ASHRAEs

ASHRAE, officially the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, is a global professional association focused on the advancement of the building systems industry. It serves engineers, architects, scientists and facility managers through standards development, education, publications and technical resources. The organization is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and maintains a worldwide membership. The acronym is sometimes used in the plural as ASHRAEs to refer to its members collectively.

ASHRAE originated in 1894 as the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers. It broadened its scope to include refrigeration and air-conditioning, adopting the current acronym ASHRAE in 1959. Over time it expanded internationally and now operates chapters and activities across many countries. The society focuses on improving indoor environmental quality and energy efficiency in buildings.

ASHRAE develops widely adopted standards for ventilation, energy efficiency and equipment performance. Notable standards include Standard 62.1 on ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality, Standard 90.1 on energy efficiency in buildings, Standard 170 for healthcare ventilation, and ASHRAE 189.1 for sustainable buildings. The society also publishes the ASHRAE Handbook, a multi-volume reference updated with each edition, covering fundamentals, refrigeration, and HVAC design, applications, systems and equipment, and related topics. Publications include the ASHRAE Journal and Transactions.

ASHRAE supports education and professional development through courses, webinars and the ASHRAE Learning Institute. It hosts the annual AHR Expo and ASHRAE Annual Conference, where researchers and practitioners present papers and standards committees meet. With more than 50,000 members and a network of technical committees, chapters and sections, ASHRAE influences codes, standards and best practices in the built environment.