These industry issues and others are addressed at the ASHRAE 2002 Annual Meeting, June 22-26, Honolulu, HI, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel. Eighty-five programs will be presented.
Excessive moisture damages surfaces, supports microbial growth, and reduces occupant comfort and satisfaction. Moisture-related microbial growth is unsightly, releases objectionable odors and may represent a health threat. Air-conditioning and ventilating systems can either contribute or help prevent moisture problems.
New approaches to understanding and controlling excessive moisture in hospitality facilities, such as restaurants, hotels, casinos and convention centers, will be discussed in a seminar. Another seminar will present four case studies for moisture control-a Texas nursing home, a Florida hotel and schools in Texas and Illinois.
The necessity of proper insulation and correct design and construction practices in areas prone to moisture problems will be addressed. Moisture management in buildings also will be discussed in a forum, focusing on solutions to moisture and mold problems in the Hawaiian Islands and similar climates. Participants will discuss what research, programs, standards and guidelines ASHRAE should pursue in this area.
The impact of ASHRAE Standards 62 and 90.1 on moisture-related problems in facilities will be addressed in a seminar. Participants will evaluate claims that more efficient buildings in conjunction with higher ventilation rates are the cause for these situations.
Several sessions will address energy management and economics issues. Programs in which electricity customers are offered incentives to reduce demand have been offered in several parts of the country. A seminar describes some of these programs and the responses of individual customers and load aggregators. It describes measures used in different buildings to achieve peak demand reductions and assesses their effectiveness and ease of implementation. Difficulties experienced by facility managers and operators also are discussed.
Cogeneration in an unregulated environment is discussed in a forum. The life-cycle economic analysis of cogeneration projects with fuel input and the simultaneous output of electrical power and useful thermal energy face challenges in many parts of the United States. This is due to deregulation of both the selected fuel input (natural gas) and electrical output.
Arranging for electric service has become more challenging, with various types or rates offered. This changes the parameters for design and operation of building hvac systems, especially when energy storage, interruptible loads or co-generation are considered. Building operators who negotiate a lower rate for electricity may find they are paying more, due to the fine print and penalty clauses of service contracts. A seminar discusses the basic types of charges for electricity and gives some case study-based observations from the engineering design, operations and contract perspectives.
The technical program is comprised of 43 seminars (application-oriented presentations without papers), 21 symposia (presentations with papers on a central subject), 16 open-discussion forums, four technical sessions (paper presentations) and a poster session. A total of 128 papers will be presented. More information can be found at www.ashrae.org/MEET/Hawaii_tech.pdf.
Registration for the ASHRAE 2002 Annual Meeting is $470 ($275, ASHRAE member) prior to May 17. After May 17, the registration fee will be $550 ($360, ASHRAE member). Registration can be completed online at the previously listed website, or by contacting ASHRAE Customer Service by phone; 800-527-4734 (United States and Canada) or 404-636-8400 (worldwide); by fax: 404-321-5478; or by mail: ASHRAE, 1791 Tullie Circle, N.E., Atlanta, GA, 30329.
