Given that people spend 90% of their day indoors, they expect their indoor environments to be safe, healthy, and comfortable. To help designers, engineers, contractors, and others meet those expectations, IAQ and comfort will be a strong focus ofASHRAE's 2004 Annual Meeting technical program.

Ninety-three technical program sessions will be presented at the meeting, which takes place June 26-30, 2004 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Nashville, TN. Some 25 sessions will focus on IAQ and comfort as well as ventilation and air distribution.

A seminar focuses on new means of controlling humidity through HVAC equipment and energy recovery systems. The potential for fungal growth is exacerbated by improper sizing of equipment.

Another seminar examines current engineering and legal issues that must be considered in designing, constructing, and operating buildings. Some estimate that mold litigation and insurance claims may exceed asbestos and Superfund claims combined.

Occupant thermal comfort is examined in a symposium. The influence of personal control, such as through windows, on occupant response, statistical analyses of thermal comfort and the cultural and climatic influences on thermal comfort are discussed.

In the area of commercial systems and applications, heat pump noise and vibration issues are discussed in a seminar. Issues associated with water source heat pumps in office plenums also are addressed.

Case studies of green thermal energy storage design are presented in a seminar. With thermal energy storage's track record in energy cost reductions, it can be a strong tool in obtaining LEED points for green design.

Refrigeration sessions also are scheduled. In observation of the centennial anniversary of The American Society of Refrigerating Engineers, an ASHRAE predecessor, a seminar looks back at refrigeration applications over the past 100 years.

The basics of sizing pipe, selecting components, and reviewing system cycles for industrial refrigeration are examined in a seminar.

The technical program is comprised of 55 seminars (presentations on a central or related topic with no published papers), nine symposia (presentations with papers on a central subject), 27 open-discussion forums, one technical session (paper presentations), and one poster session. A total of 81 papers will be presented.

For a complete listing of technical program sessions, visit www.ashrae.org/nashville.