ASHRAE works for healthy indoors, energy conservation

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The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning En-gineers is an international organization of 58,000 persons throughout the world. The sole purpose of the society is to advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration for the public's benefit through research, design-and-construction standards writing, continuing education and technical publications.|ret||ret||tab|

The standards published by ASHRAE address such topics as indoor air quality and energy conservation. Conserving energy and maintaining a healthy indoor environment are two important issues that affect everyone these days. These two topics tend to go hand-in-hand with each other, yet also work against each other. |ret||ret||tab|

One popular solution to maintaining a healthy indoor environment is to ventilate a building with increased quantities of outdoor air. Doing so helps dilute the contaminants known to affect indoor air quality. The downside is that increased outdoor air ventilation increases the en-ergy consumed by the building's air conditioning equipment. |ret||ret||tab|

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Energy solutions|ret||ret||tab|

ASHRAE's research program funds numerous projects that seek to determine energy-efficient solutions to maintaining health indoor environments. The society brings information to its members on the latest in heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning technology through its engineering handbooks and monthly magazine, The ASHRAE Journal. |ret||ret||tab|

ASHRAE's chapters are the grassroots of the organization. Each chapter is supported by the volunteer efforts of its members. The chapter serves its members and the community by providing technical and educational programs, ca-reer guidance for students, and by providing a means of communication be-tween the chapter members and the society's board of directors. |ret||ret||tab|

The chapter members serve the society by raising funds for ASHRAE's re-search program, and by providing feedback on ASHRAE standards and publications.|ret||ret||tab|

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Ozarks chapter|ret||ret||tab|

The Ozarks chapter of ASHRAE is one of more than 150 chapters of the Ameri-can Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers. The Ozarks chapter was established in 1986. The chapter roster presently includes 75 regional members. The chapter membership consists primarily of engineers, contractors, and equipment suppliers and sales representatives.|ret||ret||tab|

Each year, the Ozarks chapter of ASHRAE meets on the evening of the third Tuesday of each month from September through May of the following year. December meetings are moved to the second Tuesday due to the holidays. Meetings typically include a social hour, dinner, a business meeting, and a technical program featuring a noted guest speaker. |ret||ret||tab|

The topics of this year's meetings have included humidity control in schools, and the new 2000 International Energy Conservation Code. |ret||ret||tab|

Upcoming meetings' technical program topics include cooling tower water filtration and steam piping design. |ret||ret||tab|

Each year of programs includes one or two tours of a local building or facility. The emphasis of the tours is placed on the facility's heating, ventilation and air- conditioning system or other related technology. |ret||ret||tab|

Tours planned for this year include one of the Springfield area's newest and largest churches, and a tour of the Wonders of Wildlife Museum. The chapter hosts one or more of the monthly programs jointly with another area organization involved with the design and construction industry. The Dec. 11 meeting will be hosted with the Springfield chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute. The program will be a tour of the Wonders of Wildlife Museum. |ret||ret||tab|

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Golf tournaments|ret||ret||tab|

In addition to the monthly meetings, the Ozarks chapter hosts two golf tournaments. |ret||ret||tab|

One golf tournament is in the spring, and the other is in the fall. The chapter invites its members, area construction and design professionals, and those who enjoy playing golf to play in its tournaments. Proceeds from hole sponsorships go to support ASHRAE's research program.|ret||ret||tab|

Those interested in learning more about or participating in ASHRAE may visit the ASHRAE Web site at www.ashrae.org.|ret||ret||tab|

(Steve Colvin, PE, project engineer with Malone Finkle Eckhardt & Col-lins, is president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers Ozarks chapter.)[[In-content Ad]]