ASHRAE Insights

By Victor Goldschmidt, Fellow/Life Member ASHRAE

LIMA, Peru—ASHRAE President Kent Peterson, P.E., attended the Iberoamerican Congress of Air conditioning and Refrigeration (CIAR) held July 18–20. The CIAR congresses provide a venue for professional/technical sharing by Spanish-speaking ASHRAE members and friends.

Professor Luis Yamada, of the cosponsoring Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, served as conference chair of the 11th Congress. Yamada recognized the participating countries or their International Associate Societies.

There were more than 150 attendees representing 10 countries.

Peterson welcomed the participants on behalf of ASHRAE during the opening session and presented a paper on lessons learned in founding and growing a consulting engineering firm. His presentation stressed the importance of quality and simplicity in designs, and providing service to clients that exceeds expectations.
 
During the conference, Peterson held an informal dialog with students, challenging them to consider careers in HVAC&R and presenting ways for them to relate with ASHRAE—including the development of a student branch.

Latin American warmth and friendship were exhibited throughout the days in Lima. Enrique Barrantes and Luis Quirinos served as hosts, together with their colleagues and assistants.
Peterson also was invited to attend a meeting of the FAIAR (a federation of Iberoamerican associations of air conditioning and refrigeration).

Plans for future CIAR gatherings and various ways of improving relationships with ASHRAE, including the creation of a Latin America subregion, were considered during the FAIAR meeting.