ASHRAE Insights

The mountains of Salt Lake City provide the perfect backdrop for scaling the peak of performance at the 2008 ASHRAE Annual Meeting.

“Are you looking to advance your career?” said ASHRAE President Kent Peterson. “Or maybe you’re seeking to improve performance of the buildings you design, construct and operate. Either way, ASHRAE’s meeting and its focus on building performance is the place for you. Advance your knowledge by taking advantage of ASHRAE’s education and technical program. Improve the performance of your buildings by learning how to apply the latest technologies that your fellow members share at the meeting. We hope to see you there.”

The meeting takes place June 21 – 25 in Salt Lake City. To register or for more information, visit www.ashrae.org/saltlake. Most events will take place at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

A highlight of the meeting is Ira Magaziner, chairman of the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), as technical plenary speaker. The program takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 22, at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Registration is required to attend.

As chair of the CCI, formed in August 2006, Magaziner oversees the mission of applying the Clinton Foundation’s business-oriented approach to the fight against climate change in practical, measurable and significant ways. ASHRAE is a partner in the Initiative.

The ASHRAE Learning Institute will offer two professional development seminars and four short courses, focusing on a range of HVAC&R related topics. The seminars provide guidance on complying with Standards 62.1 and 90.1, while short courses cover topics related to sustainability and energy reduction in buildings.

ASHRAE also will launch its new certification program, High-Performance Building Design Professional. Candidates who earn the certification will have demonstrated a well-rounded understanding and knowledge of how HVAC&R design is integrated into high-performing buildings to achieve the overall goal of producing a sustainable design. For more information, visit www.ashrae.org/certification.

In addition, ASHRAE president-elect Bill Harrison, president of Trane Arkansas, Little Rock, Ark., will take office as 2008 – 09 president. Harrison will present his inaugural address, Maintain to Sustain—Delivering ASHRAE’s Sustainability Promise, at the president’s luncheon on Monday, June 23. He will focus on operating buildings to deliver the energy efficiency inherent in their design, including effective commissioning, improved documentation, and programs to educate and certify building operators.

In efforts to leave a “sustainable footprint” in the cities where meetings take place, ASHRAE is launching a new program in Salt Lake to provide technical and financial support for a sustainable project in the cities. Beginning with the Salt Lake meeting, ASHRAE is seeking donations from meeting attendees to go toward supporting a local green project or green enhancement to an existing project.

The chosen project for Salt Lake is installation of a solar domestic water heating system at the YWCA of Salt Lake City’s Teen Home. The system would help reduce the annual operating costs of the facility and reduce the environmental impact of the current heating system. Donations can be made via the registration form at www.ashrae.org/saltlake.