Ottawa Valley Chapter
Founded in 1894, ASHRAE is an international organization of 55,000 members worldwide, active in 132 countries with 176 local chapters. Its sole objective is to advance, through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education, the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.
The Ottawa Valley Chapter, established in 1952, supports roughly 500 local ASHRAE members, of which approximately 200 are chapter members. The membership is comprised of a diverse group of men and women from the various fields in the HVAC and refrigeration, and construction industries. These include consulting engineers, contractors, developers, facility managers, federal, provincial and municipal government, manufacturers, researchers, sales organizations, students, university and college faculty.
A Career Fair on March 19, designed with students in mind, attracted about 50 students who toured the booths set up by 12 local firms. Most of these students would be nearing the end of their studies so this presented an opportunity for them to chat with prospective employers.
Also in March, members heard a presentation by ASHRAE Society president- elect Bill Bahnfleth about ‘Thermal Storage in the era of Sustainability.’ Dr. Bahnfleth is a teacher of undergraduate HVAC courses and his research covers a variety of indoor environmental control topics. Discussion at this presentation included the use of ice storage systems to aid in the cooling of structures.
To become a member of ASHRAE, whose headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia, one must first join at the society level. The benefit is membership in a vibrant society offering great value to mechanical engineering through the continuous production of relevant standards covering areas like sustainability, air quality, and energy efficiency. Society members are encouraged to join at the chapter level as well. Local meetings are open to members and guests.
Information about the group, along with details about upcoming chapter meetings and events is available at www.ashrae.ottawa.on.ca. Information about AHRAE is available at www.ashrae.org.
