Newsletter
The President's Message
May 2020
Jason R. Urso
CT Chapter of ASHRAE Members,
Our May meeting is a time we honor the past Presidents of the Connecticut Chapter. I would like to thank those past Presidents that made being involved in our Chapter operations a pleasure to be a part of. Thank you to,
Hank Cullinane – 2018-2019
Derek Bride – 2017-2018
Brandon Bradley – 2016-2017
Charles Aungst – 2015-2016
Peter Anderson – 2014-2015
Ron Beliveau – 2013-2014
Fan Brancieri – 2012-2013
Michael Sherber – 2011-2012
Edward Gutowski – 2010-2011
Hank Cullinane is our most recent past President and current Research Promotion Chair, and he was involved in the Chapter when I first started in 2011. Thank you, Hank, for your mentorship throughout my stay with the CT Chapter.
Please take a moment to visit our Past Presidents page to reflect on the individuals that were President in years past: https://ctashrae.org/pastpres.php
Our last meeting of the year will be on May 14th, which will include another online webcast. We have the pleasure of hosting Pam Duffy, PE who will present “Time Management and Remote Work Strategies”, an important topic with the COVID19 pandemic. Registration is open to our entire Region and space is limited to 151 people, so please register ASAP. I hope you can join us for our last meeting of the year!
Not a member? Join today at https://www.ashrae.org/membership/join.
Join a technical committee and be a part of creating ASHRAE standards, preparing ASHRAE handbooks, participating in research projects, and much more! Please visit https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/technical-committees for more information on how YOU can get INVOLVED!
Jason R. Urso, PE, LEED Green Associate
Connecticut Chapter President
Not a member? Join today at https://www.ashrae.org/membership/join.
Join a technical committee and be a part of creating ASHRAE standards, preparing ASHRAE handbooks, participating in research projects, and much more! Please visit https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/technical-committees for more information on how YOU can get INVOLVED!
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Meeting Announcement
May 2020 ASHRAE ONLINE WEBCAST
Time Management and Remote Work Strategies
If you have a never-ending to-do list, an inbox that’s never empty, or a calendar that’s jammed with meetings…this session is for you. Most of us don’t prioritize our time well, and as a result we confuse urgent priorities with unimportant reminders or basic tasks. This can lead to procrastination on the most important work we have on our plate. Plus, many engineers are facing a new, added challenge of working remotely. Adjusting to a new workspace and work style can drain your productivity. In this session, we’ll talk about various methods to manage your inbox, keep your to-do list organized, and be more productive.
Speaker Bio:
Pam Duffy, P.E. is a Senior Product Manager for Lennox International. As a product manager, Pam is responsible for strategic direction, product roadmaps, new product development, launches and sunsets, and ongoing product category support. She has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Central Florida and earned her P.E. license in 2013. Pam is an active volunteer in the Dallas Chapter of ASHRAE.
Previously, Pam served as President of the Atlanta Chapter in 2013-2014, for which the Chapter earned the Region’s Rudy Ferguson (Chapter of the Year) award. Pam is also currently serving as a member of the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) and previously served for on the Conferences and Expositions Committee (CEC).
Pam is a Life Member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and has been named to both the Consulting-Specifying Engineer’s list of 40 under 40 as well as the NEWS’ 40 under 40.
Please join us online on Thursday May 14, 2020 at 12:00 for this 1.5 hour presentation.
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/771672845
You can also dial in using your phone.
(For supported devices, tap a one-touch number below to join instantly.)
United States: +1 (224) 501-3412
- One-touch: tel:+12245013412,,771672845#
Access Code: 771-672-845
New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/771672845
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
Young Engineers in ASHRAE
YEA Leadership Weekend
Are you interested in expanding your knowledge, meeting fellow engineers and having some fun along the way? Look no further than YEA Leadership Weekend! YEA Leadership Weekend is an opportunity for you—the future leaders of ASHRAE—to learn more about Society, develop soft skills and network with other young professionals. Over 600 YEA members have already taken advantage of this great opportunity…will you be next?
YEA LEADERSHIP Weekend 2.0
YEA Leadership Weekend 2.0 (YLW 2.0) is designed to provide additional, more advanced resources to YLW alumni. For this continuation of YLW, we bring back Ralph Kison to facilitate and expand on the skills he taught at the existing YLW event. As YLW alumni, you’ve had the opportunity to use the resources and connections you gained at YLW to not only grow your professional careers, but develop your participation within ASHRAE. The purpose of YLW 2.0 is to continue that growth and development, and hopefully inspire even further leadership skills and aspirations!
ALL IN PERSON TRAININGS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED THROUGH THE END OF MAY
Presented by the ASHRAE Learning Institute, the HVAC Design Essentials Training allows attendees to gain the fundamentals and technical aspects to design, install and maintain HVAC systems.
To encourage attendance by young professional ASHRAE members, YEA offers attendance scholarships to the HVAC Design training. The full cost of registration to Level I or II of this training will be covered by ASHRAE. Any additional costs, such as airfare or hotel, are not covered by this scholarship.
Criteria: All applicants must be ASHRAE members and 35 years of age or younger as of July 1, 2019 (student members are not eligible). Applicants will be reviewed based on contribution to the industry, ASHRAE involvement and career goals.
Click Here for More Information
YEA Connection
The YEA Connection newsletter is a member benefit received by all YEA members. If you are not receiving the newsletter please make sure [email protected] is added to your safe list.
Click HERE for the Current YEA News Letter!
Interested in submitting an article? Submit your article here.
Please use the online gift form and select the “YEA Programs” option. This will help ensure that YEA Society level activities continue to expand the opportunities for professional and personal growth of members like you.
Interested in YEA? Contact Kevin Wixom at [email protected]
Student Activities
COngratulations to our scholarship recipients
The following ASHRAE Student Members will be recvieving $1,000 Scholarships on behalf of the Connecticut ASHRAE Chapter!
George Pappas
Hanna Trojanowski
Leah Jackman
Marco Rupp
ASHRAE advances the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education through our 50,000+ members worldwide. Joining and participating in the Connecticut Chapter of ASHRAE is an excellent way to begin networking in the field of HVAC&R locally which often leads to career opportunities.
ASHRAE Society Scholarships
ASHRAE Society Scholarship Program
Society Scholarship Recipients
Society Scholarship Presentations
ASHRAE Chapter Scholarships
A new Student Membership Scholarship is available on the CT ASHRAE Student Activities Webpage. This new scholarship aims to aid our active CT ASHRAE student members by covering their membership fee +more. We have 10 available scholarships of $100 for our student members. The applicant must be a current student member in active status and fill out the application. That’s all! Please visit the Student Activities Webpage or contact [email protected] for additional information.
Undergraduate Program Equipment Grants
About Undergraduate Program Equipment Grants
Progress and Final Report Format
Graduate Student Grant-in-Aid Program
Graduate Student Grant-In-Aid Award Program
If you or someone you know may be interested please visit the Student Zone at ASHRAE.org to learn more about ASHRAE’s Scholarship and Grant Programs.
Refrigeration
Refrigeration News
With cooling season approaching, here are some quick reminders for seasonal start ups of refrigeration equipment:
Rooftop units and air cooled chillers: Verify proper refrigerant charge before startup. Inspect condenser and evaporator coils, clean if necessary and repair bent fins with a fin comb. Check evaporator condensate drain for blockages and clean if necessary. For larger units with semi-hermetic compressors, energize the crankcase heater several hours before start-up to drive refrigerant out of the oil. Also, if equipped with a sight glass, verify proper oil level. Check the thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) sensing bulb to make sure it is properly placed and insulated. Once the unit is started, check for proper superheat and adjust the TXV if it’s the adjustable type.
Water-cooled chillers: Evaluate condenser tubes for fouling and perform tube brushing if fouled. For more sever mineral scaling, acid cleaning will be required. Change oil filter and dryer if equipped, and energize sump oil heaters several hours before startup. Perform oil and refrigerant analysis.
If the chillers use cooling towers, check those too as they have their own set of requirements for startup.
Matt Andel, Refrigeration Chair
We are looking to increase the exposure that refrigeration gets at the CT level, and are looking for help. If you know of any contacts that could help us find possible presenters for refrigeration themed monthly meetings or tours, or if you have any other suggestions for the refrigeration committee, let us know by e-mail: [email protected]
Technology Transfer
ASHRAE certification programs were founded to meet industry need and today provide value to 1,000s of built-environment professionals, employers and building owners.
For the past 100+ years ASHRAE has worked hard to earn and maintain a worldwide reputation for being the leader in HVAC&R design. ASHRAE certification programs serve to reinforce that reputation.
Interested in an ASHRAE Certification? Click here for more information
Annual Conference
REGISTER NOW
ASHRAE's 2020 Virtual Conference: 92 Technical Sessions for just $99!
Now more than ever, you need ASHRAE's technical content. That is why we are offering timely, relevant content at a significantly reduced price. The 2020 Virtual Conference includes 92 technical sessions (300 speakers) with PDHs for only $99 for members. That is about $1 per session!
Join live or listen later, it's up to you! Registration includes access to all technical content (on-demand for 18 months), live sessions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual networking happy hours, and updates from Society leaders.
What to Expect80 on-demand sessions + 12 live sessions = 92 technical sessions
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On-demand Technical Program: Available Monday, June 22
- 80 sessions accessible on your terms for 18 months
- Conference proceedings. Download the technical papers, conference papers and extended abstracts.
Live Four Day Event: Monday, June 29 - July 2
- 12 featured technical sessions presented live and available for download
- Sessions addressing the latest information relating to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Live forum for Q&A with speakers
- Access to scheduled live chat sessions with speakers for on-demand sessions
- Virtual networking happy hours with specific topics and social focus
- Leadership Moments providing updates from Society leaders
Click Here for more information!
Grassroots
EIA Releases Short-Term Energy Outlook
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released its Short-Term Energy Outlook that indicates that CO2 emissions will see a 7.5% decrease as a result of the slowing economy and travel restrictions that were set in response to COVID-19. However, the EIA projects a 3.6% increase in 2021 as the economy begins to recover.
Legislative Session Won't Resume
While originally slated to be closed until April 23, it was officially announced that the State Capitol will remain closed for the time being and the legislature will not resume their regular session prior to their Constitutionally-mandated adjournment date in May. This means that all bills from the 2020 regular session are now effectively dead; however, the legislature does plan to meet in a special session, likely in June, in which they would potentially cover year-end budgetary matters, Covid-response measures, and possibly some matters from the regular session that may carry forward into a special session that are non-controversial and would garner bipartisan support.
New Legislative Leaders Next Year
In political news, House Minority Leader Themis Klarides announced that she will not be seeking re-election in the fall. This follows prior announcements by Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano and House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz that they too are not seeking re-election. This means that regardless of electoral outcomes in November, at least 3 out of the 4 legislative caucus leaders will be new for next year. This is a significant change in legislative leadership to happen at any one time.
NRDC Files Lawsuit Against DOE's Process Rule
The Natural Resources Defense Council has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Energy's (DOE) Process Rule that was changed and finalized in January. The rule now requires that any new energy efficiency rule must save 0.3 quadrillion BTUs over 30 years, a standard that DOE says only 60% of efficiency rules created over the last 30 years have met. NRDC has been joined in the lawsuit by Earthjustice (representing the Sierra Club, Consumer Federation of America and Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants), the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and Environment America. The filing can be found here.
2021 International Energy Conservation Code Update
The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) was updated on April 8. This model code covers insulation, water heating efficiency, lighting and other major aspects of construction and renovation. The updates include increased minimum energy efficiency requirements for both residential and commercial buildings. The full report on the IECC code changes can be found here.
ASHRAE President Submits Testimony to U.S. Senate Committee on HFC Phasedown Legislation
ASHRAE President Darryl Boyce submitted written testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works concerning S. 2754, the "American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2019" (AIM Act). The bill would require a 15-year phasedown of high global warming potential HFCs in the U.S. ASHRAE has stated its support of the AIM Act, as it provides a clear and orderly path to transition out of high-polluting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and into a next generation of refrigerants. The AIM Act also creates an element of certainty needed for the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) sector.
President Boyce offered the Senators ASHRAE's technical expertise and stated, "ASHRAE stands ready to apply its technical expertise and leadership in support of the transition to a next generation of refrigerants, similar to the contributions we made in the successful phase-out of ozone-depleting CFC and HCFC refrigerants in the past." The testimony can be found here.
D.C. Circuit Court Restores Part of Obama-era HFC Rule
On April 7, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) overstepped when it completely reversed the 2015 Obama-era rule that disallowed the use of HFCs as a substitute for ozone-depleting substances. The EPA in 2018 (under the Trump Administration) reversed that rule following a previous case, Mexichem Fluor Inc. v. EPA, that decided that the requirements should not apply to regulated entities that had already made the switch to HFCs. According to the April 7 opinion written by D.C. Circuit Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan, "the 2018 Rule goes further than Mexichem by instituting a complete vacatur of the 2015 Rule's HFC listings" and that EPA could not amend the 2015 rule without complying with notice-and-comment requirements.
Kansas Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Solar Customers
On April 3, the Kansas Supreme Court struck down a demand fee that had been charged to customers producing their own power with solar panels. The Court determined that Energy's demand charge was a discriminatory rate and not permissible by law. Robert Eye, an attorney for the Sierra Club who argued the case, said that the decision struck down "needless financial penalties for rooftop solar ratepayers" and that it "moves our state toward further development of solar and wind power." The Kansas Corporation Commission now has 21 days to appeal the Court's decision.
Read the full decision here
New York Renewables Siting Changes
The New York State budget that was passed last week on April 3 includes major changes in the siting process for large-scale solar and wind projects. Developers and municipalities saw the existing process, in place since 2011, as onerous and full of delays. This new process establishes a state renewable energy siting office, as well as a one-year deadline for a decision from the siting office on a project. The new office will set uniform standards for renewable facilities and can also decide that local laws and ordinances do not apply, if it determines that they would impede the statewide goal of 70% renewable electricity by 2030. However, the permitting process also includes fewer chances for public and community input. The process does require that the facility provide benefits to the local community, which could include a credit program for utility bills or the developer paying into a "mitigation bank" for endangered and threatened species.
For additional information on government affairs issues visit: www.ashrae.org/govaffairs
Hank Cullinane Chair, Blair Richardson, Co-Chair
GAC Committee
2018-2019 Year
CT ASHRAE 2019-2020
Officers and Board of Governors
President: Jason Urso, Tighe and Bond
Click to Email
President-Elect: Eric Fontaine, van Zelm Engineers
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Vice President: Michael O. Davis, P.E., Flow Tech, Inc.
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Treasurer: Hank Cullinane, Clover Corporation
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Secretary: Ashley Keller, P.E., CES
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Board of Governor: Jason Bessette, Emerson Swan
Board of Governor: Tony Cammilleri
Board of Governor: Hank Cullinane, Clover Corporation
Board of Governor: Evan Cohen, Aercon
Board of Governor: Blair Richardson, BL Companies
Board of Governor: Bill Dunn, Aire Equipment
Board of Governor: Andrew Dana, Victaulic
Board of Governor: Tom Ruggerio, AKF Group
Board of Governor: Kevin Wixom, Flow Tech, Inc.
This home page is maintained by the Connecticut Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. P.O. Box 143 Cromwell, CT 06416. ASHRAE chapters may not act for the Society and the information presented here has not had Society review. To learn more about ASHRAE activities on an international level, contact the ASHRAE home page at http://www.ashrae.org
