ASHRAE

ASHRAE (sometimes pronounced ash-ray), stands for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Founded in 1894, it is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its more than 50,000 members worldwide focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability.

The ASHRAE was founded in 1894 at a meeting of engineers in New York City, formerly headquartered at 345 East 47th Street, and has held an annual meeting since 1895. Until 1954 it was known as the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (ASHVE); in that year it changed its name to the American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHAE). Its current name and organization came from the 1959 merger of ASHAE and the American Society of Refrigerating Engineers (ASRE). The result, ASHRAE, despite having 'American' in its name, is an influential international organization. Amongst other international activities, it helps organize international events. In 2012, ASHRAE rebranded itself with a new logo and tagline: "Shaping Tomorrow’s Built Environment Today". As of 2015, ASHRAE has more than 50,000 members.http://hpac.com/archive/ashrae-rebranding-itself-reflect-expanding-role

The ASHRAE Handbook is a four-volume resource for HVAC&R technology and is available in both print and electronic versions. The volumes are Fundamentals, HVAC Applications, HVAC Systems and Equipment, and Refrigeration. One of the four volumes is updated each year.

ASHRAE also publishes a well recognized series of standards and guidelines relating to HVAC systems and issues. These standards are often referenced in building codes, and are considered useful standards for use by consulting engineers, mechanical contractors, architects, and government agencies. These are legally unenforceable, except when referenced as mandatory provisions in building codes, but are commonly accepted standards for architects and engineers.

Examples of some ASHRAE Standards are:

These, and many other ASHRAE Standards, are periodically reviewed, revised and published, so the year of publication of a particular standard is important for code compliance.

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