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Newsletter
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2021 ASHRAE Virtual Winter Conference
The 2021 ASHRAE Winter Conference will be held virtually on February 9-11, 2021
Registration and additional information on the flyer below
Download Flyer Here
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ASHRAE TC 1.4 YEA Newsletter from Larry Fisher
Greetings Louisville Chapter Members and Happy New Year! Nick Pisano (Louisville Chapter President), that was a great President's letter to our Chapter before Christmas. You are right, we have some great participation!
Speaking of participation, the Virtual Winter Conference is upon us. I've been a member of ASHRAE TC 1.4 (Control Theory and Operation) for 25+ years. Our YEA group is very strong and active in the controls arena. Below and attached is a flier created by them promoting seminars related to controls. The flyer can also be viewed here. You don't have to be YEA to participate, but if you are YEA and interested in controls, you don't want to miss these - plus meet some of the most brilliant people in the controls industry.
More on the overall conference to follow, including registration procedures. Thanks and enjoy!
Larry Fisher
Life Member ASHRAE
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Jim Walsh - Obituary
On December 15th, the Louisville ASHRAE Chapter and local engineering community suffered a terrible loss. Former Louisville ASHRAE Chapter President Jim Walsh passed away at the age of 84. Jim was an active member of our chapter for many years and served as the chapter president on two occasions.
Jim's full obituary can be viewed here
Respectfully,
Louisville ASHRAE Board of Governors
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December 2020 Government Affairs Updates:
ASHRAE Offers Technical Assistance to Biden-Harris COVID-19 Advisory Board
The Biden-Harris Transition announced the formation of a COVID-19 Advisory Board, who will advise Biden and Harris on how to manage coronavirus cases, protect at-risk populations, reduce transmission of the virus and plan for safe and effective distribution of an anticipated vaccine. The Advisory Board has 13 members, including three co-chairs. Because no engineering expertise was included on the Task Force, ASHRAE President Chuck Gulledge wrote to the co-chairs offering ASHRAE’s technical support and that of the Epidemic Task Force.
OSHA Cites ASHRAE in Guidance on Ventilation in the Workplace
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recently posted COVID-19 guidance on ventilation in the workplace. The press release includes a link to the ASHRAE technical resources page on Facilities Maintenance. To review the full OSHA alert, click here.
National Restaurant Association Includes ASHRAE Guidance in Updated COVID-19 Standards
In late October, the National Restaurant Association updated its guidelines for the safe operation of restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. A section was added specifically on aerosol transmission, mentioning the specific steps that ASHRAE’s Epidemic Task Force COVID-19 Guidance recommends. Those measures stress the importance of conducting routine maintenance and service checks to ensure systems designed to move or filter ambient air are working as intended. They also advise restaurants to keep the fans of their HVAC systems running continuously to keep the air moving and that establishments set their controls to prevent humidity and the warmth that can sustain pathogens. The National Restaurant Association’s Updated COVID-19 Safe Operating Guidance can be found here.
ASHRAE Partners with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Create Guidebook for Alternate Care Sites
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requested assistance from ASHRAE’s Epidemic Task Force to create a guidebook to provide engineering recommendations, solutions and guidance to address HVAC systems for alternative care sites, which are temporary facilities used as flexible patient care to help with the overload of hospitals. The guidebook provides extensive recommendations for design requirements, airflow, filtration and space conditions. The guidebook can be found here.
ASHRAE Signs Letter Supporting Funding for DOE’s Building Energy Codes Program
On November 23, ASHRAE, along with 20 other organizations, signed a letter encouraging Senate and House appropriators to provide $10 million in funding for DOE’s Building Energy Codes Program (BECP). BECP works to update methods for assessing and quantifying the cost effectiveness of code and standard provisions and assisting with their implementation. The $10 million funding request is consistent with last year’s funding and this year’s House-passed amount. To read the full letter, click here.
Mayors Advocate Plan for Midwest Clean Energy Transition
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and other mayors from Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia recently announced the Marshall Plan for Middle America, a $60 billion blueprint to help the Midwest region transition toward a greener, more sustainable economy. The bipartisan plan calls for funding to provide $15 billion in block grants to local governments for retrofits and conversions to make buildings more energy efficient; $15 billion in low-interest loans for clean energy production; $15 billion in tax incentives for manufacturers to develop clean energy equipment; and $15 billion in workforce development funds to help further understanding of clean energy. More information on the Plan for Middle America can be found here.
Shelby County, Tennessee Schools Include ASHRAE COVID-19 Guidance
In response to the coronavirus, and in an effort to minimize transmission of the virus through school facilities, the Shelby County School District in Memphis, Tennessee completed 3,350 repairs on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in their nearly 150 buildings. They have also modified the systems to bring more fresh air into buildings, in accordance with ASHRAE’s COVID-19 Building Readiness Guidance. The Shelby County School System is tentatively reopening its buildings in January 2021, and confidence in building safety and cleanliness will likely play a part in parents’ decisions on whether to send their children to classrooms or keep them in virtual school. The district has worked to ensure adequate ventilation and filtration based on ASHRAE’s Guidance for Reopening Schools and Universities. More on the Shelby County School District can be found here. ASHRAE’s COVID-19 Guidance for Schools and Universities can be found here.
California Building Energy Efficiency Standards Update
The California 2022 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Energy Code) will improve upon the 2019 Energy Code for new construction of, and additions and alterations to, residential and nonresidential buildings. Workshops will be held to present revisions and obtain public comment. Proposed standards will be adopted in 2021 with an effective date of January 1, 2023. The California Energy Commission (CEC) updates the standards every three years.
More information on the 2022 Standards can be found here and a schedule can be found here.
ASHRAE Sends Letter on New Jersey Bill Regarding COVID-19 Infection Control in Nursing Homes
New Jersey Assembly Bill 4855 would establish a statewide plan for infection control and prevention infrastructure improvements in nursing homes. This bill does not currently include ASHRAE standards or guidance, and ASHRAE sent a letter signed by President Gulledge suggesting that ASHRAE’s Guidance for Residential Care Facilities be incorporated into the bill’s requirements regarding heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems in nursing homes. The letter can be found on ASHRAE’s website here.
United Kingdom Sets Out "Green Industrial Revolution" Plan
On November 18, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new ten-point plan to create a "Green Industrial Revolution." The plan is expected to create 250,000 jobs by 2030. The plan addresses renewable energy generation, electric vehicles, carbon capture and energy efficient homes and public buildings. You can read more about the plan here.
Legislation Proposed in Canada to Achieve Net-Zero Emissions by 2050
On November 19, the Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, proposed legislation entitled the "Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act" that would require net-zero emissions by 2050. The legislation sets five-year targets and would establish the Net-Zero Advisory Body to help reach these targets. More information about this plan can be found here.
Canadian Federal Climate Plan Exceeds 2030 Paris Targets for GHG Reductions
On December 11, Prime Minister Trudeau and Environment Minister Wilkinson, announced the federal Climate Plan, which builds on efforts already underway in the country, and provides more details on advancing energy-efficient homes and buildings; expanding the supply of clean electricity and energy; continuing to put a price on carbon with increases over time to 2030; and investing in clean industry and business practices. With respect to energy efficient buildings, the plan provides $6.1 billion for building retrofits, promotes net-zero energy ready building codes and offers skills training for building retrofits. The plan can be found here.
U.N. Holds Virtual Climate Summit
On December 12, more than 70 world leaders participated in the United Nations Climate Summit on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Accord. New emission targets were promised by several countries including China, Argentina, Canada and the U.K. in addition to the European Union. Some highlights include Xi Jinping of China pledging to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 65% from 2005 levels by 2030 and the EU pledging to cut its emissions by 55% by 2030. Representatives from the United States, Russia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Australia did not attend the event.
UNEP Publishes 2020 Emissions Gap Report
The U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) released its 2020 Emissions Gap Report ahead of the five-year anniversary of the Paris Climate Accord. According to the report, the world is projected to see a temperature rise of over 3 degrees Celsius this century. The U.N. report also says that 126 countries covering 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions had adopted, announced or were considering net-zero goals. To read the report, click here.
Congressional Negotiators Agree on Energy Package
Congressional negotiators have released the legislative text for a comprehensive energy package that includes sections on energy efficiency, energy storage, grid modernization, and carbon management. The 533-page bill would provide energy retrofitting assistance for schools, push for energy efficient data centers, boost the Weatherization Assistance Program, and push for increase energy and water efficiency measures in Federal buildings. The bill is likely to be attached to a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending measure that would fund government until September 30, 2021.
President-elect Joe Biden Names Energy Secretary and Domestic Climate Chief
President-elect Joe Biden has begun naming nominations to keys posts in advance of his January 20th inauguration. This includes recent announcements that former two-term Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm will be his Secretary of Energy pending a Senate confirmation and former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy will be his Domestic Climate Policy Chief, which is a new position. Biden will also nominate former South Bend, Indianapolis Mayor Pete Buttigieg for Secretary of Transportation.
DOE Assessing Test Procedures for Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is undertaking an early assessment on whether to proceed with a rulemaking to amend DOE's test procedures for packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs) and packaged terminal heat pumps (PTHPs). This assessment will be used to determine whether to adopt the most recent procedures referenced in ASHRAE Standard 90.1. Written comments and information will be accepted on or before February 22, 2021. Click here to learn more.
Multiple Wyoming Cities and Towns Establish New Climate Goals
In a break with Wyoming state policy, multiple cities and towns have been establishing their own climate and greenhouse gas reduction goals. This March, the Laramie City Council signed a proclamation committing to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Jackson, Wyoming aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. Sheridan has a new Renewable Energy Assessment that states the town must "showcase a willingness to adapt to changing realities and markets." In October, the Mayor of Lander signed a proclamation that acknowledges "the adverse impacts of climate change and the risk it poses to the Lander Community." The proclamation supports a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These commitments are notable as voluntary efforts in a state that is currently the largest coal producer in the U.S. and one of the top producers of oil and natural gas.
Nevada Releases Comprehensive Strategy for Net-Zero Emissions by 2050
On December 2, the state of Nevada released a comprehensive strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050. Without these additional policies, state officials estimate that Nevada would fall 4% short of its goal to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 28% by 2025, and 19% short of cutting emissions 45% by 2030. The strategy analyzes 17 policies focused mainly on three sectors: transportation, electricity and buildings. The policy section mentions the need to transition away from natural gas in both the electric sector and in buildings. The strategy explains that the state must transition from fossil-fuel combustion in homes and commercial buildings in the form of burning gas for cooking, hot water and space heating. More on the state strategy can be found here.
Maine Climate Action Council Releases New Four-Year Plan
The Maine Climate Council, established last year by Gov. Janet Mills, recently issued a four-year plan for climate action, called "Maine Won’t Wait," to meet the goal of carbon neutrality for the state by 2045. In addition to this goal, the Council was also tasked with finding a path to reduce emissions by 45% by 2030 and at least 80% by 2050. The Council is composed of scientists, industry leaders, bipartisan local and state officials, and engaged citizens. In Maine, rising temperatures are a major concern because the state depends on industries like fisheries and forestry. The Gulf of Maine, which is the center of the U.S. lobster fishery, is currently warming faster than most of the world's oceans. The full "Maine Won’t Wait" plan can be found here.
D.C. Proposes New Building Energy Performance Standards and Benchmarking
On December 4, Washington D.C. proposed Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) and updated benchmarking rules. Both of these proposed regulations are now open for public comment. D.C. is set to become the eighth U.S. jurisdiction to adopt energy-saving standards for common household and commercial products since 2017. The D.C. Council voted unanimously in support of the measure, which will help meet the district’s target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2032. Additionally, with this regulation, D.C. is first in the nation to set standards for air purifiers. Currently, about 45% of models already meet the new minimum efficiency levels. The new standards will ensure that all air purifiers sold in the District meet those minimum efficiency levels. More information on the Building Energy Performance Standards can be found here, and the benchmarking rules can be found here.
DOE’s Better Buildings Webinar Schedule
The U.S. Department of Energy has released the schedule for its Better Buildings Webinar Series:
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Louisville ASHRAE January Chapter Meeting (Virtual)
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