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Keeping Animals Cool

August 13, 2026
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Heat Stress Resources

Managing Feedlot Heat Stress

Standards Nebraska

Animal Welfare Codes

Air Conditioning

August 13, 2026
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Ancient Air Conditioning | CLICK ON IMAGE

Today at 15:00 UTC we will review the latest in best practice literature for air conditioning systems.  Note that we have broken out this topic from the standing Mechanical colloquia.  Our approach features interoperability and system considerations.  Catalogs on the agenda:

ACCA

Air Conditioning System Construction & Maintenance

Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute

Standards and Guides

ASHRAE International

Standard 90.1-2022—Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings

Standard 90.4 Energy Standard for Data Centers

Acceptable Performance Standard for District Cooling Systems

ASME

Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Systems

European Standards

EN 14511 Specifies the requirements for air conditioners, liquid chilling packages, and heat pumps with electrically driven compressors.

IEEE

Occupant-Based HVAC Thermal Setpoints

International Code Council

International Building Code Interior Environment & HVAC Systems

International Mechanical Code Chapter 11 Refrigeration

NFPA

National Electrical Code Article 430: Motors, Motor Circuits and Motor Controllers

Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems

Underwriters Laboratories (largely product standards, not embedded system nor interoperability titles)

Uptime Institute

Implementing Data Center Cooling Best Practices


Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page

University of Rochester Central Utilities Plant Absorption Chiller

Issues: [11-67, 15-124, 15-135, 15-165]

Category: Energy, Mechanical

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Larry Spielvogel, Richard Robben

 

 

Air Conditioning System Construction & Maintenance

August 13, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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Ancient Air Conditioning | CLICK ON IMAGE

The Air Conditioning Contractors Association of America is an accredited standards developer for the design, maintenance, installation, testing, and performance of indoor environment systems.   We find several ACCA best practice titles referenced as in education facility design guidelines and construction contracts.  Much of its catalog forms the foundation for the technical curricula in trade schools.  Its library is linked below:

ANSI/ACCA Home Page

It welcomes original public input and public comment on titles in its standards catalog at the link below:

ACCA Standards Development Home Page

As of this posting the ACCA has not released any titles for public comment.  We encourage our colleagues to interact directly with the ACCA standards team: Air Conditioning Contractors Association, 2800 Shirlington Rd, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22206, (703) 575-4477, membership@acca.org.

We maintain the ACCA suite on the standing agenda of our Air Conditioning and Mechanical teleconferences.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

 

LEARN MORE:

 

Bulletin Board

August 13, 2026
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NIST SP 800-209 Rev. 1 — Security Guidelines for Storage Infrastructure | September 8

Addendum b to Standard 62.2-2025, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings | August 23

NFPA 70 | TIA from AHRI on GFCI protection on HVAC equipment | September 6

“Labor omnia vicit improbus” (trans. ‘Steady, unyielding labor conquered all things’)

Georgics, Book I — Publius Vergilius Maro

Standards exist to sustain the ordinary rhythms of civilization.  Behind every meal, classroom, laboratory, concert, hospital, farm, playing field and family home stands a network of standards that quietly enables daily life. Our work is to understand, improve and explain those standards in service to the educational settlements they support. ANSI Standards Action

NIST | USPTO | ANSI | IEEE | ICC | ASTM | ASHRAE | UL | TIA | ASME | ASCE | AGA

Michigan Standards Developers : NSF | ACI | NETA | ASABE | HL7 | RIA | JCSEE | BIFMA | PJRFSI | SAE

Global: SA | BSA | NSAI | CSA | CEN & CENELEC | ISO & IEC*

 

APPA was founded at the University of Michigan| See our ABOUT

 

 

* ISO and IEC have opted out of the X-social media platforms.  FYI: X is 13 times the size of BlueSky in terms of scale and reach.

“Summertime” George Gershwin 1934

August 12, 2026
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Standards Nevada

Summer Sabbatica

Special Education

August 12, 2026
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The Watson Institute | Allegheny County 412

Special education classrooms are governed not by one standard, but by the intersection of building, fire, electrical, accessibility, environmental and educational requirements. Among the dominant U.S. codes and standards are:

  1. International Building Code (IBC)
  2. International Existing Building Code (IEBC)
  3. International Fire Code (IFC)
  4. NFPA 101 — Life Safety Code
  5. NFPA 70 — National Electrical Code (NEC)
  6. NFPA 72 — National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code
  7. ICC A117.1 — Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
  8. 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
  9. ASHRAE Standard 62.1 — Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
  10. ASHRAE Standard 55 — Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy
  11. ASHRAE Standard 90.1 — Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
  12. ANSI/ASA S12.60 — Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements and Guidelines for Schools
  13. IES Lighting Library / ANSI-IES recommendations
  14. ASCE 7 — Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures
  15. IDEA, ADA and Section 504 regulatory framework

The resulting classroom is therefore a systems problem: accessibility, acoustics, lighting, ventilation, electrical power, signaling, emergency egress and assistive technology all meet in the same room.

Faculty & Student Standards Research Grants

August 12, 2026
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Apple Scholars in AI/ML PhD fellowship | Sponsor Submission Deadline: September 8, 2026

 

ANSI Essential Requirements: Due Process Requirements for American National Standards

Saugatuck High School | Allegan County Michigan @ Detroit Institute of Arts | Michigan West

The American voluntary consensus standards system depends upon the steady participation of universities. To encourage that participation, many standards developers offer research grants, scholarships, travel stipends, student paper competitions, and postgraduate fellowships for faculty members, graduate students, and emerging professionals.

These programs help offset the costs of research, conference attendance, committee meetings, and publication while introducing new generations of scholars to the consensus process. 

The investment benefits both the standards community and higher education. Universities contribute fresh research, analytical methods, and technical expertise, while students gain firsthand experience with the development of engineering, scientific, accounting, safety, and building standards that influence practice throughout the world.

Student Research Grants, Scholarships & Travel Support

ANSI — Student Paper Competition, standards education programs, internships, university outreach, and free standards-related learning resources.  (From Classrooms to Competitions: How ANSI and its Members are Opening Standards to Students)

ASTM International — Academic Outreach Program featuring student memberships, scholarships, research grants, travel assistance, student chapters, and opportunities to participate directly in standards committees. (Student Members)

ASHRAE — Society scholarships, Graduate Student Grant-in-Aid research awards, undergraduate equipment grants, and conference travel assistance.

ASCE — Undergraduate and graduate scholarships, Student Chapter awards, and discipline-specific fellowships.

ASME — Scholarships and fellowships through the ASME Foundation together with student paper competitions and travel assistance.

IEEE — Scholarships, fellowships, travel grants, Foundation awards, and Society-sponsored student programs.  Most grants originate at the society, region and section level.  Example: Education & Healthcare Facilities  

ICC — Student chapters, scholarships, educational partnerships, and workforce development initiatives.

NFPA Research Foundation — Sponsored university research and academic partnerships advancing fire, electrical, and life safety.

NIST — Graduate student research opportunities, laboratory collaborations, and financial assistance for visiting scientists. 

(Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) | Summer 2026 Abstract Book

(Professional Research Experience Program)

(Summer High School Intern Program)

SAE International — Engineering scholarships supporting students in automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and mobility disciplines.

FASB / GASB — The Postgraduate Technical Assistant Program and the Gilbert W. Crain Memorial Research Grant support the next generation of accounting standards professionals.

Relata:

Evaluation of Electrical Feeder and Branch Circuit Loading: Phase I (January 2017)

Development of Human Factors and Automotive Standards Curricula Materials for the University of Michigan and Beyond (Final Report, December 2018)

2025-2026 Student Paper Competition

Image Credit: Michael Tompsett

International Standards Development Opportunities

Organization Opportunity
ISO ISO Young Professionals Programme — Annual leadership and standards development program sponsored through ISO member bodies.
ISO ISO DEVCO — Capacity-building initiatives, technical assistance, education, and participation support for developing countries.
IEC IEC Young Professionals Programme — International leadership development and participation in electrotechnical standards activities.
IEC IEC Academy — Standards education, webinars, technical training, and professional development resources.
ITU ITU Academia Programme — Membership and engagement opportunities for universities participating in international telecommunications standards development.
ITU ITU Fellowships Programme — Travel assistance and fellowships enabling qualified participants to attend ITU standards meetings and conferences.
ITU-R ITU-R Fellowships — Support for participation in Radiocommunication Sector meetings and technical study groups.

 

 

 

 

 

Reaction: July 16 Open Meeting

August 11, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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FERC HOME

Presentation & Report | The 2026 Summer Energy Market and Electric Reliability Assessment

University district energy systems are significant stakeholders in bulk electrical transmission reliability because large educational settlements behave much like small cities. Hospitals, laboratories, data centers, residence halls, athletic facilities and central utility plants create substantial, concentrated electrical loads whose interruption may have consequences extending beyond ordinary commercial outages.

Many universities also operate combined heat and power plants, generators, thermal storage, microgrids and other distributed energy resources. These assets can reduce transmission demand, support local resilience and, where market and interconnection arrangements permit, participate in demand response or other grid-support activities. Conversely, disturbances on the bulk transmission system can disrupt campus generation, utility distribution and critical research or clinical operations.

Universities therefore occupy both sides of the reliability equation: they are dependent loads and potential reliability resources.  Transmission planning, protection, restoration priorities, interconnection requirements and emergency operating procedures can directly affect the continuity, cost and resilience of university district energy systems.

August 14, 2003

Key point for us: FERC directed NERC on computational/large loads (E-1, RD26-7-000) — Ordered the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to develop and submit new or modified Reliability Standards addressing reliability risks from integrating computational loads (e.g., data centers) into the Bulk-Power System, plus revisions to its Rules of Procedure (including registry criteria for such loads). Filings due by December 31, 2026.

Relata:

1992 National census for district heating, cooling and cogeneration | (Download)

The Commission voted on a series of mostly consent agenda items focused on electric reliability, market rules, compliance, infrastructure, and related matters.  Some of them are relevant to large, sometimes privatized, campus power systems:

Major initiative to accelerate large-load interconnections. The Commission’s headline action was the issuance of six “show cause” orders directing every jurisdictional RTO/ISO (except Texas/ERCOT) to justify or reform how they connect very large electric loads, particularly AI data centers. The objective is to reduce delays while protecting grid reliability and ensuring that costs are appropriately assigned.

Large customers expected to bear infrastructure costs. FERC made clear that new large loads should generally pay for the transmission and distribution upgrades needed to serve them, rather than shifting those costs onto existing retail customers. This principle is expected to influence future tariff filings nationwide

Encouragement of customer-owned generation. The Commission encouraged tariff structures that would allow large customers to supply some or all of their own electricity—such as on-site generation, microgrids, or other behind-the-meter resources—to reduce impacts on the bulk power system.

MISO emergency demand-resource improvements. The Commission conditionally accepted tariff revisions from MISO that improve the visibility, dispatch, and operation of demand-side resources during grid emergencies beginning with the 2028–2029 planning year. This strengthens reliability during extreme system conditions.

A clear policy shift toward speed-to-power. The June meeting signaled perhaps the strongest policy emphasis in years on rapidly connecting new electric demand while maintaining reliability. The Commission characterized the integration of very large loads—especially AI-related facilities—as a national priority and indicated that existing interconnection practices may no longer be adequate

For universities, research campuses, hospitals, semiconductor manufacturers, and data center developers, the June 2026 meeting represents a significant shift in federal policy. Rather than treating large-load requests as exceptional cases, FERC is moving toward standardized, faster interconnection procedures coupled with clearer cost-allocation rules. Institutions planning major campus expansions or new energy-intensive facilities should monitor the forthcoming tariff revisions from their regional transmission organizations, as these changes could substantially affect project schedules, interconnection costs, and opportunities to incorporate on-site generation or microgrids.

Power transformers and distribution transformers will face supply deficits of 30% and 10% in 2025

Electrical Resource Adequacy

March 19, 2026

Key Reliability & Cybersecurity Actions. FERC approved important updates to Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Reliability Standards. These included modernized rules for virtualization (allowing secure use of virtual machines), enhanced security management controls for low-impact cyber systems (CIP-003-11), and refinements to the definition of “control center” to better protect high-risk assets. The changes aim to strengthen the bulk-power system against rising cyber threats and extreme weather while reducing unnecessary administrative burdens.

Electric Rate and Complaint Resolutions. The Commission resolved several long-running rate complaints, including setting a base return on equity (ROE) of 9.57% for New England Transmission Owners. It addressed complaints involving spot market sales exceeding price caps in the WECC region and cost allocation issues in MISO related to DOE emergency orders. Several tariff revisions and generator interconnection filings were also accepted.

Other Actions. FERC modernized Electric Quarterly Report (EQR) filing requirements, authorized multiple asset transactions and dispositions, and approved several natural gas pipeline, storage, and abandonment projects. A presentation on the 2025 State of the Markets Report was also delivered.

FERC’s involvement in CHP plants at universities and hospitals depends on and how the facility interacts with the bulk electric power system and wholesale markets. In many cases, FERC’s role is indirect—but it can become significant under certain conditions.  We cover this topic separately in our periodic US Department of Energy Combined Heat & Power eCATALOG

Next Open Meeting: May 21.  Keep in mind that much “bandwidth” is devoted to administrative issues; the technical specifics of primary interest to us referenced in case dockets that are referenced here:  FERC Online

The current full complement of five FERC commissioners is relatively new as of December 23, 2025. The two most recent additions — Chairman Laura V. Swett (term expiring June 30, 2030) and Commissioner David A. LaCerte (term expiring June 30, 2026) — were confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 7, 2025.
Ω
This restored FERC to its full five members after prior vacancies and transitions earlier in the year. The other commissioners (David Rosner, Lindsay S. See, and Judy W. Chang) have been in place since mid-2024 or earlier, but the current lineup only fully formed about two and a half months ago.
Ω
This followed changes tied to the new administration, including shifts in majority and leadership.
January 22.  Issues of interest discussed at the FERC Open Meeting on January 22, 2026, centered primarily on electric sector matters related to generator interconnection reforms, expedited processes for resource adequacy.  Our interest lies in the effect of FERC action will have on the utility costs of educational settlements which, of course, practically involves all utilities and how those decisions are reflected in state tariffs.
One issue of particular interest for Michigan: Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO) Expedited Resource Addition Study (ERAS) process (Docket No. ER25-2454-002): The Commission addressed arguments on rehearing and sustained its prior July 21, 2025, order approving MISO’s ERAS framework. This provides an expedited interconnection study process for generation projects addressing urgent near-term resource adequacy and reliability needs in the MISO region.  Discussions involved balancing reliability concerns (e.g., load growth, resource shortfalls) against claims of undue discrimination or preference in interconnection queuing, as raised by public interest groups.  We will see these conclusions reflected in Michigan Public Service Commission action.Other agenda elements likely included routine administrative matters (e.g., A-1 Agency Administrative Matters, A-2 Customer Matters/Reliability/Security/Market Operations) and consent items (often non-controversial electric, gas, hydro, or certificate matters voted en bloc without discussion).
No major presentations were noted, and the meeting focused on these reliability/interconnection and market integrity issues amid broader grid challenges like queue backlogs, rapid load growth, and transitioning resources.The Q&A afterward involved energy media, with emphasis by Laura V. Swett on reliability concerns ahead of likely winter storms. The next public open meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 19th. 

December 18. The public meetings are dominated by administrative procedures and mutual admiration.  Technical issues that require in-depth, expert-level understanding of complex laws, rules, guidelines, and precedents beyond surface-level awareness appear deeper into the FERC website.  There you will generally find:

  • Nuanced interpretation of statutes and agency decisions
  • Awareness of historical context and evolving policies
  • Insight into how rules interact with technical, economic, and operational realities
  • Impacts of changes and navigate compliance strategically

As interest and time allows we can pick through technical specifics regarding FERC oversight of interstate electricity with the IEEE colleagues.

Ω

Ω

 

 

Whats On a Utility Pole

Midwest Energy Communications: What’s On a Utility Pole?

 

“Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”

August 11, 2026
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A Proposed Data Center Campus for Wisconsin Rapids

The rapid growth of data centers presents genuine challenges to electric power systems: very large concentrated loads, accelerated interconnection schedules, new transmission requirements and concern over who ultimately pays for the necessary infrastructure. These problems deserve careful attention, but they are fundamentally engineering problems — and therefore problems capable of engineering solutions.

Electrical power systems have repeatedly adapted to new classes of load. Electrification of industry, air conditioning, electric heating and large computing facilities each altered planning assumptions in their time. Data centers will do the same.

Power engineers are already developing better methods for load forecasting, staged interconnection, demand response, energy storage, on-site generation and microgrids. Data centers themselves can become more flexible loads, reducing consumption during stressed grid conditions rather than operating continuously at maximum demand. Improved transmission planning, advanced protection and controls and better coordination between utilities, system operators and large customers will further reduce adverse effects.

The present difficulties should therefore not be mistaken for permanent conditions. Engineering practice evolves when operating experience reveals new constraints. The extraordinary concentration of electrical demand created by artificial intelligence will test the grid, but it will also accelerate improvements in how large loads are designed, connected, controlled and supplied.

How Stupid Would It Be to Put Data Centers in Space? 

Riding the orbital data center wave

SpaceX and Google Are in Talks to Launch Data Centers in Orbit

Community Impact Strategies for Data Centers

1. Build vertically — Stack rack “white space” across three to five floors, including one or two below grade, to reduce building footprint and land consumption.

2. Make architecture an asset — Treat the exterior as an architectural statement appropriate to its community rather than as an anonymous industrial enclosure.

3. Support municipal infrastructure — Design electrical and standby-generation capacity to support critical municipal loads, including water and wastewater systems during major regional contingencies.

4. Co-locate emergency management functions — Provide space and resilient infrastructure for local or regional emergency management operations.

5. Provide community swing space — Incorporate adaptable space that can support sports, recreation and other community uses when not required for primary facility operations.

A data center need not be only a data center.A very large, extraordinarily well-powered and resilient building can return some of that resilience to the community hosting it.

International Zoning Code

Electricity

Electric Service Metering & Billing

Natural Gas

Natural Gas Transmission & Distribution

Traffic

7th Edition (2018): Geometric Design of Highways & Streets

Water

Standards March: Water

Noise

“Backup” Power Systems

Taxation

Tax-Free Bonds

Security

Secure perimeter management

 

Relata:

Dr. Gad Saad Named Global Ambassador for The Northwood Idea and Visiting Professor

Gad Saad (Northwood University Michigan) & Jordan Peterson (University of Toronto) discuss the intellectual intransigence in education settlements

The $7 Billion Stargate “Barn”

Exploring the impacts of elite youth sports on family life

August 11, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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“The national game” | Arthur Streeton 1889

Taylor & Francis Online

Mona Mirehie | Department of Tourism, Event & Sport Management, School of Health and Human Sciences

 

Purpose: This study explored the impacts of elite-level youth sport participation on family life.

Methodology: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of youth athletes (N = 17).

Findings: Parents extensively talked about the temporal demands of elite youth sports and necessity of time management. Three domains were found in parents’ accounts including, children’s time, parents’ time, and family’s time; temporal opportunities and challenges were identified within each domain. Time spent on sports was perceived positively, keeping children out of trouble and from video games/time online; however, it left no time for other activities. Although parents sacrificed their own activities to facilitate their child’s sports participation, they used the practice and tournament time to engage in personal interests, such as reading or exercising. Likewise, family’s time was restricted by youth sport schedules, but parents managed to turn car rides or tournament trips into quality family time.

Practical implications: Findings can be used by youth sport practitioners to enhance children and parents’ experiences.

Research contribution: Findings contribute to the literature by assessing the impacts of elite-level youth sports participation on family life.

Originality: The intricacies of how time-on task relates to parents’ relationship with their child’s sport have been understudied.

Standards Indiana

Relata:

Parental Insights from Three Elite-level Youth Sports: Implications for Family Life

Parental stressors in professional youth football academies: a qualitative investigation of specialising stage parents

Parental strategies for supporting children’s psychosocial development within and beyond elite sport

 

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