American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) News

During the coronavirus pandemic, UV-C systems have surged from a niche market to mass production capable of meeting historic demand levels. As a result, UV lamp manufacturers, as well as their component providers (e.g., glass suppliers), have struggled to meet the growing demand. Because of UV-C’s historic proven effectiveness, interest in and orders for UV disinfection equipment have increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in July, lighting manufacturer Signify...

Until very recently the concept of unplanned shutdowns of HVAC systems and other evaporative cooling equipment in facilities was foreign to most building managers. Shutdowns would usually occur on a wholly scheduled basis, when equipment required planned maintenance, component repair, or replacement. But, with the occurrence of the global COVID-19 pandemic which saw hundreds of thousands of workers asked to work remotely literally overnight, we have seen thousands of buildings effectively mothb...

The year 2020 will forever be remembered for the global pandemic that transformed almost every aspect of our lives. COVID-19 impacted the HVAC market, as it did most other business sectors. However, HVAC also rose to a new level of prominence at the center of the pandemic, both as a potential cause of virus spread and as a source of solutions to fight the virus. This article will highlight the intersection of HVAC and COVID-19 based on articles published during 2020 at HVACinformed.com. Impac...

ASHRAE and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing the organizations’ relationship. The MOU was signed by Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E., 2020-21 ASHRAE President and David Terry, NASEO Executive Director during a virtual signing ceremony on November 20. The agreement outlines how ASHRAE and NASEO will work cooperatively to promote the advancements of a more sustainable built environment through HVAC&R...

Registration is now open for the 2021 ASHRAE Virtual Winter Conference, slated to take place from February 9th to February 11th, 2021. The convenient online format of the conference will allow for global participation with a group of the world’s renowned presenters delivering timely and useful industry content. 2021 ASHRAE Virtual Conference “ASHRAE’s Virtual Winter Conference will include three-days packed with learning and live discussions from top experts,” said 2020...

Registration is now open for HVAC Design and Operations training through ASHRAE Learning Institute (ALI). The training course will run from December 2020 through June 2021. HVAC Design training “As technology continues to change, the need for training that incorporates the latest building performance solutions will become critical,” said 2020-21 ASHRAE President Chuck E. Gulledge III, P.E., adding “ASHRAE’s HVAC Design training offers comprehensive professional developm...

The Visual Arts Building (VAB) at the University of Iowa is a marvel of both aesthetic design and mechanical engineering. Six years in the making and completed in October 2016, the award-winning, 126,000 square-foot structure blends the artistry of the renowned Steven Holl Architects (New York) with an array of innovative mechanical systems that smoothly integrate with Holl’s aesthetics while meeting the numerous, industrial-like requirements of this challenging space. Thanks to these mec...

ASHRAE, a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment, announced a move to its new global headquarters, located at 180 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners, Georgia. The Society began renovations in January 2020 on an existing 66,700 ft building, originally built in 1978, on 11 acres of land. Located 10 miles north of its previous headquarters building, ASHRAE joins other innovation and sustainability-focused organizations based in the pop...

Johnson Controls, a globally renowned solutions provider for smart and sustainable buildings, is offering a high efficiency pleated air filter that provides an affordable solution instead of costly HEPA filtration upgrades. Its MERV 13 performance rating make the filter an excellent upgrade in existing equipment for applications such as hospitals, laboratories and pharmaceutical plants, commercial office buildings, industrial plants, or any HVAC system in which a higher degree of clean air is d...

Johnson Controls, the provider of smart and sustainable buildings, announces the KOCH™ DuraMAX line of air filters. With a range of efficiency ratings from MERV 11 to MERV 16, DuraMAX filters are a smart and safe upgrade from bag filters and other box-style rigid filters and effectively help lower the spread of COVID-19 indoors. The DuraMAX line of filters works alongside other Johnson Controls HVAC products and solutions to help make buildings more safe, secure and sustainable. Indoor a...

As the school year progresses in various formats, Trane® – by Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator – introduces expanded services to help schools evaluate, implement and fund indoor air quality improvements in their buildings. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) play a critical role in creating proper indoor air quality. ASHRAE® guidelines to address COVID-19 in the reopening of schools indicate that making changes to the operation of HVAC syst...

Recommendations from CDC and ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force Regarding Ventilation: Increase the percentage of outdoor air (e.g., using economizer modes of HVAC operations) potentially as high as 100%, increasing the total airflow supply to occupied spaces Continue operation of the ERV component appropriate to climate conditions Dilution of contaminants, including infectious aerosols, by outdoor air ventilation is an integral IAQ strategy in ASHRAE Standard 62.1 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor...

As schools work to reopen safely in the midst of a global pandemic, HVAC is at the center of the mission. Adequate ventilation and effective air filtration are critical elements to ensure safe indoor air quality for educational institutions. Many schools are housed in older buildings that may not have been adequately maintained. Transforming them to address the new challenges of minimizing exposure to the novel coronavirus is that much more difficult. In fact, a recent study by the U.S. Governm...

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) announces that Carrier, a provider of heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions, and its subsidiary EMSI are the first organizations in China to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management. Properties in multiple cities including offices and a factory add to the list of over 500 facilities across the world taking proactive measures focused on prevention and preparedness, resilience and recovery in the...

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the power provider in the United States, is offering incentives to businesses and schools to install UV-C germicidal lights to fight germs in indoor air. Customers that buy from TVA’s Preferred Partners Network can receive a $30-per-ton incentive toward adoption of approved UV-C technologies, which remove viruses and bacteria from indoor air. “Schools and businesses realize they need solutions to purify indoor air, and we want to help them insta...

enVerid Systems, a renowned provider of indoor air quality solutions, fully supports the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force's (ETF) updated guidance on HVAC strategies for mitigating the airborne transmission of COVID-19 in commercial buildings. ASHRAE's ETF refined its recommendations in its Commercial Guide, acknowledging the significant energy impact of pursuing a strategy of maximum outside air (OA) ventilation. enVerid and other experts have highlighted this as an area of concern. Research has sho...

A University of Oregon study has found viral RNA from SARS-CoV-2 in the air handling units (AHUs) of a healthcare facility, thus raising new questions about the possible role of HVAC systems in spreading the novel coronavirus. The study collected 56 samples from three different air handling units at the Oregon Health and Science University hospital in Portland, Ore., on four days in May and June 2020. Three areas along the path of airflow were sampled, including pre-filters, finals filters, and...

Daikin Applied introduced the Daikin SmartSource® Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS), its next generation of heat pump heating technology that enables efficient and cost-effective heating and cooling in all conditions using 100 percent of fresh, outside air. The new unit features exclusive SmartBoost Heat Technology™, which allows for air as cold as 0 degrees Fahrenheit to enter without any pre-heating, all while achieving 49 percent higher than ASHRAE 90.1-2016 minimum efficiency. H...

The current Coronavirus pandemic and the corresponding socioeconomic crisis has dealt a brutal blow to public and residential facilities alike, as businesses and management bodies worldwide are challenged to constantly ensure that their spaces are safe and healthy for occupants. As the entire world has been forced to adapt to what’s been commonly referred to as “the new normal,” one broad-ranging area has come into critical focus as a priority with a heightened sense of fear a...

The company continues to help installers manage ongoing refrigerant change. The valves are just two of an extended well-known refrigeration portfolio of Danfoss products to be qualified for the A2L-classified refrigerants, in response to demand from customers who want to use ultra-low GWP alternatives to R404A and R134a. Danfoss has created new, dedicated versions of the popular design, an industry staple since the T2’s launch in 1966. As with all mechanical valves, each model is optimize...

ASHRAE published an updated guidance document, “Practical Guidance for Epidemic Operation of Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) Systems,” addressing concerns on the operation and use of energy recovery ventilators during an epidemic such as the current pandemic crisis. The updated guidance states that “well-designed and well-maintained air-to-air energy recovery systems should remain operating in residences, commercial buildings and medical facilities during the COVID-19 p...

Reliable Controls announced that Michael Osborne, the company’s Firmware Manager, accepted the appointment of BACnet Chair. Developed under the auspices of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), BACnet is an American national standard, a European standard, a national standard in more than 30 countries, and an ISO global standard. BACnet has been an international standard since 2003, and has 877 listed products from 180 manufacturers, with o...

A renowned ventilation specialist has urged businesses to consider the role that ventilation can play in maximizing the health and safety of employees as they return to work. Alan Macklin, Technical Director at Elta Group and Chairman of the Fan Manufacturer’s Association (FMA), has drawn attention to the critical role that ventilation will play as the UK begins transitioning out of lockdown. With many workspaces having been unoccupied for a prolonged period of time, guidance has been iss...

Honeywell launched an integrated set of solutions to help building owners improve the health of their building environments, operate more cleanly and safely, comply with social distancing policies, and help reassure occupants that it is safe to return to the workplace. By integrating air quality, safety and security technologies along with advanced analytics, Honeywell's Healthy Buildings solutions are designed to help building owners minimize potential risks of contamination and ensure busines...

Which measures can lessen the spread of the novel coronavirus, and which can make it worse? As the pandemic continues to unfold, there is an overabundance of advice on the subject as it relates to HVAC systems. For example, one theory goes that air conditioning, by removing humidity from the air, may enable infectious droplets to linger longer than they would outdoors or in another space where humidity is higher. More humidity can weigh down viral droplets as they float through the air. Does i...

As countries around the world work to contain the spread of COVID-19 and prepare to reopen, Trane Technologies is addressing critical needs for healthier air quality in buildings, hospitals and homes and safe transport for food and medicine. The global climate innovator has seen a growing focus on indoor air quality in buildings, including hospitals and other healthcare settings. At the same time, strain on the grocery supply chain and concerns about a pandemic-driven food supply crisis highlig...

Danfoss launches contractor-focused webinar series: Five Steps to Your Perfect Workday. Danfoss experts have created a series of five webinars that will provide tools to help contractors overcome typical jobsite challenges. The live webinars are free to attend and will be given in English and Spanish. webinar topics Topics include: Quick Steps to Ensure Compressor Health | May 20, 2020, 2pm EST (English); May 21, 2020, 2pm EST (Spanish) Focus on observations and measurements that identi...

It is unrealistic to place on building owners and operators the burden and risk for providing pathogen-free water throughout buildings when the water delivered to their buildings contains Legionella bacteria. Legionella is commonly found in source waters and in the soil, and thus, if untreated at the municipal water treatment plant and in the distribution systems, the Legionella bacteria will necessarily find its way into buildings. More needs to be done by the municipal water suppliers to min...

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, the ultraviolet irradiation industry has seen an unprecedented surge in demand for germicidal solutions. UV-C light is a short-wavelength, ultraviolet light that kills germs by inactivating a microorganism’s DNA. Germicidal UV-C energy is just one of three proven methods identified by ASHRAE of controlling airborne infection. The other two are ventilation and particle filtration. The pandemic has left no doubt that the 254 nm germicidal wavelength can...

Headquartered in West Sacramento, California, The Money Store’s existing facilities were inadequate for its growing staff. To help with its consolidation and expansion, The Money Store contracted with E.M. Kado and Associates to design a new facility to meet their needs. Wanting to complement and enhance the West Sacramento skyline, E.M. Kado and Associates designed the new building with a distinctive tiered appearance. The mechanical systems in this unique building were designed and inst...