ASHRAE Insights

How low can energy reduction in buildings go? Try net zero.

The technical program for the 2008 ASHRAE Winter Meeting includes more than 130 sessions and 60 papers covering some 100 different technical areas. Programs are separated by tracks: applications, business management, commissioning, data center cooling, dehumidification, exergy, fundamentals, operational topics, refrigeration, sustainability, systems and equipment and underfloor air distribution.

More than 30 sessions related to sustainability are included in the program, with its theme of Reaching New Heights in Net-Zero Energy Design.

The official ASHRAE definition of a “net-zero” building is one “which, on an annual basis, uses no more energy than is provided by on-site renewable energy sources.”

A forum on Jan. 23 explores other definitions and the impact of such buildings on the environment. A Transactions session on Jan. 22 covers case studies of low-energy buildings, focusing on evaluating individual technologies, design processes, lessons learned and long-term measured performance.