ASHRAE - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
ASHRAE – The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers is an internationally recognized organization of professionals
dedicated to the exchange of knowledge and experiences in this industry for the benefit of both field practitioners and the public. ASHRAE has
grown and evolved right alongside of the technical advances of the industries it influences. The roots of ASHRAE date back to the late 1800’s.
Until 1954, it was known as the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (ASHVE), indicative of the fact that modern air conditioning
devices didn’t start to penetrate the market until the 1950’s. As utility costs continue to rise, and more consideration is given to indoor
air quality and other public safety issues, ASHRAE has focused its efforts to improve efficiency of systems, as well as monitoring factors influencing
air quality. ASHRAE publishes an industry handbook that is updated every year. It consists of four volumes; Fundamentals, HVAC Applications,
HVAC Systems and Equipment, and Refrigeration. These volumes are written, tested and updated based on information that comes from the field,
as well as the laboratory. Perhaps ASHRAE’s most important series of publications are the various standards that are related to HVAC systems
and issues. While not legally enforceable, they are commonly accepted by architects, engineers and tradesmen as guidelines that help define
what is needed in a given building, and in a given region. For example, ASHRAE Standard 62-1989 defines the Minimum Ventilation Requirement
(MVR) for homes and takes into account many different factors. Before going further, it is important for the reader to understand that all homes/buildings
have air leakage through the every materials that they are constructed of. Standard 62-1989 recommends that homes have an air leakage rate of
at least .35 of its total air volume change each hour, or that the home’s air change at a rate of 15 cubic feet per minute per person living
there, whichever is greater. This standard is becoming more important as homeowners, builders, and contractors seek to ‘tighten up’ air leakage
in an effort to lower heating costs. A test with a device known as a blower door helps professionals determine the general air tightness of
a home. If a home should be deemed too airtight, a mechanical whole house ventilation system would be required. It is important to mention that
this as well as other ASHRAE standards are updated regularly. To obtain the most up to date information, visit www.ashrae.org.
Perhaps one of ASHRAE’s most significant contributions to the science of HVAC is the recognition of climate zones. Even a person not skilled
in the art can understand that a building nearer to the equator will have a different set of environmental conditions to overcome than one that
is closer to the poles. Most metropolises are built in temperate zones, which is to say, they experience a change (sometimes dramatic) in season.
Therefore, strategies must be employed to not only heat the building in the winter, but also cool the building in the summer. At all times,
sufficient ventilation (supply of fresh air) must be present. ASHRAE’s climate zones take into account several key parameters including:
- Latitude
- Altitude
- Proximity to large bodies of water
For an extensive explanation of ASHRAE’s climate zones, check out
http://resourcecenter.pnl.gov/cocoon/morf/ResourceCenter/article/1420
and
http://resourcecenter.pnl.gov/cocoon/morf/ResourceCenter/article//1420.articletopdf?homepage_url=http://resourcecenter.pnl.gov/cocoon/morf/ResourceCenter&site_name=ResourceCenter
