2017 Issue

57 T oday’s buildings are modern man’s exo- skeleton. We spend at least 95 percent of our time encapsulated indoors. And just like insects, we depend on our exoskeleton – whether it be buildings or vehicles – to protect us, to keep us safe from the environment and pollutants, and to provide com- fortable, productive living conditions. As the world’s foremost technical society in the built envi- ronment industry, ASHRAE engineers the building in which we live, work and play. With a focus on HVAC&R, ASHRAE is a society of more than 56,000 individuals across the world who share ideas, identify the need for and support research and write the industry’s standards related to energy effi- ciency, air quality, thermal comfort, commissioning and refrigeration. The results of these efforts is that the built environment industry is better able to keep indoor environ- ments safe and productive while protecting and preserving the outdoors for generations to come, ensuring a sustain- able world. For more than 100 years, ASHRAE has provided guidance related to HVAC&R. ASHRAE members have consistently provided thought leadership and direction, created indus- try standards and recommended procedures and guide- lines, shared knowledge, guided policy creation, demon- strated a strong commitment to research and provided education for over a century. ASHRAE engineers have not only collaborated to produce technical guidance for today, they have looked for new solutions and are continually seeking the technology of tomorrow. From developing an energy efficiency standard at the request of the U.S. Federal government during the energy crisis of the 1970s to writing a sustainability standard that provides a long-needed green building foundation for those who strive to build, design and operate green build- ings, the mission of ASHRAE is clear: To advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigerating to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world. As time and technology have changed, so has ASHRAE, moving from focusing solely on HVAC&R to providing guid- ance for total building design, construction and operation, aka “the built community.” ASHRAE’s original commitment to HVAC&R engineering excellence remains resolute even as the Society continues to expand its influence into all facets of building design, construction and operation. Just as integrated design is the cornerstone of sustainable buildings, ASHRAE members create an integrated body of knowledge that covers the full spectrum of high-performance buildings. The ASHRAE of today is looking ahead to shape the world of tomorrow. The Society is building on its history and providing valuable updates to standards as well as writing new ones, such as a “Smart Grid” standard that provides a common basis for electrical energy consumers to describe, manage and communicate about electrical energy con- sumptions and forecasts. The Society is helping transform the marketplace through the Advanced Energy Design Guide series, the ultimate goal of which is to move the industry toward net zero energy buildings. With its Building Energy Quotient program, ASHRAE is providing information to building owners and operators, tenants and prospective buyers on the energy use of build- ings, recognizing that information on a building’s energy use is the critical first step in making the necessary changes and choices to reduce energy use and costs. ASHRAE also continues to publish the ASHRAE Handbook series as it has since 1920. These four volumes aren’t just guides to the built environment; they represent the accu- mulated wisdom and expertise of the Society’s worldwide membership and extensive research. In today’s global world, ASHRAE is taking advantage of its worldwide presence and utilizing the wisdom of its members to further the technology of tomorrow. We are partnering with other organizations dedicated to working toward a more sustainable environment to create a world- wide best practices databank of innovative and successful technologies that can serve the built environment commu- nity. As future industry issues begin to take shape – from protection of water supplies to more energy efficient homes to better indoor air quality in vehicles – ASHRAE will be one step ahead, setting standards and leading the way to what’s next. ASHRAE is shaping tomorrow’s built environment today. Building Tomorrow: The ASHRAE Story Buy All US State Seals at: Online: www.saltlakestamp.com In person: Quality Stamp and Sign 1470 South State Street SLC UT 84115 Call us: 801-486-8101 JAMES W SMITH 384986 Meets Utah State Requirements According to section 58-22-601 Do you need an engineer seal? Order Today!