Balance

June 14, 2021

This title has stabilized for the moment.  The current 2019 edition of the integrated significant changes, including:

• New informative tables of ventilation rates per unit area for checking new and existing buildings ventilation calculations
• Simplified version of the Ventilation Rate Procedure improving calculations for system ventilation efficiency and zone air distribution effectiveness
• Modified Natural Ventilation Procedure calculation methodology
• Revised scope to specifically identify occupancies previously not covered

Additionally:

• Natural ventilation now requires considering the quality of the outdoor air and interaction of the outdoor air with mechanically cooledspaces.
• Humidity control requirements are now expressed as dew point and not as relative humidity.

Many organizations that administer technical committees have been impeded by the circumstances of the pandemic but the entire ASHRAE catalog is tracked on a near-hourly basis in our algorithm.   We will pass along public consultation notices on this title when they are released.

CLICK HERE to obtain the most current copy.

The ASHRAE committee writing standards for ventilation and indoor air quality (ASHRAE 62.2) has released another addenda for public review.  Any changes to ASHRAE 62.2 is important because because those changes find their way into ASHRAE 90.1 — Energy Standard for Buildings.  ASHRAE 90.1 is referenced into the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).  The IECC is frequently found to be incorporated by reference into federal and state energy and air quality laws.  Education communities own and operate significant real assets — boarding schools, residence halls, off-campus housing — in which assurance of indoor air quality is a responsibility.

Addendum b – Replaces the current definition of “readily accessible“ with a new definition that is intended to be less ambiguous and more compatible with building codes. The replaced definition of “readily accessible” is directly from the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC). It also creates a new definition for “accessible” and makes edits in the standard to refer to one of the two definitions, where needed.

A definition of “Ready Accessible” has been on the agenda of National Electric Code committees for decades.   Standards Michigan has been a participant in those discussions since 1996.   The concept is deceptive in its simplicity; a topic covered in our Power teleconferences.

You will find the markup in its entirety at the link below:

 ASHRAE’s Online Standards Action & Public Review

Comments are due September 6th.

We encourage subject matter experts in the education facility industry to comment — with special encouragement to design engineers, front line mechanics and HVAC shop foreman who are acclimated to the complexities of indoor air systems and have mastered best practice.

We maintain all ASHRAE best practice literature on the standing agenda of our Energy and Mechanical teleconferences.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.

Posted March 1, 2020

The ASHRAE committee writing standards for ventilation and indoor air quality (ASHRAE 62.1) has released another addenda for public review.  Any changes to ASHRAE 62.1 is important because because those changes find their way into ASHRAE 90.1 — Energy Standard for Buildings.  ASHRAE 90.1 is referenced into the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).  The IECC is frequently found to be incorporated by reference into federal and state energy and air quality laws.

Addendum a – clarifying that air density adjustments are permitted but are not required.

Addendum b – graphical re-circulated air definition in Figure 3-1:

 ASHRAE’s Online Standards Action & Public Review

Comments are due March 22nd.

We encourage subject matter experts in the education facility industry to comment — with special encouragement to design engineers, front line mechanics and HVAC shop foreman who are acclimated to the complexities of indoor air systems and have mastered best practice.

University of Minnesota

We are happy to discuss all standards action in the ASHRAE suite any week day at 11 AM Eastern time.  We also devote one markup session per month to action in Mechanical Engineering and Energy standards.  See our CALENDAR.for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Howard Community College

Issue: [12-21]

Category Mechanical, Energy, Facility Asset Management

Colleagues: Eric Albert, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel

Archive / ASHRAE 62.1 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality