The Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute presented the 2018 Richard C. Schulze Award to Trane employees Darryl Denton and Stephen Lind. The award was presented at the AHRI leadership forum in Tucson, Arizona, on November 12.

The award winners earned the distinction for their decades of service to the HVAC industry. Denton established the Lab Evaluation and Adjustment Plan (LEAP) program to standardize third-party HVAC testing, and Lind’s sound modeling and predictions have helped customers design building HVAC systems with acoustics in mind.

“Darryl and Stephen have made a difference to our profession through their outstanding contributions to AHRI and the entire HVAC community,” said Stephen Yurek, president and CEO of AHRI, who noted it’s rare for professionals from the same company to take home the award in consecutive years, let alone in the same year. “Their knowledge and commitment to excellence represent the high standards of this organization. On behalf of AHRI, we thank them for their combined 40 years of service to our industry.”

Denton is a systems engineer for Trane in Tyler, Texas. According to AHRI, he has helped countless HVAC professionals through his mentorship, and his technical expertise also makes him a go-to resource for air conditioning assessment testing and instrumentation.

“Trane’s success comes through Darryl’s passion,” said Matthew Pereira, vice president of engineering and technology for Trane’s residential business. “The HVAC industry is constantly evolving, and accurate test data is vital. Darryl’s expertise and contributions are invaluable to our company and our customers.”

Since the early 1990s, Denton has been a voting member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard Project Committee 37. Denton, who has been with Trane since 1999, developed the LEAP program for standardized testing. He remains active on multiple AHRI committees including the compliance, technical, and engineering committees.

Lind is an acoustic engineer for Trane Commercial in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He develops Trane products that meet the AHRI acoustic standards and measures the sound the product emits. Trane utilizes the data when recommending products to clients.

Lind has been with Trane since 1998 and has been active on the AHRI Technical Committee on Sound since 2001. He currently serves as deputy chair for the committee. He is also the chair of multiple sub-committees within AHRI, and a member of the Acoustical Society of America and a board-certified member of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering.

“Trane customers heavily consider acoustics during HVAC installations and Stephen’s expertise helps Trane exceed customer’s expectations,” said Ken Schoeneck, vice president of engineering for Trane’s commercial business. “Stephen predicts and models sound to help Trane customers design buildings with acoustics in mind.”