July 3, 2023 – Tampa, Florida: ASHRAE, the leading organization in the HVACR industry, successfully concluded its highly anticipated annual conference on June 28th. The event brought together distinguished professionals, industry leaders, and researchers to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and explore the latest advancements in HVACR technology.

Over 2,050 HVACR industry professionals attended the five-day conference, which served as a platform for ASHRAE to announce its president, officers, and directors for the upcoming Society Year 2023-24.

Stepping into the role of ASHRAE President for 2023-24 is Ginger Scoggins, P.E., an esteemed ASHRAE fellow. In her inaugural address, Scoggins highlighted the global climate change-related migration over the past five decades. She emphasized ASHRAE’s commitment to providing resources and thought leadership in building decarbonization. Scoggins mentioned the integration of a carbon-reduction focus across ASHRAE committees, councils, and leadership, and called on the industry to join their efforts in addressing this critical issue.

One of the major announcements during the conference was the approval of ASHRAE Standard 241, Control of Infectious Aerosols. This highly anticipated pathogen mitigation standard marks a significant milestone in reducing the risk of infectious disease transmission within buildings. ASHRAE has hailed Standard 241 as a groundbreaking achievement and it is now available for presale.

ASHRAE also took the opportunity to honor Dr. Ashish Jha, former White House COVID-19 response coordinator, with a special Presidential Certificate of Honor during the President’s Luncheon. Dr. Jha’s advocacy during the pandemic led to crucial initiatives such as the release of the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan and the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge. In his acceptance speech, Dr. Jha praised ASHRAE for the development of Standard 241, recognizing its significance in improving indoor air quality and controlling the spread of infectious diseases.

During the conference’s plenary session, Jeff Littleton, executive vice president and secretary of ASHRAE, provided an update on the society’s ongoing initiatives. Outgoing president Farooq Mehboob reflected on his presidency, highlighting the accomplishments achieved through the 2022-23 society theme, “Securing Our Future.”

In addition to the noteworthy announcements and speeches, the conference comprised 90 sessions covering various topics, including energy-efficient design strategies, renewable technologies, and building decarbonization. Notably, the ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Update emerged as the top technical session.

The ASHRAE Learning Institute (ALI) offered 10 courses during the conference, with a focus on improving indoor air quality using ventilation rate procedures and designing net-zero buildings based on ASHRAE guidelines.

ASHRAE has set the stage for its next major event, the 2024 ASHRAE winter conference, which will be held in conjunction with the 2024 AHR Expo in Chicago from January 20th to 24th, 2024.

For more information about ASHRAE and its initiatives, please visit www.ashrae.org.

About ASHRAE: ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its members focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration, and sustainability. Through research, standards writing, publishing, certification, and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today.