Another USGBC Big Meeting

Mr Jim Fields has worked a little magic to get Mr. Henry Green to come see us on Thursday, April 12.  Mr. Green is President of the National Institute of Building Sciences, and a dynamic speaker.  Jim heard him speak at the Winter ASHRAE meeting, and immediately went after him for a local visit.  When he agreed, Mr. Fields wanted to make sure that as many folks as possible would get the chance to hear Mr. Green, and we planned another big joint meeting with USGBC and others.  It will be set-up like a regular ASHRAE meeting with supper and open bar, and all registration goes through our website.  Please make sure you sign-up ASAP, because we have limited seating, and it could fill up.

Lets have a big showing for Mr. Green, and not let USGBC show us up with numbers.  It should be an informative night.

Fellowship Opportunity

ASHRAE is officering a DOE fellowship for a qualified person to spend 12 months working in Washington with the DOE ($74,872 stipend) for code deployment in one of the following activities:  1-Code Compliance, 2-Residential Duct Testing, 3-Impact of Updating State Energy Codes, or 4-Advanced Energy Code Training.  For details, please emailDoug Read at  dread@ashrae.org.

PE Review Course

I got the following letter for a PE review course associated with NCSU.  For those interested:  

I’m cranking up to get folks signed up for the Summer 2012 course.  It will start the week of May 7^th, and run for 20 weeks, all online.  I have attached a schedule.  The cost can be distributed over the course by purchasing separate modules (totally $1,000), or purchase the entire set at a discount ($950).

I would appreciate you letting the members of your chapter know about this opportunity.  Those interested can contact me by email, or phone. They can also visit my website www.drtomsclassroom.com for more information.

Tom Brown 919-210-7666

Next Years Officers

North Piedmont is still in need of volunteers for next years Chairs and Officers.  We have had a little bad luck this year, with two folks in line to be president taking jobs out-of-town, and leaving us with holes in the lineup.  If you have considered helping, NOW would be a great time to speak up.  Please let me know if you are interested.  I would also mention that we don't expect 40 hours of ASHRAE work every week, in addition to your regular job.  There is definitely work involved, but the demands are not over-whelming.  We will take what you can give.  Thank you for your support.

ASHRAE Society President Visit to Greensboro (May 15-17) !!!

I had actually written down my regrets for not getting a presidentical visit this year, but had to revise the newsletter when Tom Phoenix called to say Mr. Ron Jarnigan would pay us a visit May 15-17.  At this point, we have not tied down all the details, but preliminary plans include an extra meeting (Wed night or Thur morning), and having Mr. Jarnigan play golf with us.  Expect an email soon with official annoucements. 

Events in the history of the air conditiong industry

By Morgan Jones – North Piedmont Chapter Historian

In the 1830s, Dr. John Gorrie (Florida) creating an ice-making machine that essentially blew air over a bucket of ice for cooling hospital rooms of patients suffering from malaria and yellow fever.

In 1881, when President James Garfield was dying, naval engineers constructed a box-like structure containing cloths saturated with melted ice water, where a fan blew hot air overhead. This contraption was able to lower a room by 20 degrees Fahrenheit but consumed half a million pounds of ice in two months' time.

 In 1902 engineer Willis Carrier designed the "Apparatus for Treating Air". Chilled coils were used in the machine to cool air and lower humidity to 55%.

In 1914 an ammonia coolant home air conditioner was installed in the Minneapolis home of Charles Gates.  

In 1922, Carrier replaced the ammonia with the benign coolant Dielene and added a central compressor.

In 1928 the United States House of Representatives had air conditioners installed.

In 1953 window units air conditioners appeared.

Source: Jones Jr., Malcolm. "Air Conditioning". Newsweek. Winter 1997 v130 n24-A p42(2).

April 12 (Thursday) 5:30 pm to 8:30pm

April Meeting with National Institute of Bldg Sciences President:  Mr. Henry Green

April 20-21

CRC Planning Meeting in Columbia, SC

May 15-17

AHSRAE Society President Visit--details to follow.

May 17 (Thursday) Noon Start

Spring Golf Outing at Salem Glen in Clemmons, NC

ASHRAE is always looking for new and better ways to spread the importance of being a member, especially if you work in the Heating Refrigeration and AC industry. For those of you reading this article, I do not need to tell you why it is important (and necessary) for you to be members of ASHRAE. But you can help us recruit new members and spread the word of ASHRAE!

I would like to encourage you to encourage others you encounter within the office and within our industry to become a member. Please direct those interested to the ASHRAE website. Joining is fast and easy.

Have you ever wondered what ASHRAE Officers do at the ASHRAE Winter & Annual Conferences? Here is your chance to find out! Through Leadership U (offered by the YEA Institute), a handful of YEA members are selected for each conference to be matched up with Society officers and participate in all of their events and board meetings, including social activities. Leadership U not only allows you to experience a conference like an officer, but it is also a great opportunity to network and form connections with those active in ASHRAE.

If selected to participate in Leadership U, the costs of attending the Conference (transportation, lodging and registration) will be covered by ASHRAE. In addition, those selected will document their experiences and share them with the YEA Committee, their chapter and their region.

Submit your application today! All applications must be received by the close of business April 16, 2012. To learn more about this opportunity or if you have any questions, visit www.ashrae.org/yea.

ASHRAE’s Chapter Technology Transfer Committee will feature “Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems– A Path to Balancing Energy and IEQ” in its eighth annual webcast program on April 19, 2012. While conventional HVAC systems mix fresh outdoor air with the return air in one unit, Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems use standard equipment to condition fresh air separately before it enters the building. The free webcast program will broadcast live on the Internet from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT. Corporate program sponsors include Valent Air Management Systems, Rotor Source, Inc., Engineered Air, Munters, and Heat Pipe Technology.

Online registration for the webcast begins March 19, 2012. For more information on the webcast program, continuing education credits, and ASHRAE Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems resources, visit www.ashrae.org/doaswebcast.  If you have questions about the webcast, call 678-539-1200 or email ashrae-webcast@ashrae.org.