ATLANTA - Given that people spend 90 percent of their day indoors, they expect their indoor environments to be safe, healthy, and comfortable. To help designers, engineers, contractors, and others meet those expectations, indoor air quality and comfort will be a major focus of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 2004 Annual Meeting technical program.

Ninety-three technical program sessions will be presented at the meeting, which takes place June 26-30, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Nashville, Tenn. According to ASHRAE, some 25 sessions will focus on indoor air quality and comfort as well as ventilation and air distribution.

One seminar will focus on new means of controlling humidity through HVAC equipment and energy recovery systems. Another seminar will examine current engineering and legal issues that must be considered in designing, constructing, and operating buildings.

Occupant thermal comfort will be examined in a symposium. The influence of personal control, such as through windows, on occupant response, statistical analyses of thermal comfort, and the cultural and climatic influences on thermal comfort are to be discussed.

In the area of commercial systems and applications, heat pump noise and vibration issues will be discussed in a seminar.

Case studies of green thermal energy storage design will be presented in a seminar. Refrigeration sessions also are scheduled.

For a complete listing of technical program sessions, visit www.ashrae.org/nashville.

Publication date: 05/10/2004