ATLANTA — The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) detailing ways in which the organizations can work together to advance and promote mutual interests in built environment codes and standards.

“With ASHRAE’s expertise in HVACR engineering, and IAPMO’s expertise in plumbing and mechanical codes, our joint efforts will ensure that the design, construction, reconstruction, and operation of buildings meet the built environment needs in codes and standards,” said Ron Jarnagin, ASHRAE president.

“IAPMO and ASHRAE enjoy a long history of working together in the interests of promoting health, safety, and sustainability through the codes and standards that govern mechanical systems,” said Dan Daniels, IAPMO president. “I am pleased that this MOU will ensure our two organizations continue to strengthen each other and subsequently strengthen our industry.”

The MOU outlines several areas in which ASHRAE and IAPMO will work together, including:

• Collaborating on common public affairs goals, such as joint promotion of codes and standards at the local, state, and federal levels; and promotion of mutually beneficial positions during the development and passage of state and federal legislation.

• Exploring opportunities to co-develop new courses or other training programs that take advantage of overlapping and complementary expertise.

• Fostering technical cooperation in areas of common interest by providing opportunities to participate in and comment on proposed standards, guidelines, policies, and position statements developed on technical subjects as they relate to buildings and community developments; exploring ways to use ASHRAE standards in IAPMO codes, including derivative documents developed for use outside the U.S.; and investigating the feasibility of creating a coalition of U.S. codes and standard organizations to promote the international use of standards and codes developed by coalition participants.

• Promoting research in areas where research results will add to the body of knowledge in codes and standards.

• Disseminating research results quickly, focusing on high-impact findings.

• Identifying opportunities for research funding from other sources

For more information on ASHRAE, www.ashrae.org. For more information on IAPMO, visit www.iapmo.org.

Publication date: 02/13/2012