1. Art Giesler Vice-Chair RAC
RAC UPDATE St. Louis
Art Giesler Vice-Chair RAC

2. Vision and Strategic Plan
ASHRAE RESEARCH VISION: ASHRAE conducts timely research to remain the foremost international source of technical and educational information, standards, and guides on the interaction between people and the indoor and outdoor environment through the operation of HVAC&R systems in buildings and other applications.
ASHRAE RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN ( ) addresses technical challenges that limit our ability to maximize building performance, energy efficiency, and indoor environmental quality, while minimizing our impact on the environment.

3. Charge from Tech Council
RAC to look into more Applied Research
When RAC has “excess” qualified research projects these should be presented for evaluation to Tech Council for endorsement to request Research reserve funds.
Evaluate the concept of allocating Research funds for post project processing that will produce tools, presentations, etc. that add value to the membership and society (not just ASHRAE Society but society in alignment with our Mission).
Could be a second bid package for the post “data” research project to perform “applied” research to make the tool
Could be a line item budget for the hiring of outside services to “finish” the holistic research project not just the Work Plan scope.

4. Updates
Presidential AdHoc Impact of ASHRAE Research on society – MTG formed Dan Pettway Chair
URP, NIA and GIA changes will be posted after St Louis
Updated Research Manual will be posted after St Louis – New milestones for PMS and other changes
Training material is being reviewed for publishing on the ASHRAE website
RAC will place emphasis on PMS training (chairs and committee) with new milestones
Research Database on line electronically – about 250 projects currently on line with more to follow

5. A2L Flammable Refrigerants Research Initiative
Part of global effort to phase down use of high global warming potential refrigerants
$5.2 million initiative by ASHRAE, AHRI and U.S. Department of Energy
Results to be used in Standards 15 and 34

6. Flammable Refrigerant Research
ASHRAE Project: Flammable Refrigerants Post-ignition Risk Assessment
- Deflagration model improvement, calibration and validation
- Simulation to cover existing risk assessment scenarios:
Residential heat pumps
Rooftop units
Chillers
Commercial refrigeration
- Update the existing risk assessment with adding the event severity to the overall risk (probability x severity)
Summer 2017:
draft ASHRAE 15 completed for PPR
End of 2017:
publication of the updated ASHRAE 15 including 2L refrigerants
Jan 2018:
2021 IMC: change proposals are due
AHRTI
& ASHRAE Research to support the 15 revision

7. Honors and Awards Service to ASHRAE Research – Sept 1st
Homer Addams Award – This annual award of $5000 and a certificate to a current or former graduate student who has been engaged in an ASHRAE research project within the past two years. The requirement for the award is the publication of an ASHRAE Transactions or HVAC&R Research paper that was published within the past two ASHRAE Society years (July 1 to June 30) and that were deliverables from ASHRAE sponsored research projects. Award Nominations due by December 15th each year.
New Investigators Award –Dec 1st
Grant-in Aid –Mar 1st

8. RTAR – WS - Voting
9 RTAR’s considered by RAC – 1 accepted, 4 conditionally accepted with comments, 4 rejected
10 Work Statements considered by RAC - 6 were conditionally accepted, 4 returned.
Conditionally Accepted – Provide a cover letter of how the conditionally accepted comments were addressed.
Co-Sponsoring TC’s, etc. – All co-sponsoring TC’s should be providing input to the RTAR and WS development.
Abstentions and Negative Votes – provide reasons for abstentions and negative votes.

9. Keeping Out of Trouble
It is your responsibility to know what can and can’t be done (see the governing documents) – and to convey the same to your PES/PMS chairs and the TC. Please call on your liaison for direction.

10. QUESTIONS