ATLANTA—ASHRAE’s newly renovated headquarters effectively serves as a laboratory without walls to extend the society’s knowledge and information worldwide. ASHRAE is the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
“Our Living Laboratory provides value to ASHRAE members and the industry by allowing for evaluation of the ongoing energy and operational performance of the building at a level that is unprecedented in current commercial buildings,” Bill Harrison, ASHRAE president, said. “The lab allows ASHRAE to contribute significantly to reducing energy use in buildings via future development of research and educational materials.”
Completed in July, the $7.65 million renovation includes a new learning and meeting center. Sustainable measures include projected reduction in annual energy usage of more than 31.5 percent through use of a dedicated outdoor air supply with energy recovery and humidity control, ground-source heat pumps and variable refrigerant flow systems with heat recovery; 52.3 percent reduction in water consumption by using low-flow or no-flow fixtures throughout the building; and increase of outside air delivered to each space by 30 percent beyond minimum rates specified in ASHRAE’s Standard 62.1. More information can be found at www.ashrae.org/building.
The renewal was funded through donations of more than $1.65 million in equipment, services and furnishings from more than 20 companies and individuals and the ASHRAE Foundation.
“The generous donations of the companies help ensure ASHRAE’s headquarters is a showcase of sustainability for its members and the HVAC&R industry as a whole,” Harrison said. “With its sustainability and productivity focus, this project showcases their commitment to environmental leadership and healthy built and natural environments. ASHRAE is grateful for not only their donations, but their dedication to the technologies we are embracing as part of the renewal.”
Seven Major Contributors
Major contributors to the headquarters project include the ASHRAE Foundation, Carrier Corp., Automated Logic Corp./Automated Logic Georgia, ClimateMaster Inc., Daikin Industries Ltd., Southern Company/Georgia Power Company, and Trane.
The ASHRAE Foundation provided funding for creation of the ASHRAE Foundation Learning Center, a new addition to the headquarters that reflects the society’s commitment to education.
“The rapidly expanding technology on which our industry is based requires that individuals and industry alike are proactive in continuing their education,” Richard Hayter, chair of the ASHRAE Foundation, said. “The Learning Center will significantly expand ASHRAE’s ability to serve its members and the HVAC&R industry.”
Automated Logic Corp. donated networked building automation system hardware and software, which provides a user interface for the Living Lab, allowing researchers around the world to monitor performance and extract data for research purposes.
“We are very appreciative of the work ASHRAE does for our industry, conducting research and establishing standards that makes our job easier,” said Steve Tom, director of technical information, Automated Logic Georgia. “We were delighted by this opportunity to give something back to ASHRAE. We also feel that the Web accessibility and data collection capacity of WebCTRL made it an ideal system to support the Living Lab.”
Carrier Donation Funds Library
Carrier Corp. donated funding for naming of the Willis H. Carrier Library on the second level of the headquarters.
“It is with great honor that the ASHRAE Engineering Library will be named after Willis H. Carrier,” said Mary Milmoe, director, marketing communications, Carrier Building Systems and Services. “Carrier invented the first system for ‘manufactured weather’ in 1902 and sparked an industry that revolutionized the way in which we live, work and play. From that defining moment—and through to the present day—Carrier has built on a legacy of innovation. For more than a century, Carrier’s research, expertise and forethought have resulted in market-leading innovations and ‘firsts’ that have shaped and defined the heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration industry.”
ClimateMaster provided a geothermal heat system that utilizes on-site renewable energy to provide high-efficiency heating and cooling for the 14 individual zones on the second level of the building.
“With buildings accounting for nearly 40 percent of all U.S. energy consumption, there is no doubt that ASHRAE members will play a crucial role in reshaping our energy future,” Daniel Ellis, president of ClimateMaster Inc., said. “We are pleased that we were able to assist ASHRAE in demonstrating its leadership by making its headquarters a model of energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.”
Daikin’s donation of a variable refrigerant volume (VRV) system serves the first floor and the Learning Center. The non-ozone-depleting potential refrigerant, individual zone control capabilities and heat recovery technologies helped ASHRAE reach its goal of building a sustainable headquarters. Additionally, Daikin also contributed a vegetative roof garden above the new ASHRAE Foundation Learning Center, which will be known as the Daikin Sustainability Garden.
“Daikin Industries, a member of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations, is committed to providing energy-efficient and sustainable building solutions by ensuring environmentally conscious practices in all business, product development, and manufacturing activities,” said Kosei Uematsu, senior executive officer, Daikin Industries Ltd., and president, Daikin U.S. Corp. “Daikin Industries is pleased to be a partner in the ASHRAE Headquarters Renewal Project helping to preserve resources for current and future generations.”
Solar Technology Featured
Georgia Power/Southern Co. provided 170-watt photovoltaic modules, which make up a solar electricity system and that produces electricity during daylight hours and back feeds energy into an existing grid, and an electric water heater.
“Georgia Power is committed to being a good citizen by supporting our employees’ involvement in ASHRAE’s mission of advancing the arts and sciences of HVAC&R and by directly supporting projects that protect our environment’s resources,” said E. Lamont Houston, senior vice president, customer service and sales, Georgia Power. “ASHRAE’s renovated headquarters will serve as a living lab, allowing Georgia Power to use this facility with customers as a model of new technologies and give us data to share with customers on the implications and performance of these technologies on their sites.”
Trane donated key elements of the headquarter building’s HVAC system, including a dedicated outdoor air system to optimize performance by reconfiguring internal components with bypass dampers.
“Through technology and innovation, Trane continues to support engineers in our industry,” John W. Conover IV, Trane president, Americas, said. “Our donation to the ASHRAE headquarters living lab is a symbolic way to demonstrate our continued dedication to ASHRAE and t
