Disbanded MTGs

Scope:
MTG.ASEC will coordinate development of credible quantification methodologies of the avoided electric power generation and/or primary energy consumptions resulting from the application of heat pump and waste energy recovery technologies.  Responsibilities of the MTG include the development of research and/or tool needs and development of technical programs.

Ability to quantify avoided source energy reduction or recovery potentially impacts any building efficiency analysis.  This MTG have a potential to significantly impact a number of other TCs including 1.5, 2.5, 2.8, 4.7, 5.5, 6.2, 6.8, 6.9, 7.4, 7.6, 8.7, 8.11 and potentially more.  Efforts have been made to interface with all of these TCs to discuss the potential development in this MTG.

Scope

MTG.EEC will coordinate the related activities of TCs and non-TC groups and provide guidance to the ASHRAE membership, manufacturers and end-users on how to classify air filter energy efficiency and the key factors affecting energy usage associated with the proper use of air filtration in new and existing buildings. MTG.EEC is concerned with the nature of particulate and gaseous contaminants, the means of removing unwanted contaminants from the air, the effectiveness, energy efficiency, life cycle cost and sustainable operation of such air cleaning equipment but does not include UVC devices for use in air handling units or air ducts to inactivate airborne microorganisms, which are the province of TC2.9 and SPC 185.

Roster

Current Projects, Goals, or Objectives

• Use Existing ASHRAE 52.2 Test Data to Calculate Energy Usage over the Expected Life of the Filter
• Review EuroVent Energy Efficiency Classification Method of Air Filters
• Review methods Used by Manufacturers
• Review 90.1’s methods on energy saving and cost models

Accomplishments to Date

• Use Existing ASHRAE 52.2 Test Data to Calculate Energy Usage over the Expected Life of the Filter
• Method (Watts/gram ) has been developed and presented at 9/12 committee meeting
• Next step is to see how much this Watts/gram value changes with different filter styles, different efficiencies, and a combined prefilter with final filter.
• Review EuroVent Energy Efficiency Classification Method of Air Filters
• The method has been approved by EuroVent. It was reviewed on 9/12 committee meeting
• How does the EuroVent 4/11 Classification system differentiate between various filters?
• Methods Used by Manufacturers
• 3M’s position: they do not use an energy rating system.  Their focus is on total cost of ownership
• Camfil Farr Method (no presentation on 9/12 committee meeting, probably will be on the next web meeting)
• Review 90.1’s methods on energy saving and cost models
• 90.1’s references were distributed
• The methods will be reviewed on the next web meeting.

Meetings

MTG.EEC typically meets on Tuesday mornings from 8-10 during Society meetings. Web/Conf. call meetings are also scheduled every two-three months typically.

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Scope

MTG – Energy Targets (MTG-ET) will implement the recommendations from the Energy Targets Ad-hoc committee report dated September 21, 2010.  This includes coordinating efforts in education, modeling, research, standard, marketing, advocacy, fund raising, and Advanced Energy Design Guide (AEDG) development efforts within the Society.  Research project initiation as the sponsoring committee is included in the scope of this MTG.

Roster

Current Projects, Goals, or Objectives

The following seven task areas will encompass the efforts of MTG.ET:

1. Education

The education task is to develop a comprehensive education program in conjunction with the Professional Development Committee to promote a common understanding of the Energy Utilization Intensity metric (EUI), as defined through consensus with Std 105, 90.1 and 100 among ASHRAE members and the public.

2. Research

The research task is to refresh and update the information in NREL/TP-550-41957 “Assessment of the Technical Potential for Achieving Net Zero-Energy Buildings in the Commercial Sector” which was prepared by NREL in 2007.

3. Standards

The Standards task is to partner with SSPC 90.1 and SSPC 189.1 leadership in preparation of new work plans for these committees with the goal of developing performance parameters within the work plans.  The Ad Hoc report is clear in its recommendation not to impose specific EUI targets on these standards but rather offers suggestions for the committees to consider when preparing for their respective efforts in the next publication cycle.

4. Marketing

The marketing task is to prepare a series of articles for various publications which describe the efforts and goals of MTG.ET.  These articles should be offered to the ASHRAE Journal, HPAC, CS&E, the NEWS, and others as needed to get the word out on the progress of the implementation effort.

5. Advanced Energy Design Guides - AEDG

The AEDG task is to work with the AEDG Steering Committee in the development of a plan for the production of the Net-Zero series of design guides.  The purpose of providing this assistance is to impress upon our partner organizations that the AEDGs are the mechanism which will fulfill the Vision 2020 goal of providing design guidance for net-zero energy buildings by 2020.

6. Advocacy

The advocacy task is to work with the Advocacy Committee in the preparation of Public Policy Position Briefs for use by the Society leadership in its relations with State and Federal governments.

7. Fundraising

The fundraising task is to raise several million dollars to fund the research and the development of the Net-Zero AEDGs.

Accomplishments, to Date

• Tentative research project TRP-1651, Development of Maximum Technically Achievable Energy Targets for Commercial Buildings (Ultra Low Energy Use Building Set), is approved and ready to bid. The full project work statement can be accessed through a hyperlink in the Society’s Research Implementation Plan, which is posted on the “Research” page of the ASHRAE website. Status:  On-Hold. Earmarked funds are being raised so that project can bid.
• Sponsored forum at Montreal meeting and invited representatives from Std 105, SPC 166, SPC 90.1, SSPC 189.1, TC 1.6, TC 7.6, NFPA, IES, and DOE  to begin to develop a consensus definition for the building areas that make-up a building’s gross square footage for the purposes of defining Energy Utilization Intensity metric (EUI).  A consensus was reached and the group decided to meet again this fall to evaluate the energy use definition being considered by SPC 105.

Meetings

MTG.ET currently meets as required between Society meetings via conference call and web meetings.

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Scope

MTG.EAS will coordinate activities of related ASHRAE technical and standards committees to facilitate development of packages of tools, technology, and guidelines related to the design, operation, and retrofit of energy-efficient air-handling systems in new and existing non-residential buildings. The intent is that these products can be integrated with industry processes and can be used to ensure that ASHRAE energy saving targets are met, to carry out high-profile demonstrations of improved air-handling systems, and to identify further energy saving opportunities.

Within ASHRAE, the MTG also will coordinate activities to update related parts of ASHRAE Handbooks and Standards (particularly 62.1, 90.1, and 189.1) and to develop related education programs for technology implementers. Outside of ASHRAE, the MTG will monitor related activities and represent ASHRAE interests where permitted to provide a conduit for related information transfer to ASHRAE members.

MTG.EAS is concerned with the interactions between non-residential air-handling system components, the building, and related activities, which include at least the activities of:

• TCs 1.4 (Control Theory and Application), 1.8 (Mechanical System Insulation), 1.11 (Electric Motors and Motor Control), 4.3 (Ventilation Requirements and Infiltration), 4.7 (Energy Calculations), 5.1 (Fans), 5.2 (Duct Design), 5.3 (Room Air Distribution), 6.3 (Central Forced Air Heating and Cooling Systems), 7.1 (Integrated Building Design), 7.2 (HVAC&R Contractors and Design Build Firms), 7.7 (Testing and Balancing), 7.9 (Building Commissioning), and 9.1 (Large Building Air-Conditioning Systems);
• TRG7 (Under Floor Air Distribution), and
• SSPCs 62.1 (Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality), 90.1 (Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings), and 189.1 (Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings).

Roster

MTG.EAS Rationales

ASHRAE has goals of creating technologies and design approaches that enable the construction of net zero energy buildings at low incremental cost, and also of ensuring that the efficiency gains resulting from related R&D will result in substantial reduction in energy use for both new and existing buildings.

HVAC systems are the largest energy consumer in U.S. non-residential buildings, consuming about 40% of the non-residential sector source energy in Year 2003 or about $44 billion. Moving air to provide ventilation and space-conditioning may consume about a third to a half of this energy. Clearly, efficient air-handling systems that use as little energy as possible are needed for ASHRAE to achieve its goals.

Although the energy efficiency of many HVAC components in non-residential buildings has improved substantially over the past 20 years (e.g., chillers, air-handler drives), there is still a need to make other equally critical components more efficient (e.g., the air distribution system, which links heating and cooling equipment to occupied spaces). For example, field tests in hundreds of small non-residential buildings and a few large non-residential buildings suggest that system air leakage is widespread and large. It is often 25 to 35% of system airflow in smaller buildings, and can be as large as 10 to 25% in larger buildings. Based on field measurements and simulations by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, it is estimated that system leakage alone can increase HVAC energy consumption by 20 to 30% in small buildings and 10 to 40% in large buildings. Ducts located in unconditioned spaces, excessive flow resistance at duct fittings, poorly configured and improperly sized air-handler fans, unnecessarily high duct-static-pressure set-points, leaky terminal boxes, and inefficient terminal unit fans further reduce system efficiency, and in turn increase HVAC energy consumption even more.

There is no single cause for system deficiencies. One cause is that the HVAC industry is generally unaware of the large performance degradations caused by deficiencies, and consequently the problems historically have received little attention. For example, a common myth is that supply air leaking from a variable-air-volume (VAV) duct system in a ceiling return plenum of a large non-residential building does not matter because the ducts are inside the building. In fact, however, the supply ducts are outside the conditioned space, the leakage short-circuits the air distribution system, supply fan airflow increases to compensate for the undelivered thermal energy, and power to operate the fan increases considerably (power scales with the flow raised to an exponent between two and three depending on system type).

Other causes of the deficiencies include a lack of suitable analytical tools for designers (e.g., VAV systems are common in large non-residential buildings, but most mainstream simulation tools cannot model air leakage from these systems), poor architectural and mechanical design decisions (e.g., ducts with numerous bends are used to serve many zones with incompatible occupancy types), poor installation quality (e.g., duct joints are poorly sealed downstream of terminal boxes and in exhaust systems), and the lack of reliable diagnostic tools and procedures for commissioning (e.g., industry-standard duct leakage test procedures cannot easily be used for ducts downstream of terminal boxes). The highly fragmented nature of the building industry means that progress toward solving these problems is unlikely without leadership from and collaboration within ASHRAE.

Goals, Objectives, and Needs

Separate opportunities already exist to save 25 to 50% of HVAC system energy (e.g., sealing system leakage, right-sizing ducts and fans, using duct static pressure reset, wireless conversion of CAV systems to VAV). Collectively, facilitation and coordination of industry efforts is needed to better capture these opportunities and preferably to address system interactions and optimize air-handling system energy efficiency, with the ultimate goal of reducing HVAC-related energy use in buildings.

Therefore, one objective of MTG.EAS is to coordinate the development and assembly of complete packages of tools, technology, and guidelines by individual TC/TG/TRG/MTG/SPC/SSPCs. A second objective is to initiate high-profile demonstrations of the packages to attract the attention of major players, and to transition the packages into the market through public-private partnerships. These efforts should include working with industry partners to update ASHRAE Handbooks and Standards, and to develop education programs for technology implementers so that the design, installation, and commissioning of energy efficient air-handling systems becomes standard practice.

MTG.EAS intends to develop a strategic plan to guide future activities. As a straw man for now, five areas with particular needs that the MTG might address are:

1. Improved Air-Handling System Airflow Diagnostics for Non-Residential Buildings

Several steps are needed to achieve accurate, cost effective diagnostic tests. One is to evaluate the applicability and reliability of recently developed distribution system leakage diagnostics for use in non-residential buildings and for system configurations that are gaining in popularity (e.g., under floor supply air distribution in larger buildings). A second is to develop reliable, less expensive ways to measure other air-handling system airflows (e.g., for fans). A third is to assess the applicability and acceptance of diagnostic tools and tests as training and quality control aids for the building industry, and a fourth is to initiate commercialization and standardization of these tools and tests.

2. Improved Air-Handling System Performance Analysis Tools

ASHRAE Standard 152 calculation methods need to be extended to include non-residential buildings and to address air-handling system efficacy (i.e., thermal comfort) issues. Together with the measurements described below, modeling and analyses of air-handling system impacts on energy use and indoor environmental quality need to be carried out to establish baselines for standards and technical targets that are technologically feasible and economically justified over the life of the system, and to verify over time that program targets are being achieved. Standardized procedures for verifying whether targets are met also need to be developed.

3. Characterize Air-Handling Systems and Assess System Repair in Non-Residential Buildings

More field data need to be collected about the physical characteristics of air-handling systems in existing buildings, and there is a need to demonstrate performance gains that are actually obtained by system improvements. Also, research is needed to determine the long-term durability of system sealants. New information about diagnostics and performance needs to be integrated into improved versions of current system sealing and insulation retrofit manuals for small building owners and HVAC contractors (and into new manuals for use in the large building sector).

4. Distribution System Guidelines for New and Retrofit Construction

Even though numerous publications about HVAC system design, testing, and balancing are available or are in preparation, none address the use of appropriate metrics and procedural guidelines for designing and commissioning energy efficient air-handling systems. ASHRAE guidelines about design and installation practices need to be developed to avoid problems that occur in the current non-residential building stock. Stand-alone guidelines for use by building designers, owners, and HVAC contractors describing how to commission air-handling systems also need to be developed.

5. Advanced Technology Applications

New air-handling system technologies that allow life-cycle cost effective reduction in energy use while meeting indoor environmental quality and sustainability requirements for non-residential buildings need to be developed. Aerodynamic improvements are needed to reduce system effects and to make fans and other components less susceptible to loss of efficiency during part load operation. Integration of air-handling, hydronic, and building systems needs further examination. Proof of concept prototypes need to be built in collaboration with equipment manufacturers, and then will need to be tested in the laboratory and in the field to demonstrate performance improvements and to support the development of related new standards.

Meetings

The MTG is intended to be an active collaborative effort. It currently consists of 42 members: 25 Voting Members, and 18 Alternates. A member's involvement is at a strategic level, and focuses on coordinating research, handbook, program, and standards activities of various technical groups and organizations. Meetings occur by webinars and conference calls before and after ASHRAE's Winter and Annual Conferences, so participation does not involve travel.

Summary of Current and Upcoming Activities

• MTG.EAS was officially approved by the Technical Activities Committee in January 2012.
• The first MTG conference call was held on June 14, 2012. The call began with brief voting member introductions, solicitation of short bios for each member for internal distribution within the MTG, and a review of goals, objectives, and steps moving forward. The first follow-on activity was to create a strategic working document seeded by the MTG proposal that TAC considered in January 2012. Each member was asked to get input from the group they represent over the following few months (especially during the June 2012 Annual Meeting in San Antonio) and to bring back at least three key strategic ideas each that they or their group would like to work on. Then, after the San Antonio meeting, an ad hoc subcommittee of the MTG would be formed to consolidate ideas, define a work plan, and form further subcommittees if needed.
• The MTG held its second conference call on December 5, 2012. During that call, the Chair created an ad hoc subcommittee to consolidate and summarize strategic ideas submitted up to then (along with any that might result from deliberations at the January 2013 Winter Meeting in Dallas), and to develop a draft outline for a strategic plan. As part of the call, the Chair also requested that members submit their group's research, program, handbook, and standards plans to the ad hoc subcommittee so that they can be used with the list of submitted ideas to define a well-defined and coordinated starting point for the strategic plan.
• The MTG held its third conference call on May 23rd, 2013. To date, the subcommittee has compiled several conceptual ideas. The intent moving forward was that each idea would be developed further based on a use case template that was created by an external parallel project funded by DOE. The template will be modified by the ad hoc subcommittee on strategic planning to suit MTG needs. The MTG also continued discussions on items mentioned in the December meeting and discussed what items each MTG voting member should discuss at the June 2013 Annual Meeting in Denver with the group they represent on the MTG.
• The MTG held its fourth conference call on March 20th, 2014. So far, the MTG has collected 38 ideas, and these have been expanded using a template prepared by the ad hoc subcommittee on strategic planning. A link to the current list of ideas is included at the bottom of the MTG webpage. Action plans and assignments for several of the ideas were discussed during the call. The MTG also discussed and recommended changing the MTG name to "High-Performance Air-Handling Systems for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings". The change recognizes the need to address issues beyond energy-efficiency, such as indoor environmental quality, and better aligns the MTG with SSPC 90.1 and 189.1 scopes. The Technical Activities Committee, which oversees the MTG, will consider approving the change during its upcoming meetings in Seattle (June 2014). During the call, the MTG also discussed setting up an on-line forum, which will allow the public to comment on existing ideas and to provide new ideas to the MTG. Work is underway to set up the forum so that it is available by the Seattle Annual Meeting.
• The next conference call is tentatively scheduled for September 2014.

Meeting Minutes

6/14/12 Kick-off Meeting

MTG-EAS_Conf Call Minutes 2_5Dec2012.doc

MTG-EAS_Conf Call Minutes 3 23May2013-1.doc

MTG-EAS_Conf Call Minutes 4 20March2014-1.doc

Additional Documents

List of MTG.EAS Ideas.20May2014

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Scope

MTG.HWBE will coordinate TC/TG/TRG technical activities related to enhanced health and wellness of the occupants in the built environment. The focus of the MTG will be to help to foster and expand internal and external organizational partnerships in this subject area, particularly with organizations developing green building rating systems (e.g., ASHRAE bEQ, LEED; WELL, Living Building Challenge; RESET, etc.) government agencies and research institutes. The objective of this coordination is to strengthen and improve the development and utility of these green building rating systems, to increase ASHRAE’s knowledge and expertise in this emerging field, and to become more effective in disseminating the results of research and practice in this field to ASHRAE members and others.

Objective/Impact

MTG.HWBE will bring together expertise from various ASHRAE groups (TC 1.12, TC 2.1, STD 55, EHC, STD 189, SSPC 62.1, SSPC 62.2 and others) and from other non-ASHRAE organizations (AIA, CDC, Google, GSA, Harvard CCHGE, IAQA, IEQ-GA, ILFI, ISHRAE, IWBI, NIBS, USGBC,) to work in close collaboration to achieve the following objectives:

• aggregate existing and newly issued scholarly and non-scholarly literature related to enhanced health and wellness in the built environment;
•  ensure that research results and other developments are integrated into existing ASHRAE publications such as handbooks, guidelines, guides and standards;
• develop and maintain technical online resources on ASHRAE’s website regarding enhanced health and wellness in the built environment;
• provide opportunities for new, potentially co-funded, research and development on how to measure the tangible effects of the built environment on the enhanced health and wellness of the building’s occupants; and
• Communicate the tangible and non-tangible benefits of applying building enhanced health and wellness criteria and requirements to ASHRAE’s current design, construction and operational and maintenance practices.

Other TCs GPCs, and SPCs may also now wish to participate in this MTG with a Voting Representative and Alternate(s) given its scope and charge

Scope:
MTG.ISPAQE will coordinate  the research project which will assess/identify the factors affecting air quality problems at indoor swimming pools including: air handling/ air distribution system design and operation; water quality/water chemistry;  pool water treatment operation and maintenance; pool types( flat water, agitated water, hot water); bather load; and evaporation rates of indoor pools to recommend changes to the ASHRAE 62.1 ventilation rate and update the evaporation formula in the HVAC Applications  ASHRAE Handbook.

This task force will have a direct impact on the activities of the 62.1 technical committees, TC 8.10 Dehumidifiers and TC 9.8 Large Building Air-Conditioning Applications as well as the CDC sponsored Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) code for design and operation of indoor pools.

Scope:
MTG.O&MEE will coordinate TC/TG/TRG activities to help support the application of ASHRAE guidelines, Standards and other technical resources to support regulatory bodies, utilities, building owners and others who are attempting to enhance efficiency of existing buildings. Responsibilities include suggestions for research, development and presentation of technical programs of all types on maintenance and its impact on energy consumption and efficiency. It will be especially involved with interactions with those who are introducing and evaluating strategies for building efficiency enhancements. This MTG will maintain interface with and call on the resources of TCs in Sections 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 and maintain an especially close relationship with Standards 90.1 & 2. It will also maintain a relationship with GGAC. It will both draw on their knowledge and contribute areas of interest that it may be productive for them to consider.

Scope

MTG.OBB coordinates TC/TG/TRG technical activities to help implement the recommendations from this MTG. This includes coordinating efforts in education, modeling, research, standards, marketing, advocacy, and fund raising within ASHRAE. Research project initiation as the sponsoring committee is included in the scope of this MTG.

Occupant behavior in buildings refers to occupants’ comfort preference, presence and movement, and interactions with building systems that have impact on performance (thermal, visual, acoustic, and IAQ) of buildings. The interactions include adjusting the thermostat settings, opening or closing windows, dimming or turning on/off lights, pulling up or down window blinds, switching on or off plug-loads, and consuming domestic hot water.

Objective/Impact

MTG.OBB sponsors and coordinates activities of related ASHRAE technical and standards committees to facilitate development of data, tools, technologies, and guidelines enabling integration of occupant behavior in the design, operation, and retrofit of new and existing commercial and residential buildings. The intent is that these products, focusing on the human dimension, may be used in the life cycle of buildings and potentially contribute to ASHRAE’s energy saving targets, by demonstrations of behavior-driven passive and active building designs and identification of energy saving opportunities from behavior measures. Within ASHRAE, the MTG coordinates activities to update related parts of ASHRAE Handbooks and Standards (particularly energy and indoor environmental calculations, standards 55, 62.1, 62.2, 90.1, 90.2 and 189.1), and to develop related education programs for buildings designers, operators and occupants. Outside of ASHRAE, the MTG monitors related activities (e.g. IEA EBC Annex 66, Annex 79) and represent ASHRAE interests where permitted to provide a conduit for related information transfer to ASHRAE members.

Roster (as of June 15, 2021)

Current Projects/ Goals

Ongoing Research Projects:

• RP 1883: Development of the ASHRAE global occupant database (2020-2021).

Active Work Statements:

• Work Statement 1811: Determining Occupancy Patterns in Clusters of Buildings with Data Drawn from Web Based Social Media, sponsored by TC 1.5
• Work Statement 1815 - Integrating Occupant Behavior Data into Building Performance Simulation.

Active RTAR:

• Occupancy-Aware Control and Operation of HVAC Systems in Commercial Buildings, sponsored by TC 7.5.

Accomplishments

Publications

• 2019 ASHRAE Applications Handbook- A new chapter on Occupant-Centric Sensing and Controls (Chapter 65).
• 2021 Fundamental Handbook – A new section on Occupant Modeling for Chapter 19.
• 2023 ASHRAE Applications Handbook – Revisions to Chapter 65 on Occupant-Centric Sensing and Controls.
• Performance measurement protocol for commercial buildings (on-going).
• A new subchapter on occupant modeling in Chapter 19 Energy Calculations of 2021 Fundamentals Handbook.

Seminars

The committee proposed and sponsored two seminars at each ASHRAE conferences for the last 6 years. A few recent seminars sponsored by the committee are:

• Occupant-centric performance metrics, Phoenix 2021 Summer Meeting.
• Approaches and Applications of Occupant Information Modeling, Phoenix 2021 Summer Meeting.
• Advancing occupant aspects of building energy codes, standards, and policy, Chicago 2021 Winter Meeting.
• Impact of COVID-19 on Building Energy Consumption, IAQ and Occupant Behavior, Chicago 2021 Winter Meeting.

The committee also proposed a seminar for the 2021 Building Performance Analysis Conference (BPAC):

• Approaches for simulation-based testing of Occupant Centric Building Controls, chaired by Dr. Mohamed Ouf.

Outreach

The outreach activities of the committee involve collaborating with the research activities under the International Energy Agency’s Energy in Buildings and Communities Programme:

• IEA EBC Annex 79: Occupant-Centric Building Design and Operation.
• IEA EBC Annex 66: Definition and Simulation of Occupant Behavior in Buildings.

Meeting Times

• Periodic teleconferences between society meetings as needed.
• Scheduled Meetings: Monday mornings at Society meetings from 8 am to 10 am.

Minutes

All the meeting minutes are posted at the Basecamp.

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