The American Society Of Heating, Refrigerating And Air-Conditioning Engineers

Illustration of an office building with pillars along the sides and windows between each pillar.

ASHRAE is renovating its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, as a sustainable building.

Photo of two jurors examining a poster being presented by student team members at the Solar Decathlon.

Former ASHRAE President Terry Townsend (on the left) served as a judge in the 2005 Solar Decathlon.

Photo of people sitting at round tables in a large ballroom, listening to a presentation.

ASHRAE provides technical and career guidance to about 5,200 student members worldwide. An extensive student program is held at the society's winter meetings.

Solar Decathlon 2007

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is proud to be a sponsor of the 2007 Solar Decathlon. ASHRAE isn't just about "black boxes" that heat and cool facilities or provide refrigeration. ASHRAE is at the forefront of improving the technologies that make energy-efficient, healthy, and comfortable buildings possible.

The principles and guidance for proper indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and comfort that Solar Decathlon participants integrate into their design efforts are from ASHRAE. The ability to provide a successful alternative-based living environment requires an understanding and proper application of ASHRAE fundamentals covering heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigerating.

ASHRAE's involvement in the Solar Decathlon is a natural progression from the society's long-standing role in energy guidance. Since being developed in response to the energy crisis in the 1970s, ASHRAE's Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, has influenced building designs worldwide. The standard has been established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as the minimum commercial building reference standard for state building energy codes under the Federal Energy Policy Act.

Standards are just one resource provided by ASHRAE to architects and engineers involved in sustainable design. We also provide guidance through our handbook series, educational programs, research program, and special publications.

But ASHRAE is dedicated to providing more than just minimum energy standards. We are working with DOE, the American Institute of Architects, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to publish a new Advanced Energy Design Guide series. The series provides a simple approach for contractors and designers to create advanced energy savings.

ASHRAE is also working with USGBC and IESNA to write the nation's first standard on sustainable building design. Standard 189P, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, will become the benchmark for all sustainable green buildings in the United States because it is being developed for inclusion into building codes. The real impact of Standard 189P is that ASHRAE, along with IESNA and USGBC, are taking advanced energy conservation guidance mainstream for the general public's benefit. ASHRAE's 50,000 members around the world are committed to economic energy-efficiency standards and advanced energy-efficiency guidance. We are the foundation of energy conservation in buildings.