President's Corner

Efforts of the Society, its members, and its bodies shall be directed at all times to enhancing the public health, safety and welfare.” – ASHRAE Code of Ethics 1.140.001.1.A https://www.ashrae.org/about/governance/code-of-ethics

Dear Members and Friends, 

I am very excited to start off our ASHRAE year with our first chapter meeting on October 15th!  I’m hoping to meet each and every one of our members over the course of the year, so don’t hesitate to find me and say hi.  I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

“What position does the ghost play in soccer?” There is a secret reward for the first person who can tell me the answer at the meeting

Our first membership chapter meeting of this society year will be on Tuesday, October 15th from 11:30 AM -1:00 PM, where Bill Bahnfleth will speak about Integrating Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency in Buildings.  This meeting and all following meetings will be held at MadTree Brewing in Oakley.  Reminder that the December and April meetings will be evening/happy hour meetings.  Our currently schedules dates, times, and speakers can be found on the "Events" page of the website.

October Chapter Meeting Details

• Date/Time: Tuesday, 10/15 – 11:30am-1:00pm

• Speaker:  William P. Bahnfleth, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow/Presidential Member ASHRAE

• Topic:  Integrating Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency in Buildings

• Location: 3301 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209

Buildings are one of the largest energy end use sectors in countries around the globe. Concerns for the availability of energy supplies and the impact of energy use on the environment are driving a worldwide focus on energy end use reduction. In this push for dramatic changes in the energy use intensity of the building sector, it is essential that the fundamental importance of indoor environmental quality, particularly indoor air quality, not be lost. This presentation addresses: 1) the significance of indoor air quality in terms of its impact on health and productivity and associated costs; 2) the inseparable linkage between indoor air quality and building energy demands, including examples of efficient technologies for maintaining good indoor air quality; and 3) the need for an approach to building research, design, and operation that recognizes this connection.

William Bahnfleth is a professor in the Department of Architectural Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University—University Park, PA. He holds a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and is a registered professional engineer. He is a Fellow of ASHRAE, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the International Society for Indoor Air Quality and Climate. Dr. Bahnfleth is the author or co-author of more than 170 journal articles and 14 books/book chapters. He has served ASHRAE in a variety of capacities, including Student Branch Advisor, Chapter Governor, Technical Committee and Standing Committee Chair, Director-at-Large, Vice President, Treasurer, and 2013-14 Society President. He is the chair of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force. His ASHRAE awards include the Exceptional Service Award, the Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award, the E.K. Campbell Award of Merit for teaching, and the F. Paul Anderson Award, ASHRAE’s highest individual award.

Open Roles

Research Promotion Committee Chairperson

The Research Promotion Committee manages and supports both the Society-level fundraising and Chapter-level fundraising of the RP Campaign. Traditionally supporting just research, the RP Campaign was expanded 10 years ago to include support of Education & ALI, Endowed Research through ASHRAE Foundation, YEA programs, ASHRAE Scholarships, and the General/Unrestricted fund. Research, the backbone of ASHRAE, remains the primary fund of the program with over $2 million raised for this program annually.

Please let us know if you’re interested in joining our board. We are always looking for volunteers to serve on various committees.

Decarbonization Challenge

Cincinnati 2023-2024 Grant Awardees Update

Much has happened since our April update on the progress of the Cincinnati winners of the Decarbonization Challenge grant.  Local members Jessica Burke, Quinn Graessle, Paige Fischer, Joe Tornes, and Amanda Webb completed their initial research and testing of a pew heater technology at Vineyard Central in Norwood.  Although occupant comfort surveys showed that the heating system left much to be desired, the use of the system resulted in an 81% energy savings compared to the existing central heating system in the church.  The team is confident that further refining pew heater system designs can lead to an increase of viability in the United States, and a significant impact on the carbon footprint of houses of worship.  Quinn spoke on a panel at the 2024 ASHRAE Annual Conference with other awardees of the decarbonization grant.  Finally, the group will have a technical paper and presentation at the coming Winter Conference.  If you plan on being in Orlando, then keep an eye out for “Decarbonizing Historic Houses of Worship through Localized Pew Heating”!

Decarbonization Challenge Applications

ASHRAE has renewed their Decarbonization Challenge Fund for 2024-2025.  The intent of the program is to receive, review, award, and implement decarbonization projects within a single society year.  The previous section of our newsletter detailed the progress of one of last year’s grant winners.  We highly encourage any local engineers or students who are interested in conducting research or tackling a decarbonization initiative with society funding to apply for a grant.  The link to the Decarbonization Challenge is below.  Reach out to any of our board members if you need support for your application.

https://www.ashrae.org/about/yea-decarb-initiative