Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 17 April 2018: The 2018 ASHRAE Annual Conference technical programme will provide practitioners with topical, in-depth educational tracks to optimise the design and performance of buildings, ASHRAE said through a Press communiqué. The conference will take place from June 23 to 27 in Houston, Texas, in the United States.

The five-day event will includes eight conference tracks, tours, social events and a keynote message from research scientist and author, Dr Ainissa Ramirez on “Inspiring the Next Generation.” Additionally, 2018-19 ASHRAE President, Shelia Hayter, Fellow ASHRAE, will present the Society theme for the coming year during the President’s Luncheon on June 25.

“The dynamic and innovative industry of HVAC&R is a reflection of our ever-changing individual, societal and global constructs and demands,” Cindy Moreno, chair of the 2018 ASHRAE Annual Conference, said. “The 2018 Annual ASHRAE Conference aims to provide the setting for a meaningful exchange of knowledge and experience, and the technical program looks to enrich that exchange with a broad spectrum of topics and discussion. We welcome you to join us as we share ideas ranging from basic design fundamentals to specific applications and technologies.”

The need to achieve sustainable buildings in hot and humid climates calls for an understanding of the local climate and integrating appropriate building technologies into the architectural and urban design, the communiqué said. A new and anticipated track at this year’s conference, Residential – Modern Building in Hot and Humid Climates, will discuss how modern residential design and building practices can be integrated into hot and/or humid climates with specific challenges ranging from indoor comfort to ventilation and mould, the communiqué added.

Another popular design track, District Energy and Cogeneration Plants, will address how the carbon footprint is being minimised by combining resources. This track takes a look at the advantages and limitations, dos and don’ts and best practices of utilising this type of shared system.

The conference tracks include:

• HVAC&R Systems and Equipment
• Fundamentals and Applications
• District Energy and Cogeneration Plants
• HVAC & Resiliency: Safeguarding our World
• Residential – Modern Building in Hot and Humid Climates
• Professional Skills
• Research Summit
• HVAC&R Control Freaks
• HVAC&R Analytics

Meanwhile, the ASHRAE Learning Institute (ALI) will offer two full-day seminars and eight half-day courses. New courses include: Advance Design for Net Zero Buildings; Latest in High-Performance Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS); Save 30% Complying with Standard 90.1-2013; and Principles and Practices of Thermal Energy Storage Systems for Air Conditioning, the communiqué said.

According to the communiqué, ASHRAE will also be conducting six certification exams on Energy Auditing, Energy Modelling, Commissioning, Healthcare Facility Design, High-Performance Building Design and Building Operations. The last date for applying to the exams is June 5.

According to the communiqué, ASHRAE will be making an announcement about a collaboration with ASHRAE’s archival research publication, Science and Technology for the Built Environment (STBE) during the sixth annual Research Summit, to be conducted this year.