ASHRAE Journal - October 2014 - 4

COMMENTARY
1791 Tullie Circle NE
Atlanta, GA 30329-2305
Phone: 404-636-8400
Fax: 404-321-5478 | www.ashrae.org
PUBLISHER
W. Stephen Comstock
EDITORIAL
Editor
Fred Turner
fturner@ashrae.org
Managing Editor
Sarah Foster
sfoster@ashrae.org
Associate Editor
Rebecca Matyasovski
rmatyasovski@ashrae.org
Associate Editor
Christopher Weems
cweems@ashrae.org
Associate Editor
Jeri Alger
jalger@ashrae.org
Assistant Editor
Tani Palefski
tpalefski@ashrae.org
PUBLISHING SERVICES
Publishing Services Manager
David Soltis
Production
Jayne Jackson
Tracy Becker
ADVERTISING
Associate Publisher,
ASHRAE Media Advertising
Greg Martin
gmartin@ashrae.org
Advertising Production Coordinator
Vanessa Johnson
vjohnson@ashrae.org
CIRCULATION
Circulation Specialist
David Soltis
dsoltis@ashrae.org
ASHRAE OFFICERS
President
Thomas H. Phoenix, P.E.
President-Elect
T. David Underwood, P.Eng.
Treasurer
Timothy G. Wentz, P.E.
Vice Presidents
Darryl K. Boyce, P.Eng.
Charles E. Gulledge III
Bjarne W. Olesen, Ph.D.
James K. Vallort
Secretary & Executive Vice President
Jeff H. Littleton
POLICY GROUP
2014 - 15 Chair
Publications Committee
Michael R. Brambley, Ph.D.
Washington Office
washdc@ashrae.org

ASHRAE and Research

Fred Turner

Most articles in this edition have something in common. They're all based on
some aspect of ASHRAE research. This
is not unusual. In fact, you could argue
that almost everything ASHRAE does is
based on the 100-plus years of research
by ASHRAE or its predecessors.
This edition features the 2013-14
ASHRAE Research Report. It includes
status reports on the 72 projects, and
also lists the research program volunteers and work statement authors. In
all, ASHRAE initiated 20 research projects during 2013-14 and completed 16.
The average cost of an active research
project is about $169,000.
The report also recognizes more than
5,500 investors who donated more
than $250 to the Research Promotion
Campaign. This year's campaign raised
a record $2,352,013 through the support of more than 7,000 members and
companies. It was the fifth straight
record year. The money was raised by
more than 200 Research Program and
chapter volunteers.
"ASHRAE has achieved its distinctive
position within the industry through its
technical research," said Jeff Clarke, 2013-
14 Research Program Committee chair.
"Our partners have again shown their
belief in the value of ASHRAE Research,
support of ASHRAE education and the
dedication to our mission: Supporting
our industry that supports us."

announcements made at a recent event
sponsored by the White House Council
on Environmental Quality.
This is a major achievement made
even more important by the commitment by the U.S. HVAC&R industry to
spend $5 billion over the next decade to
develop the next generation of refrigerants and HVAC&R equipment.
An article in this edition looks at some
of the next-generation possibilities
with a review of 17 alternatives to vaporcompression technology. Two of the
more promising are thermoelastic and
membrane heat pump technologies,
which are in the R&D stages.
The authors say that while the technologies show promise, further development will be required to demonstrate their ability to compete with conventional vapor-compression products.

A BROAD COALITION of refrigerant
producers, equipment manufacturers
and major end users have committed
to accelerating the phaseout of HFC
refrigerants and moving toward more
environment-friendly alternatives.
A news story on Page 6 describes the

WE ALSO have a great lineup of columns, including a treatise on net zero
energy houses by Joe Lstiburek, Ph.D.,
P.Eng, Fellow ASHRAE.
We hope you enjoy the edition.
Your feedback is always welcome and
appreciated.

THIS MONTH'S cover article describes
how the Iowa Utilities Board and Office
of Consumer Advocate in Des Moines
was designed to be "net zero ready."
"Loads were reduced to the point that
on-site renewable energy was appropriate, knowing that more could be added
later," say the authors.
Other articles cover the application of
geothermal systems in a Texas school
district, free cooling for data centers,
simplified chiller sequencing and codes
and damper testing.

ASHRAE Journal reviews current HVAC&R technology of broad interest through publication of applications-oriented articles. Content ranges from back-to-basics features to reviews of emerging technologies.
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ASHRAE Journal - October 2014

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