ASHRAE - Wikipedia

American HVAC professional association ASHRAE

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Formation	1895; 130 years ago (1895)
Type	Not-for-profit membership organization
Headquarters	180 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners, Georgia 30092
Location	United States
Coordinates	33°57′42″N 84°13′15″W / 33.961800°N 84.220889°W / 33.961800; -84.220889
Region served	Worldwide
Membership	Over 50,000 in over 130 countries[2]
Official language	English
President	Bill McQuade, P.E., CDP, Fellow ASHRAE, LEED AP 2025-26 ASHRAE President[1]
Website	www.ashrae.org

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE /ˈæʃreɪ/ ASH-ray) is an American professional association seeking to advance heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems design and construction. ASHRAE has over 50,000 members in more than 130 countries worldwide.

ASHRAE's members comprise building services engineers, architects, mechanical contractors, building owners, equipment manufacturers' employees, and others concerned with the design and construction of HVAC&R systems in buildings. The society funds research projects, offers continuing education programs, and develops and publishes technical standards to improve building services engineering, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and sustainable development.[3]

History

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ASHRAE was founded in 1894 at a meeting of engineers in New York City, formerly headquartered at 345 East 47th Street (the United Engineering Center), and has held an annual meeting since 1895.[4] Until 1954 it was known as the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (ASHVE); in that year it changed its name to the American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHAE).[5] Its current name and organization came from the 1959 merger of ASHAE and the American Society of Refrigerating Engineers (ASRE).

Despite having 'American' in its name, ASHRAE is a global organization,[6] holding international events.[7][8] In 2012, it rebranded itself with a new logo and tagline: "Shaping Tomorrow's Built Environment Today".

Publications

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The ASHRAE Handbook is a four-volume resource for HVAC&R technology and is available in both print and electronic versions. The volumes are Fundamentals, HVAC Applications, HVAC Systems and Equipment, and Refrigeration. One of the four volumes is updated each year.

ASHRAE also publishes a set of standards and guidelines relating to HVAC systems and issues, that are often referenced in building codes and used by consulting engineers, mechanical contractors, architects, and government agencies.[9][10] These standards are periodically reviewed, revised and republished.

Examples of some ASHRAE Standards are:

• Standard 34 – Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants
• Standard 55 – Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy
• Standard 62.1 – Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality (versions: 2001 and earlier as "62", 2004 and beyond as "62.1")
• Standard 62.2 – Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings
• Standard 90.1 – Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings – The IESNA is a joint sponsor of this standard.
• Standard 135 – BACnet - A Data Communication Protocol for Building Automation and Control Networks
• Standard 188 – Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems
• Standard 189.1 – Standard for the Design of High Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings[11]
• Standard 241 - Control of Infectious Aerosols[12][13]

The society also publishes two magazines: the ASHRAE Journal is issued monthly, and High Performing Buildings Magazine is published quarterly. They contain articles on related technology, information on upcoming meetings, editorials, and case studies of various well-performing buildings.[14]

ASHRAE also publishes books, ASHRAE Transactions, and the International Journal of HVAC&R Research.

Legislation

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ASHRAE supported the Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2014 (H.R. 4092; 113th Congress), a bill that would require the United States Department of Energy to establish a centralized clearinghouse to disseminate information on federal programs, incentives, and mechanisms for financing energy-efficient retrofits and upgrades at schools.[15][16]

Society awards

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ASHRAE offers six categories of awards: achievement awards to recognize personal honors; personal awards for general and specific society activities; paper awards; society awards for groups or chapters; chapters and regional awards.[17]

ASHRAE Fellows

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ASHRAE Fellow is a Membership Grade of Distinction conferred by The College of Fellows of ASHRAE, Inc.[18] to an ASHRAE member with significant publications or innovations and distinguished scientific and engineering background in the fields of heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, ventilation. The ASHRAE Fellow membership grade is the highest elected grade in ASHRAE.

Hall of Fame

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ASHRAE has a Hall of Fame honoring "deceased members who have made milestone contributions to the growth of ASHRAE-related technology. Individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame must have been an ASHRAE member (any grade) or a member of a predecessor Society and must have shown evidence of distinction in the Society, either technically or academically."[19]

Headquarters renewal

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To demonstrate the Society's commitment to sustainability, ASHRAE renovated its previous headquarters building in Atlanta, Ga. After the renovation and occupancy in June 2008, the building received many awards, including an Energy Star rating with a score of 95, a Platinum Certification from USGBC's LEED program, and four Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative. The current site energy use intensity (EUI) is 35.8 kBtu/Sqft (411 MJ/m2), a 60 percent reduction from the pre-renovation value. The renovation included the use of a dedicated outdoor air supply (DOAS) system with energy recovery and humidity control; a ground-source heat pump system; and variable refrigerant flow systems with heat recovery.[20] The building also serves as a live case study. A web-based user interface allowed researchers around the world to extract data from the building to study factors such as energy use and electric power demand, water consumption and indoor air quality.[21]

In 2018, ASHRAE decided to move their world headquarters, settling on retrofitting a 1970s-era building in Peachtree Corners, suburban Atlanta. Completed in 2022, the building has been renovated to comply with ASHRAE's own standards, including ASHRAE 90.1, and the organization has the goal of operating the building at net-zero energy, powered by a large on-site solar array.[22]

See also

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• ASHRAE 90.1
• ASHRAE 55
• ASHRAE Handbook
• Building services engineering
• Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
• Chartered Association of Building Engineers
• Ralph G. Nevins
• Sick building syndrome
• Uniform Codes
• Uniform Mechanical Code

References

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1. ^ "ASHRAE Board of Directors". www.ashrae.org.
2. ^ "Membership". www.ashrae.org.
3. ^ "About ASHRAE". Retrieved June 18, 2018.
4. ^ "Pure Air for Tenements; the Suggestions of E.P. Bates to Fellow Engineers". The New York Times. January 23, 1895. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
5. ^ "Trade Group Changes Name". The New York Times (subscription required). 26 November 1954. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
6. ^ Wong, Albert (August 18, 2006). "Bus air-con gives medics the chills". The Standard, Hong Kong. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011.
7. ^ Pradesh, Andhra (May 6, 2007). "Workshop on 'Green Buildings'". The Hindu. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
8. ^ "Heating industry aims zero ozone depletion". The Hindu Business Line, India. February 14, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
9. ^ "Energy efficiency traps moisture". The Free Lance–Star, Indiana, USA. September 22, 1983. Retrieved August 14, 2009.[permanent dead link]
10. ^ Charles, Eleanor (August 12, 1990). "In the Region: Connecticut and Westchester; The Problem of 'Sick Building Syndrome'". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
11. ^ "ASHRAE Standard 189.1 Published". Contracting Business News. January 24, 2010. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
12. ^ Gold, Jamie (October 17, 2023). "New ASHRAE Indoor Air Quality Standard Offers Reduced Virus Transmission Risk". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
13. ^ Van Beusekom, Mary (15 August 2023). "New standard on cutting risk of infectious aerosol spread sets high bar for building ventilation but is work in progress | CIDRAP". www.cidrap.umn.edu. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
14. ^ "High Performing Buildings". High Performing Buildings. ASHRAE.
15. ^ "CBO - H.R. 4092". Congressional Budget Office. 20 May 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
16. ^ "House Committee Unanimously Approves Energy Efficiency for Schools Act". SBC Magazine. May 5, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
17. ^ "Honors & Awards". ASHRAE. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
18. ^ "College of Fellows". ASHRAE. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
19. ^ "Hall of Fame Members". www.ashrae.org.
20. ^ "ASHRAE Headquarters Renovation". U.S. Green Building Council. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
21. ^ "ashrae.org". Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
22. ^ "ASHRAE Nets a Big Milestone with Its Global Headquarters - Society of Women Engineers". Retrieved 2024-11-14.

External links

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• Official website
• ASHRAE publications
• The AHR Expo - Co-Sponsored by ASHRAE and ARI
• ASHRAE Building Energy Quotient Program Archived 2018-10-25 at the Wayback Machine

v t e Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
Fundamental concepts	Air changes per hour (ACH) Bake-out Building envelope Convection Dilution Domestic energy consumption Enthalpy Fluid dynamics Gas compressor Heat pump and refrigeration cycle Heat transfer Humidity Infiltration Latent heat Noise control Outgassing Particulates Psychrometrics Sensible heat Stack effect Thermal comfort Thermal destratification Thermal mass Thermodynamics Vapour pressure of water
Technology	Absorption-compression heat pump Absorption refrigerator Air barrier Air conditioning Antifreeze Automobile air conditioning Autonomous building Building insulation materials Central heating Central solar heating Chilled beam Chilled water Constant air volume (CAV) Coolant Cross ventilation Dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) Deep water source cooling Demand controlled ventilation (DCV) Displacement ventilation District cooling District heating Electric heating Energy recovery ventilation (ERV) Firestop Forced-air Forced-air gas Free cooling Heat recovery ventilation (HRV) Hybrid heat Hydronics Ice storage air conditioning Kitchen ventilation Mixed-mode ventilation Microgeneration Passive cooling Passive daytime radiative cooling Passive house Passive ventilation Radiant heating and cooling Radiant cooling Radiant heating Radon mitigation Refrigeration Renewable heat Room air distribution Solar air heat Solar combisystem Solar cooling Solar heating Thermal insulation Thermosiphon Underfloor air distribution Underfloor heating Vapor barrier Vapor-compression refrigeration (VCRS) Variable air volume (VAV) Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) Ventilation Water heat recycling
Components	Air conditioner inverter Air door Air filter Air handler Air ionizer Air-mixing plenum Air purifier Air source heat pump Attic fan Automatic balancing valve Back boiler Barrier pipe Blast damper Boiler Centrifugal fan Ceramic heater Chiller Condensate pump Condenser Condensing boiler Convection heater Compressor Cooling tower Damper Dehumidifier Duct Economizer Electrostatic precipitator Evaporative cooler Evaporator Exhaust hood Expansion tank Fan Fan coil unit Fan filter unit Fan heater Fire damper Fireplace Fireplace insert Freeze stat Flue Freon Fume hood Furnace Gas compressor Gas heater Gasoline heater Grease duct Grille Ground-coupled heat exchanger Ground source heat pump Heat exchanger Heat pipe Heat pump Heating film Heating system HEPA High efficiency glandless circulating pump High-pressure cut-off switch Humidifier Infrared heater Inverter compressor Kerosene heater Louver Mechanical room Oil heater Packaged terminal air conditioner Plenum space Pressurisation ductwork Process duct work Radiator Radiator reflector Recuperator Refrigerant Register Reversing valve Run-around coil Sail switch Scroll compressor Solar chimney Solar-assisted heat pump Space heater Smoke canopy Smoke damper Smoke exhaust ductwork Thermal expansion valve Thermal wheel Thermostatic radiator valve Trickle vent Trombe wall TurboSwing Turning vanes Ultra-low particulate air (ULPA) Whole-house fan Windcatcher Wood-burning stove Zone valve
Measurementand control	Air flow meter Aquastat BACnet Blower door Building automation Carbon dioxide sensor Clean air delivery rate (CADR) Control valve Gas detector Home energy monitor Humidistat HVAC control system Infrared thermometer Intelligent buildings LonWorks Minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) Normal temperature and pressure (NTP) OpenTherm Programmable communicating thermostat Programmable thermostat Psychrometrics Room temperature Smart thermostat Standard temperature and pressure (STP) Thermographic camera Thermostat Thermostatic radiator valve
Professions,trades,and services	Architectural acoustics Architectural engineering Architectural technologist Building services engineering Building information modeling (BIM) Deep energy retrofit Duct cleaning Duct leakage testing Environmental engineering Hydronic balancing Kitchen exhaust cleaning Mechanical engineering Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing Mold growth, assessment, and remediation Refrigerant reclamation Testing, adjusting, balancing
Industry organizations	AHRI AMCA ASHRAE ASTM International BRE BSRIA CIBSE Institute of Refrigeration IIR LEED SMACNA UMC
Health and safety	Indoor air quality (IAQ) Passive smoking Sick building syndrome (SBS) Volatile organic compound (VOC)
See also	ASHRAE Handbook Building science Fireproofing Glossary of HVAC terms Warm Spaces World Refrigeration Day Template:Fire protection Template:Home automation Template:Solar energy

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National	United States France BnF data Italy Czech Republic 2 3 Norway Israel
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