New York venue expected to draw record crowd for
Northeast.
In addition to pavilions focused on segments of the
marketplace, there will be a special emphasis on “green” products and issues.
For example, a vast array of new, energy-efficient, “green” products will be on
display from more than 1,800 companies around the world, and close to 200 of
these exhibitors will also be showcasing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) products and
will feature IAQ signs in their booths. The most innovative “green” HVAC/R
product has been selected as the winner of the prestigious 2008 AHR Expo
Innovation Award in the “Green Building” category.
Several
of expo’s 28 endorsing associations will be offering free educational sessions
dealing with “green” issues. Some of
these sessions include:
- GreenSpeak: Understanding
the Language and Concepts.
- Going Green: Reducing Emissions and
Operating Costs in Commercial, Industrial or
Process Heating Applications.
- Going Green and the Plan and Spec
Representative.
The AHR Expo is co-sponsored by the American Society
of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); and the
Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI). The Heating, Refrigeration
and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) is an honorary sponsor. The
show also receives the endorsement of 28 leading HVAC&R industry
associations, and ASHRAE’s winter meeting is also held concurrently with the
expo each year.
Innovation awards
The show will also feature a special ceremony to honor the
winners of the 2008 AHR Expo Innovation
Awards competition. (See sidebar for list.) The honorees represent the best
submissions from the thousands of products on display, ranging from the latest
development in green building technology to the newest instrument.
A panel of judges consisting of ASHRAE members who were
selected for their knowledge of the industry and its products, reviewed and evaluated
all submissions. Product entries were judged for innovation, application, value
to user, and market impact. Winners will receive placards to display at their
booths during the show, as well as an etched crystal award to be displayed at
their company’s headquarters.
ASHRAE meeting
“Reaching New Heights,” a nod to the skyscraper
skyline of New York City, is the theme of the ASHRAE 2008 Winter Meeting, which
takes place Jan. 19-23 at the New York Hilton.
The
technical program covers a full range of presentations from basic to advanced,
offering 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.” According to the official ASHRAE
definition, a net-zero energy building is one which, on an annual basis, use no
more energy than is provided by on-site renewable energy sources. A forum will
explore other definitions and the impact of such buildings on the environment.
A Transactions session will examine case studies of
low-energy buildings, focusing on evaluation of individual technologies, design
processes, lessons learned, and long-term measured performance. A seminar will
look at low-carbon and zero-carbon cities of the future, presenting plans by
London, Barcelona and Manchester to lower their carbon emissions. Attendees can
also learn how HVAC and related technologies are critical to the success of
such plans. A forum will look at the role of energy storage in net-zero
buildings, discussing grid impacts, system sizing and
costs.
Other sessions of special interest in the technical
program include a roundtable featuring two of New York’s best-known
owner/developer firms along with the engineering designers who bring their
projects to reality.
A look at New York City’s
Sustainability Plan, plaNYC 2030, will also be presented. One goal of the plan is to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by more than 30 percent by 2030. Attendees can learn about the
city’s efforts and ASHRAE’s role in meeting these goals.
ASHRAE’s free public session focuses on “HVAC System Design
for Security and Sustainability.”
Steve Rizzo, author of
“Becoming a Humor Being,” is the keynote speaker at the plenary session. Rizzo
specializes in showing people how to choose a healthy attitude both
professionally and personally, learning how to succeed and enjoy their lives in
the midst of challenging and changing times.
“Concerns
about climate change and the need to reduce energy consumption have created
numerous challenges, or make that wonderful opportunities, for the built environment
engineering community,” notes Kent Peterson, ASHRAE president. “Rising to the
challenge will require equal parts of perseverance and innovation. Steve Rizzo
illustrates how to embrace change as ASHRAE turns its technology engine against
the daunting challenge of creating market viable net-zero energy buildings.”
For more information on the 2008 AHR Expo, contact
International Exposition Co. by phone at 203/221-9232; by email at:
info@ahrexpo.com; or visit the Website: www.ahrexpo.com.
For
more information on the ASHRAE Winter Meeting, call 800/527-4723 (U.S. and
Canada only) or 404/636-8400 (International), or email: ashrae@ashrae.org, or
visit www.ashrae.org/newyork.
