number of viable single-component solutions. The seminar highlights five papers appearing in ASHRAE’s Science and Technology for the Built Environment November 2016 edition (one dedicated specifically to low-GWP refrigerants.) The presentations focus on low-GWP halocarbon refrigerants containing unsaturated carbon bonds during boiling heat transfer and in system applications.

The seminar addresses low-GWP alternative refrigerants and their applications. As regulations and legislation become increasingly more widespread and restrictive, the HVAC&R industry will need to identify viable alternatives for existing refrigerant solutions. This environmentally-driven change is different than past ones since additional constraints are being placed on refrigerants in essence reducing the number of viable single-component solutions. The seminar highlights five papers appearing in ASHRAE’s Science and Technology for the Built Environment November 2016 edition (one dedicated specifically to low-GWP refrigerants.) The presentations focus on low-GWP halocarbon refrigerants containing unsaturated carbon bonds during boiling heat transfer and in system applications.

OPEN SESSION: No badge required; no PDHs awarded; presented during the TC's meeting.In this seminar, two speakers share their career path experiences in Building Automation Systems(BAS). The seminar focuses on the different careers within the BAS industry. Chariti Young, Member, Automated Logic Corp. presents, “A Cutting Edge Career in Building Automation Systems”. Jason Beu, The RMH Group, Inc., presents, “Path to a Career in Controls”.

The “Engineer’s Notebook” series in ASHRAE Journal was established in its current form in 2013 with four authors contributing monthly articles on a rotating basis. All four authors are ASHRAE Fellows and senior consulting engineers with more than 100 years of collective practical experience, and the concept of the recurring column is to share with peers what they have learned (sometimes the hard way) and experienced in the course of their careers, along with helpful design tips and tools. In this Seminar, each of the four has chosen their favorite column to date and has adapted it for presentation.

This forum is intended to solicit input regarding the content of the new Hot Climate Building Design Guide. The hot climate areas presently defined as 0A, 0B, 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B zones. MTG HCDG Hot Climate Design Guide has been tasked with the generation of this guide for designing in hot climates. MTG HCDG has been tasked with identifying potential enhancements and would like to give the ASHRAE membership an opportunity to provide their comments to provide a well-designed, relevant, and energy efficient hot climate design guide manual.

All three conference papers in this session focus on verifying modeling information with hands-on experimentation to validate the modeled results. In the first paper, differential pressures from shaft to building were measured in 15 different buildings. Comparing the experimental results to the modeled results, found that in most cases, hand-calculations underestimate differential pressures. In the second paper, experimentation with smoke movement through a high-rise shaft was undertaken and found that previous modeling methods did not match the experimentation results; so a new and improved method was proposed. In the third paper, a building fire was simulated and data on smoke movement in the shaft was captured. When compared to available modeling software, the experimental results were significantly different. More information about this research and their interesting results are up next.

Achieving the necessary occupant satisfaction with the built environment is a major focus of engineers. The demand to increase energy efficiency requires more creative methods to maintain the essential thermal comfort needs of the occupants. Energy saving measures, such as natural ventilation and non-uniform environments created by windows, can make prediction of thermal comfort complicated for the designer. SSPC 55 has created tools to improve thermal comfort prediction and account for the effects of natural ventilation. This seminar explores the tools developed for the thermal comfort standard and the areas where natural ventilation applications can be improved.

This session provides laboratory designers with up to date information on lab design.

The drive towards high performance buildings has seen energy standards continue to increase their minimum efficiency targets to hydronic equipment. This session explores the recent changes to Standard 90.1-2016 on efficiency targets of hydronic pumps and the upcoming U.S. DOE pump efficiency legislation. A look at the European Union efficiency legislation around hydronic pumping equipment and how they compare to North American levels is presented.

Heat transfer efficiency through modern fin heat exchanger design and fenestration is described in this session. Increasing fin efficiency and reducing heat load through fenestration design are highlighted. New research in calculations are revealed and detailed modeling approaches to fin design are also highlighted.

Achieving low energy buildings requires optimal usage of energy in different forms, which can be predicted by exergy modeling. This seminar invites experts to introduce how to perform exergy modeling for evaluating different energy systems such as a PV system and a hybrid heating system. The experts will also elaborate the difference between energy modeling and exergy modeling to highlight the unique information obtained from exergy modeling.

ASHRAE Standard 205: Standard Representation of Performance Simulation Data for HVAC&R and Other Facility Equipment, an upcoming standard, has the potential to revolutionize energy modeling through streamlining of operational performance characteristics for typical HVAC component's including chillers, fans, and unitary DX equipment. This seminar explores the early experience of manufacturers, software developers and energy modelers using this standard.