October 15, 2004—Several sessions related to hot and humid climates, including Florida, will be presented at the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers meeting, Feb. 5-9, Orlando, Fla., at the Wyndham Palace Resort. Ninety-five sessions will be presented as part of the technical program.
“Designing, constructing and operating buildings in locations such as Florida is difficult due to the hot and humid climate,” Kelley Cramm, chair of the Society Program Committee, said. “Our goal is to make engineering in these climates easier by providing guidance on humidity control issues, techniques and equipment.”
A seminar addresses design and construction in hot and humid climates, focusing on design of walls, roofs, mechanical systems and interior finishes as they relate to moisture control, durability and indoor air quality.
Another seminar focuses on mold and mildew case studies in Florida, including a presentation on the effects of operation and control of mechanical systems on mold growth in hotels.
Dehumidification considerations are required in most applications today. A seminar addresses the relationship of moisture and mold dehumidification, and methods and solutions to improve dehumidifier efficiencies.
Using air-to-air energy recovery to meet new humidity control requirements in ASHRAEs ventilation standard is addressed in a seminar. Up-sizing of air-conditioning equipment usually does not improve humidity control in hot and humid climates, but appropriate application of air-to-air energy recovery systems and related technologies can help designers meet the requirements.
In the area of energy efficiency, a seminar introduces ASHRAEs first Advanced Energy Design Guide for small office buildings. The guide will provide 30 percent savings over ASHRAEs Standard 90.1.
Refrigeration also will be a strong focus. A seminar shares success stories in reducing refrigerant leaks in supermarket systems. Supermarkets have come under increasing scrutiny by environmental organizations and governments addressing ozone depletion and global warming concerns.
The technical program is comprised of 55 seminars (presentations on a central or related topic with no published papers), 17 symposia (presentations with papers on a central subject), 19 open-discussion forums, two technical sessions (paper presentations), a poster session and a public session. A total of 105 papers will be presented.
Registration for the 2005 ASHRAE Winter Meeting is $580 ($340, ASHRAE member) prior to Dec. 10. After Dec. 10, the registration fee will be $680 ($440, ASHRAE member). For more information or to register, visit ASHRAE.
