ATLANTA – The 2011 ASHRAE Winter Conference saw its highest attendance numbers in years, as well as the announcement of updated energy savings figures for ASHRAE’s energy standard.

Some 3,400 people attended the Conference, held Jan. 29-Feb. 2, in Las Vegas, Nev.; of that number, 400 were first-time attendees. Also taking place in conjunction with the meeting was the Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition, which attracted over 54,000 registered visitors and exhibitor personnel. The Show was by far the largest and best attended AHR Expo in the Western states, with more than 1,900 exhibiting companies and their 20,000 exhibiting personnel—the second largest number of exhibiting companies in the Show’s history. Overall, the 2011 AHR Expo was the second largest held outside of Chicago.

The ASHRAE Conference offered a technical program with nearly 300 sessions, 20 educational courses and numerous social events. The meeting also featured more than 600 meetings of technical, standards and standing committees, developing guidance for the future of the industry and ASHRAE

The biggest buzz at the Conference centered on the latest energy saving figures of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, which provides minimum requirements for the energy-efficient design of buildings except low-rise residential buildings. Without plug loads, site energy savings are 32.6 percent and energy cost savings 30.1 percent. Including plug loads, the site energy savings are estimated at 25.5 percent and energy cost savings 24 percent. The standard is written in mandatory code language and offers code bodies the opportunity to make a significant improvement in the energy efficiency of new buildings, additions and major renovations.

Other Conference highlights included the Technical Plenary, with its focus on Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The Plenary drew over 700 attendees, with standing room only.

Additional sessions from the Technical Program are part of ASHRAE’s Virtual Conference, which provides access to more than 250 presentations and PDFs of posters.  Register or access presentations at www.ashrae.org/lasvegasvirtual.  

Also offered were six Professional Development Seminars and 14 short courses from the ASHRAE Learning Institute. The most popular courses were Using Standard 90.1 to Meet LEED Requirements; Determining Energy Savings from Performance Contracting and LEED® Projects: Measurement and Verification; Successful Solar Applications for Commercial & Industrial Facilities; The Commissioning Process & Guideline 0; and Energy Modeling Best Practices and Applications: HVAC/Thermal. 

The Conference served as the launch of ASHRAE’s newest certification program, the Building Energy Assessment Professional certification, with more than 60 candidates taking the exam. The new certification recognizes individuals’ ability to audit and analyze residential, commercial and industrial buildings. It complements ASHRAE’s Building Energy Quotient program as well as the Building Energy Modeling Professional certification. Together, the programs provide a valuable toolkit when it comes to the evaluation and reduction of building energy use.

Top selling publications included Standard 189.1-2009; Standard 62.1-2010; the “ASHRAE Pocket Guide” and new publications including Standard 90.1-2010, “ASHRAE GreenGuide, The Design, Construction, and Operation of Sustainable Buildings,” third edition; “Green Tips for Data Centers;” and the Standard 90.1-2010 User’s Manual. 

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.