The technical program consists of 49 seminars (application-oriented presentations without papers), 16 symposia (presentations with papers on a central subject), 28 open-discussion forums, two technical sessions (paper presentations), and a poster session. A total of 107 papers will be presented.

Janet Lynch, chairperson of ASHRAE’s Program Committee, says that contractors should definitely attend at least some of the technical programs because they will provide contractors the opportunity to network. The programs “also afford them exposure to new technologies and products, and provides information about relevant industry issues associated to quality of life.”

Public Session

ASHRAE will once again host a free public session. This year’s session, “Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution,” will be held Jan. 30 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center.

The session will ask: Can an economic system exist where businesses can better satisfy their customers’ needs, increase profits, and help solve environmental problems all at the same time?

Amory Lovins, co-author of Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution, will share his vision of future business at the free session, which is open to the public. “Lovins’ presentation is meant to educate and prompt ideas that motivate people to explore new options that will help them increase profits and gain a competitive edge,” says Lynch.

Exciting Technical Tours

Several technical tours will be offered. On Sunday Jan. 28, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Monday Jan. 29, 2:30-4:30 p.m., and Tuesday Jan. 30, 1:30-3:30 p.m., attendees can tour Philips Arena, a new state-of-the-art sports, concert, and public gathering arena. Constructed on the site of the old Omni Arena, Philips Arena is the home venue of the NHL Atlanta Thrashers, the NBA Atlanta Hawks, and a 21,000 seat concert and public events arena.

The tour will display the adaptability of the hvacr systems for the wide range of events scheduled daily in this arena. The refrigeration system forms and maintains an NHL hockey playing surface for nine months a year. The bowl temperature for hockey games is maintained at 62° to 64°F. The next day a basketball game could be held over the covered hockey ice, with a bowl temperature of 75°. The arena is directly across from the Georgia World Congress Center. The cost is $7 per person.

Another technical tour will be offered on Tuesday, Jan. 30 from 1:30 to 4:15 p.m. That tour will consist of the Warehouse and Distribution Center of Publix Supermarkets, Inc. Publix, based in Lakeland, FL, has a large, modern food production and distribution facility in Lawrenceville, GA. This facility is 1.2 million sq ft with 201 truck docks. The refrigeration system has 131,000 lb of ammonia, with a two-stage system for food production, food preservation, and hvac.

The refrigeration temperatures range from -40° to 115 in the sugar room. This large facility has an energy management system to optimize the energy consumption. The plant refrigeration system has three reciprocating compressors and 11 screw compressors. The refrigeration plant was designed for substantial future expansion. The tour will be led by operating personnel of the facility and will cost $15 per person.

With all the exciting programs and tours, as well as the Expo, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Lynch suggests that contractors start small and don’t overwhelm themselves by trying to attend every function.

“ASHRAE offers a busy pace to keep things moving and provide interesting topics for a diverse group of people. Plan to attend sessions that have the most interest to you, then consider attending a technical committee that many appeal to your interest as well. Technical committees are the breeding ground of new ideas and research that result in the technical programs for future meetings.”

For a list of ASHRAE Seminars and Forums, see page 24. For more information, contact ASHRAE at 800-527-4723 or www.ashrae.org (website).

Publication date: 01/15/2001