March Newsletter
Here’s the latest ASHRAE STL Thermos newsletter! We endeavor to bring you the latest chapter news, event updates, industry news, and other awesome information. Got ideas for how to make it better? Let us know by emailing ashraestl@gmail.com. Enjoy!
Letter from the President
Spring is just around the corner. The ASHRAE St. Louis Chapter has the March 9th Tour Night, a Technology Award Night April 13th, and a Golf Outing May 18th, which will end the 2014-2015 programs. The 2015 Spring Region VI, Chapter Regional Conference, hosted by the Mississippi Valley Chapter, www.mississippivalleyashrae.org, is scheduled for April 30th to May 2nd at the Isle of Capri Casino / Conference Center, Bettendorf, IA. Mark your calendars and make plans to visit the “Quad Cities,” in Iowa.
Scholarship recipient, Scott Tucci, an undergraduate architectural engineering student at Missouri University of Science and Technology, was selected by the ASHRAE Scholarship Trustees at the Society’s 2015 Winter Conference to receive a one-year $5,000 General Scholarship for the 2015-2016 academic year. For additional information about this and other Society scholarships, please visit www.ashrae.org/scholarships.
The annual election of officers for the ASHRAE-Stl 2015-2016 season is due April 6th. The current board members will most likely advance to the next position in support of the Board of Governors for the ASHRAE St. Louis Chapter. Dan Mareschal, of Burns and McDonnell, has been nominated, and accepted the nomination, for the position of Attendance and Reception. Please watch for the upcoming letter ballot to cast your vote.
Bob Jones, President – ASHRAE-STL
Engineer III – Parker Hannifin Corp, Sporlan Division
Technology Awards Coming Up – Submit Your Project Today!
Every year ASHRAE asks its members to submit projects for the annual ASHRAE St. Louis Chapter Technology Awards. These awards are intended to acknowledge and showcase innovative designs which incorporate ASHRAE standards for effective energy management, indoor air quality, and good mechanical design. Projects eligible for this award can fall into several different categories for both new and existing buildings including: Commercial Buildings, Institutional Buildings, Healthcare Facilities, Industrial & Process Facilities, Public Assembly, or Residential Facilities. This year, retro-commissioning projects will have their own designation within the categories listed. There can be multiple winners in each category!
The submission deadline is March 6th, 2015. If you have any projects you think may qualify, just follow the instructions on the simple 2 page form and send it to Chad Adler, CTTC Chairman, at chad.b.adler@jci.com.
The Technology Awards are a great way to recognize both your client’s and your own dedication to green design. Both the engineer of record and the client will receive plaques recognizing them for their efforts. The plaques will be awarded at the Spring awards program where the engineer and client will also receive complimentary meals. The award winners will have the opportunity to present their projects at the awards program.
If you have any questions or have projects you would like to nominate, please contact Chad Adler at 314.812.4537.
Register for the March Tour Night!
Design Team Dinner Presentation
Ross & Baruzzini served as the MEP engineer of record for this project. A design team representative will provide a project overview highlighting technical aspects of this multi-tenant housing facility. The discussion will also discuss challenges associated with energy efficient design and lessons learned.
Facility Tour
The facility tour will include several stops. The walking tour will include the review of the central utility plant, a typical 3-bedroom unit, live building automation system (BAS) demonstrations, and a green roof with grey-water collection. The tour will continue to the rooftop (weather permitting) providing perspective on the use of solar panels and heat pipe solar collectors.
Design Team Dinner Presentation Speaker:
Jeff Crawford – Vice President Higher Education and Research, Ross & Baruzzini
Tour Presenters:
Brian Talbot – Project Manager, Johnson Controls
Ron Hubbard – Sales Engineer, Behrmann Company
Mike Todd – Sales Engineer, Behrmann Company
Jack Waterbury – Mechanical Engineer, Ross & Baruzzini
January Meeting All About Refrigeration
The “R in ASHRAE” topics for January were focused on refrigeration. The technical session covered Commercial Refrigeration Efficiency Regulations, presented by Tim Anderson, Principal Engineer at Hussman Corporation. The main session covered Direct-Expansion Regulations, presented by John Withouse, Senior Principal Engineer at Sporlan Division of Parker Hannifin. Thank you to our speakers!
February Meeting Covers Life Safety
The February technical session, presented by Stephen Duda, Senior Mechanical Engineer at Ross & Baruzzini, covered different types of fire-rated construction and how this affects the fire and smoke damper application requirements. Stephen is an ASHRAE Fellow, is an active member of multiple ASHRAE technical committees, holds three ASHRAE certifications, is the author of five ASHRAE Conference papers, and is a recurring columnist for the ASHRAE Journal “Engineer’s Notebook” series.
The main session, presented by Peter McDonnell, Senior Mechanical Engineer and Principal at McClure Engineering, covered the applications and requirements of fire and smoke dampers and the interface between these and the fire alarm and building controls systems. Peter is currently Vice-Chairman of ASHRAE Technical Committee TC 5.6 – Fire and Smoke and voting member of TC 9.4 – Justice Facilities. He has also lectured at the ASHRAE Ozarks Chapter on Energy & Green Design Practices.
Board Member Highlight: Chris Swallow
Company and Position: Thermal Mechanics – Engineering Consultant
ASHRAE Board Position: Secretary/Treasurer
- What does your company do/provide? Manufacturer’s Representative for HVAC equipmentHow long have you worked for them? How long have you worked in this industry? 3 years…in the industry for 6.5 years. Prior to that, I spent 4 years with the Boeing Company as an R&D engineer.
- What is your main job function? What are you responsible for? My main responsibility is to assist consulting engineers in selecting mechanical systems and equipment for their customer.
- What’s your favorite thing about working in this industry? I enjoy all the different people I get to work with. It’s great to work with everyone that goes into making a facility come together…from the consulting engineer down to the pipe fitter installing the job.
- What advice would you give someone just graduating college and starting in the HVAC world? Be confident in your abilities; however, know that sometimes it is better to have an open mind and a closed mouth. There are a lot of people in this industry with a ton of knowledge and experience that they are willing to share. Something may seem great on paper, but their experience will tell you otherwise…so listen. The other thing I would say is that everyone makes mistakes. The best thing you can do is admit your mistake, learn from it, and never make the same mistake twice.
- Name one person who has been a mentor or an inspiration to you in your life. I had a professor / advisor at Rolla, Dr. Chris Ramsay, whom has always been inspiration to me – not only as a professional but as a person, father, and friend.
- What’s your favorite type of music or favorite band? I am a fan of country music…preferably 80s and 90s country. I suppose that is what I grew up listening in the car with mom and dad…and well, it just kind of stuck. That being said, now that I have two young daughters I spend more time listening to “Let It Go” and “Shake it off” than I would probably like to…but they enjoy it and that’s what matters
- What’s your favorite thing to do for fun? My daughters are 4 and 1 so most of my free time is spent with them. My wife and I try to get them outside as much as possible…so we spend a lot of time at parks. If I actually have free time away from the family I usually spend it fishing or just hiking through the woods somewhere. I really enjoy the outdoors and spend time a family cabin in southern Missouri that my Great Grandfather built in the 40’s. Minus 35 amps of electrical service there are no other modern conveniences and it is extremely relaxing. Perhaps the best part is that cell service is spotty at best at the cabin!!
- When you retire and have a lot more time on your hands, what will you do? I have no idea…that is a long way off….but I would imagine that I will spend a lot more time fishing and a lot less time thinking!!
Save the Date! Region VI 2015 CRC
The Region VI 2015 CRC will be April 30th through May 2nd. It will be held at the Isle of Capri Casino and Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, Iowa. The theme for the conference will be “Total Energy Efficiency – Supply & Demand Economy.”
Topics will include:
Sustainability – Walk through History
Supply Side Energy Production (Environmental Regulations in Power Generation)
Demand Side Energy Consumption (Energy Consumption in Buildings)
Wind Energy in Iowa & Economies of Wind Energy
Energy Modeling vs. Verification (Imagined vs. Real)
There will also be a presentation by Tom Watson, Past President of ASHRAE, entitled “Where have we been? Where are we going? Carrying the torch forward!”
Welcome Party: Enjoy a leisurely three hour cruise on the Mississippi River aboard the Queen of Hearts, a three deck 400 passenger excursion boat. Following dinner aboard the Queen of Hearts, enjoy some of our local entertainment or watch the ever changing scenery from the outdoor observation area on the third deck.
Registration opens on March 9, 2015.
Membership Giveaway Results
Congratulations to the following people on receiving a free year-long membership from the chapter!
- Alyssa Packard
- Andrew Grosman
- Erin Black
- Aaron Schweiss
- Brian Gifford
See you at the next meeting!
Welcome to New Members!
The following people have recently joined ASHRAE-St. Louis. Be sure to introduce yourself at the next meeting!
Gregory Bierling – FACO, LLC
Erin Black – William Tao & Associates
Paul Cefaratti
Brandon Churchill
Matt Costantinou – TME, LLC
James Eyre
Brian Gifford – United Excel Design
Andrew Grosman – Rockhill Mechanical
Scott Hoffman – Kuhlmann Design Group
Josh Jost
Michael Kunstel – Automatic Controls
Ben Lucido – Trane
Ian Mchale
Alyssa Packard – Bric Partnership
Jeremiah Patrick – Timberlake Engineering
Aaron Schweiss – Langendorf Supply
Sarah Scolari
Dhaval Shah – Dynamic Controls
Radhiia Shah – Philadelphia University
John Shepherd – Arizon Companies
Rolla Starkey
Kevin Taylor – Bry-Air, Inc.
Young Engineers in ASHRAE
If you’re an ASHRAE member under the age of 35, check out the Young Engineers of ASHRAE (YEA) group. The YEA group meets monthly for happy hours and other events. It’s a great way to meet new people and get to know your fellow members. YEA members receive e-mails about the upcoming events so keep an eye out for the next one. If you’re not receiving these e-mails and would like to, please contact Chad Adler at 314-812-4537 or send an e-mail to stlouisyea@gmail.com.
Research Promotion Update
Ashrae RP fundraising is making good progress! Please expect to be contacted by the RP committee (Dan Krack, Dan Mareschal and Tony Lee) in the upcoming weeks. The St Louis Chapter has a goal of $26,000 for the 2014-2015 fund raising campaign. We are currently at $11,000+ so we need your help!
Please consider giving at the following Levels:
Golden Circle $10,000 to $19,999
Ashrae Partner $5,000 to $9,999
Ashrae Associate $2,500 to $4,999
Silver $1,000 to $2,499
Bronze $500 to $999
Antique $250 to $499
Many thanks to the Emerson Charitable Fund for their $5,000 donation!!
Please join the current donors who have already donated at least $100:
Kirk Mescher
Robert Glunt
Dan Krack
Gary Ault
Robert Jones
Jessica Mangler
St Louis Ashrae
Chris Swallow
Jim Rostick
Grant Irvine
William Kalin, PE
John Danuser
Tim Roberts
Jeff Gross
Dynamic Controls
Thomas Strickland
Keith Morehead
Richard Vestal
Chuck Dale Dierks
Robert Banashek
Jordan Heiman
Emerson Charitable fund
Past President Paul Kunz
It is with great sadness that it be announced that Paul Kunz passed away on January 12, 2015. Visitation was held at Bopp Chapel on January 16 in St. Louis. A native St. Louisan, Paul attended Holy Cross Lutheran Grade School and Roosevelt High School and graduated from Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Paul spent his entire post-graduate career at Laclede Gas Company, retiring as manager in sales engineering at age 70. Paul was a committed leader in Concordia Luther Church missions, the Lutheran Camp Association, and Luther Family and Children’s Services. He served as president of ASHRAE-STL in 1990-1991 and received ASHRAE’s Hermann F. Spoehrer Memorial Award for outstanding service to ASHRAE and the community.
Industry News
5th Illinois Geothermal Conference to be held March 11-13
The IL Geothermal Conference kicks off on Wednesday, March 11 with a great service tech seminar on Emerson Copeland Scroll compressor diagnostics/troubleshooting and refrigerant controls. There will also be a review of overall system operations. Brad Hess and John Haug of Emerson will lead this training. Emerson tip cards will be provided to all participants. More information here.
Largest Solar Farm on US Public Property Comes Online
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Director of the Bureau of Land Management Neil Kornze joined in February with the state of California and industry leaders to “flip the switch” on the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, the nation’s largest solar project on public lands that is now delivering clean, renewable energy to American Consumers. Read more here.
Research Project Attempting to Develop Universal Algorithms for HVAC Energy Efficiency
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is collaborating with Johnson Controls to create algorithms to help make more efficient heating, ventilating and air-conditioning control systems for large commercial buildings, according to a university release. Optimization algorithms will be applied to data collected through HVAC systems at various sites, including the Johnson Controls building in Milwaukee. University researchers will use forecasts to make real-time adjustments to heating and control systems. Read more here.
