“ASHRAE conferences bring the brightest minds in our field together to exchange ideas and set the direction for the future and our Annual Conference in Austin is no different,” said 2025-26 ASHRAE president Bill McQuade, P.E., CDP, Fellow ASHRAE, LEED AP. “By contributing your research and experiences, you not only advance technical knowledge but also strengthen the collective expertise that drives meaningful progress for our profession and for society.”

Conference papers are requested for the following tracks:

The “Hot Climate Building System Design, Operation and Resilience” track specifically focuses on buildings, building systems and equipment in hot climates and the considerations in design for resilient buildings.

The “Ground Source Heat Pumps” track focuses on the application of GSHP technology to residential, commercial, and district energy system projects contributing to energy efficiency, reduction in peak load and energy-use, and decarbonization.

The “AI in Building Design and Construction” track covers implementation of AI during the building design and construction phases as well as in building automation and control systems to improve energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and security and maintenance.

The "Building Decarbonization" track focuses on the advancement of carbon neutral, net zero energy and decarbonization strategies in new construction, renovation and HVAC&R design for residential and commercial buildings, with special focus on refrigeration selection and minimizing refrigerant releases.

The "Research Summit" track features active research, and the exchange of research findings, critical to the development of the HVAC&R industry and built environment. The track includes a partnership with ASHRAE's archival journal, Science and Technology for the Built Environment. 

The "Workforce Development" track covers all aspects of business outside of engineering/technical applications to allow professionals an opportunity to develop in areas such as presentation skills, leadership, team building, interpersonal skills, etc., and lends itself to interactive session types such as workshops and forums.

The "Fundamentals and Applications" track provides opportunities for papers of varying levels across a large topic base. Concepts, design elements and shared experiences for theoretical and applied concepts of HVACR design are included.

Finally, the "HVACR Systems and Equipment" track focuses on the development of new systems and equipment, improvements to existing systems and equipment and the proper application and operation of systems and equipment.

Abstracts (400 words or less) are due November 19, 2025. If accepted, final conference papers (8-page maximum) are due February 25, 2026.

Proposals for organized paper sessions are also being accepted. Please formally submit all abstracts to be considered for a session before creating a paper session request.

All accepted papers will be considered for publication in Science and Technology for the Built Environment, ASHRAE’s research journal.

For additional details on abstract submissions and updates on the 2026 ASHRAE Annual Conference, visit ashrae.org/2026Annual.