Newsletter
The President's Message
November 2020
Eric Fontaine
I would like to thank everyone who attending our October meeting on EC Fan and Motor Technology and would like to thank Joe Landrette of ebm Papst for the great presentation and overview of this topic.
For November, we have another great program being offered and we are pleased to welcome Stephanie H. Taylor MD, M Architecture, CIC, FRSPH (UK) as an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer. She will be presenting on the topic of Engineers are the Physicians of the Future.
For those who do not know, the ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturers (DL) Program began in Society Year 1996-97. The purpose of the program is to provide ASHRAE Chapters with lecturers equipped to speak on relevant subjects of interest to ASHRAE members and guests. I am looking forward to this topic and presentation and we hope you can join us as well.
One last topic I wanted to bring up, as we did receive a few questions related to the programs. As many of you noticed, last month we charged a small, nominal fee for the October meeting, and will be continuing to charge for the upcoming virtual meetings until we can get back to our normal monthly meetings. The reason behind the charge, and we are not the only chapter charging for monthly program webinars, is that we as a chapter do need to bring in some income for the chapter to operate. The exact same program and topic would be provided if we were meeting in Connecticut for the dinner program, which we charge for. We are also providing all our programs with CE credits, which has a value associated with that.
The other change we have made is we will be offering up sponsorship opportunities for our monthly webinars, where the sponsors will be recognized prior to the webinar starting.
As Chapter President, I just want to acknowledge our members and thank everyone for their support of CT ASHRAE and we look forward to that continuing in the future. We are doing what we can in these difficult and unchartered times to maintain the high level of programing and value to the membership.
Thank you very much,
Eric Fontaine
CT ASHRAE Chapter President
For those interested in volunteering for a position or get more involved with ASHRAE, please reach out to any chapter officer or board member and see what positions are open. We are always looking for volunteers!
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
November 2020 ASHRAE ONLINE WEBCAST
Engineers are the Physicians of the Future
We are currently living with tremendous uncertainty brought about by a mutated virus of the familiar Coronavirus family. Many unanswered questions about COVID-19 disease transmission, mortality rates and our own immune response have resulted in fear, confusion and a sense of helplessness in many of us. Thankfully, we have a solid foundation of scientific data from studies in microbiology, medicine and the indoor environment that can guide our management of buildings so that they are true shelters.
Speaker Bio:
Stephanie H. Taylor MD, M Architecture, CIC, FRSPH(UK)
ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer, Epidemic Task Force, Environmental Health Committee
Dr. Stephanie Taylor received her MD from Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts in 1984. For the next several decades, she practiced clinical medicine and did academic research in cellular growth mechanisms.
Dr. Taylor is currently working at the intersection of architectural design, indoor air management, the microbiome of the built environment and occupant health. She finds the impact of buildings on our health startling! Managing the built environment and indoor air with the goal of decreasing diseases from acute infections to chronic inflammation to cognitive impairment, is a very underutilized yet powerful approach to disease prevention. She finds that her physician insights and biological research helps her understand the science behind the interaction of buildings, human physiology and energy consumption.
To communicate her work and understanding about the fascinating convergence of human health, microbiology and architecture, Dr. Taylor writes monthly columns and bi-annual feature articles for Engineered Systems Magazine and publishes in other healthcare journals. She is an active member of ASHRAE, ASHE and national and international medical associations. When not working elsewhere, Dr. Taylor lives in beautiful Stowe, Vermont with her husband and eight dogs. One of her favorite activities is skydiving, which she finds is great practice for staying outside of her comfort zone!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
brought to you by....
Young Engineers in ASHRAE
YEA Leadership Weekend
COVID-19 Update for Registrants
ASHRAE continues to monitor the outbreak globally and is committed to the safety of its members, staff, course registrants and the general public.
- YEA Leadership Fall Weekend and YEA Leadership International will be replaced with a virtual event this year called YEA Leadership Digital, scheduled for October 16-18, 2020.
YEA LEADERSHIP Weekend 2.0
COVID-19 Update for Registrants
ASHRAE continues to monitor the outbreak globally and is committed to the safety of its members, staff, course registrants and the general public.
- YEA Leadership Fall Weekend and YEA Leadership International will be replaced with a virtual event this year called YEA Leadership Digital, scheduled for October 16-18, 2020.
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
Through its scholarships, ASHRAE seeks to motivate students and prospective students worldwide to pursue an engineering or technology career in the HVAC&R field, part of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industry. The Society’s Scholarship Program also serves the public interest by aiding in the education of men and women to become qualified to practice as engineers in HVAC&R.
Over the course of 30 years ASHRAE has awarded over $2.25 million to 400+ deserving students.
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
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 continues to monitor the outbreak globally and is committed to the safety of its members, staff, course registrants and the general public. ASHRAE Learning Institute has postponed all in-person, public course schedules. Should you have questions or concerns related to your attendance or travel plans, please contact [email protected]. ASHRAE has developed proactive guidance to help address concerns related to COVID-19 with respect to the operation and maintenance of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems, which can be viewed at ashrae.org/covid19. Please check the website regularly for the updated schedule.
COVID-19 Update for Registrants
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
ASHRAE’s mission is to serve humanity by advancing the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and their allied fields. ASHRAE’s vision is a healthy and sustainable built environment for all.
If you are seeking a job in the engineering field or searching for the most qualified engineers, the ASHRAE job board offers the most qualified opportunities and candidates. Engineers can set up a personal account for job searches, manage resumes and create alerts for new job postings. Employers can set up a corporate account to post new jobs, review resumes and manage recruiting.
Annual Conference
The 2021 ASHRAE Winter Virtual Conference will take place in a convenient, online format February 9-11, and will include a mixture of live, pre-recorded and on-demand sessions. Additional details about the conference and committee meetings will be available in the coming weeks. The 2021 AHR Expo originally scheduled to be held January 25-27, 2021 at McCormick Place in Chicago has been cancelled.
Click Here for More Info
Grassroots
DOE Energy Efficiency Announcements
The Department of Energy Building Technologies Office (BTO) made the following announcements this month:
- BTO published "System Retrofit Trends in Commercial Buildings: Opportunities for Deeper Energy Savings"
- BTO published "A Conceptual Framework to Describe Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Interaction"
House Democrats Introduce Broad Energy Package
Democrats in the House of representatives introduced an 894-page energy package on September 15 that grouped together over 70 previously introduced bills. The energy package covers a wide range of energy policy from energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric grid and cybersecurity, transportation, and environmental justice. The bill includes several sections that affect the built environment such as building energy codes, school buildings, and federal facilities.
Additionally, the bill contains the American Innovation and Manufacturing Leadership Act (AIM Act), which would start the phasedown for the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) over a 15-year period and authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate them. ASHRAE wrote a letter of support for the goals of AIM Leadership Act earlier this year. Click here to learn more about ASHRAE’s position on Refrigerants and their Responsible Use.
Amendments to the bill must be submitted by September 18. The legislation is expected to be considered the week of September 21 and can be viewed here.
Momentum Grows for Senate Bipartisan Energy Package
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is working to bring a bipartisan, multi-bill energy package to the Senate Floor for consideration. The push comes after a deal was reached on an amendment concerning the phase-down of high-global warming refrigerants (GWP), such as Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which had sidetracked the legislation earlier this year. The deal reached on the amendment would now reduce the amount of HFCs used in the U.S. by 85% by 2036 while also preventing states and localities from passing stricter rules. The amendment would also prevent the EPA from speeding up the timeline. Senator Murkowski is also working to reach a deal on an amendment that would add a section on building codes/standards to the efficiency title of the bill.
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Hearing on Low-Carbon Recovery
On September 16, the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing entitled, "Building a 100 Percent Clean Economy: Opportunities for an Equitable, Low-Carbon Recovery." To watch the hearing and view testimony, click here.
Senate Committee FERC Nominations Hearing
On September 16, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to consider the nominations of Allison Clements and Mark C. Christie to serve as members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil and electricity.
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 2020-2021
Officers and Board of Governors
President: Eric Fontaine, van Zelm Engineers
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President-Elect: Michael O. Davis, P.E., Flow Tech, Inc.
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Vice President: Ashley Keller, P.E., CES
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Treasurer: Hank Cullinane, Clover Corporation
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Secretary: Kevin Wixom, Flow Tech, Inc.
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Board of Governor: Jason Bessette, Emerson Swan
Board of Governor: Matt Andel, Van Zelm
Board of Governor: Hank Cullinane, Clover Corporation
Board of Governor: Blair Richardson, BL Companies
Board of Governor: Andrew Dana, Victaulic
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
