ASHRAE

Overview
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE; pronounced 'ash'-'ray') is an international technical society for all individuals and organizations interested in heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R). The Society, organized into Regions, Chapters, and Student Branches, allows exchange of HVAC&R knowledge and experiences for the benefit of the field's practitioners and the public. ASHRAE provides many opportunities to participate in the development of new knowledge via, for example, research and its many Technical Committees. These committees meet typically twice per year at the ASHRAE Annual and Winter Meetings. A popular product show, the AHR Expo, is held in conjunction with each Winter Meeting.

Publications
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. Examples of some ASHRAE Standards are:


 * Standard 34 – Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants
 * Standard 55 – Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy
 * Standard 62.1 – Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality (versions: 2001 and earlier as "62", 2004 and beyond as "62.1")
 * Standard 62.2 - Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings
 * Standard 90.1 - Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
 * Standard 135 – BACnet - A Data Communication Protocol for Building Automation and Control Networks

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.

The ASHRAE Journal is a monthly magazine published by ASHRAE. It includes peer-reviewed articles on the practical application of HVAC&R technology, information on upcoming meetings and product shows, classified and display advertising, and editorials. Members of ASHRAE receive the magazine and the current year's volume of the ASHRAE Handbook as membership benefits. ASHRAE also publishes many books, ASHRAE Transactions, and the International Journal of HVAC&R Research.

History
ASHRAE was founded in 1894 at a meeting of like-minded engineers in New York City. 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. Its 55,000 members worldwide are dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of HVAC&R. ASHRAE's headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.