TheASHRAEguide on sustainable building design will be introduced as part of its 2004 Winter Meeting technical program. The meeting will be held January 24-28, Anaheim, CA. "The ASHRAE GreenGuide was written to give guidance to HVACR designers, enabling them to participate effectively on a green design team," editor David Grumman, P.E., Grumman/Butkus Associates, Evanston, IL, said. "Design engineers can use the guide to get ideas and guidance of what to do, where to turn, what to advise, and how to interact with other team members in a productive way."

Grumman will present an overview of the book as part of a seminar, ASHRAE's GreenGuide, Green Buildings and LEED™, 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Sunday, January 25. The GreenGuide is scheduled to be available at the meeting.

"This seminar will examine whether the GreenGuide agrees with and complements concepts and practices promoted by the U.S. Green Building Council," seminar chair Thomas Cappellin, P.E., Hammel, Green & Abrahamson Inc., Milwaukee, said. "We will look at how the concepts compare in providing engineered approaches to the design of new and remodeled buildings for the purpose of reducing or eliminating the detrimental impact on the environment."

The GreenGuide serves a different purpose than the LEED program, according to Grumman. "The LEED program is a green building rating system intended for use by all design disciplines, both architects and engineers," he said. "The GreenGuide is intended to give practical, nitty-gritty advice to HVACR engineers."

Other presenters are The U.S. Green Building Council, Alan Traugott, Flack + Kurtz Inc., New York, and The LEED Green Building Rating System, Harry Enck, Commissioning and Building Services, Commerce, GA.

Other green seminars that will be presented at the ASHRAE 2004 Winter Meeting are:

  • Biodiesel and Other Liquid Biofuels: Green Fuels for the Environment, 8-10 a.m. Tuesday, January 27. Biodiesel is gaining market interest for use in residential and commercial heating equipment. This seminar will review combustion studies and field demonstrations that have increased the awareness of the benefits of biodiesel, including reduced air pollutant emissions, reduced spill issues and economic development resulting from the domestic production of a renewable energy source.
  • Sustainable Design for All: The Tools on your Desktop, 8-10 a.m., Wednesday, January 28. While sustainable design being increasingly promoted, some designers are uncertain as to how they can develop sustainable buildings. This seminar will examine some of the available tools to evaluate building sustainability.

For more information or to register, visit ASHRAE.org.