ATLANTA - The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) announced that the theme of its 2011 Winter Conference, set for Las Vegas, is “A Safe Bet: Zero-Energy Design.” The Winter Conference takes place Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 at the Las Vegas Hilton.

The technical program features more than 90 programs and 300 speakers addressing the efficient use of energy in new and existing buildings, refrigeration updates, applications including data centers, laboratories, health care facilities, the real cost of zero-energy design and other topics related to design, standards, codes and professional skills. Nearly all of the technical program sessions will be approved for New York Professional Development Hours (NY PDHs) and by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for Green Building Certification Institute continuing education (GBCI CE) hours for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) professionals. The Las Vegas Virtual Conference, included with paid attendees’ registrations, will be available to non-attendees.

Six Professional Development Seminars and 14 Short Courses are being offered to help industry professionals stay up-to-date on industry trends. The ASHRAE Learning Insitute (ALI) is offering a new course on building energy modeling that focuses on HVACR systems and updates to courses covering Standards 62.1 and 90.1 to reflect changes in the 2010 versions of these standards from previous versions.

In addition, ASHRAE is launching a sixth certification program in conjunction with the 2011 Winter Conference. This new program targets energy assessors/energy auditors and is designed for those individuals who perform energy assessments or audits for commercial, industrial or residential buildings. More information can be found at www.ashrae.org/certification.

This winter’s technical tours spotlight how technology developed by ASHRAE members is being practically applied to buildings and includes the central plant at Planet Hollywood and MGM Center and Springs Preserve.

Complete information is available at www.ashrae.org/lasvegas.

Publication date: 10/04/2010