The ASHRAE 2023 Winter Conference concluded in Atlanta, with a strong focus on building decarbonization strategies. The conference took place February 4-8, with more than 3,000 HVAC&R industry professionals in attendance. The AHR Expo occupied 487,000 net sq ft. of exhibit space at the Georgia World Congress Center and showcased the latest technologies and services in the HVAC&R industry.

The five-day conference featured more than 100 technical sessions, updates from Society leaders, tours and social events. The top three attended sessions were as follows:

• Seminar 15: The Evolution of Thermal Energy Storage for Cooling Applications: The Past, Current and Future
• Seminar 11: Optimizing Thermal Energy Storage Integrated with HVAC
• Seminar 25: Decarbonizing Campuses Utilizing Heat Pumps and Thermal Energy Storage

The AHR Expo featured a total of 1,779 exhibitors, including 425 international exhibitors. An estimated 40-45,000 people attended the Expo over the course of three days.

During the Winter Conference, 2022-23 ASHRAE President Farooq Mehboob provided updates related to the Society's current theme, "Securing Our Future."

"The challenge doesn't stop here," Mehboob said. "As an industry, we must remain focused and maintain our position of leadership and preparedness. Our success continues to be based on problem-solving, creativity, innovation, flexibility and a willingness to adapt. Our success stems from seeing an opportunity for improvement based on new knowledge and technology."

Mehboob's State of Society address manuscript and presentation can be found at ashrae.org/president.

The outstanding achievements of ASHRAE members were recognized during an honors and awards program. ASHRAE Executive Vice President and Secretary Jeff Littleton reported on the Society's current initiatives, including the recent release of building decarbonization resources.

"There is a growing demand for ASHRAE's technical guidance," Littleton said. "The ASHRAE Task Force for Building Decarbonization has been working tirelessly on a wide spectrum of decarb resources. We launched ASHRAE's new decarbonization online resource hub that will feature a wide spectrum of decarb tools and guidance. You can now download the new, free publication Building Performance Standards: A Technical Resource Guide produced in partnership with the Department of Energy and Pacific Northwest National Labs. We are building upon our 129-year legacy in today's perfect storm of demand, to make buildings better."

Building decarbonization resources and the BPS guide can be found at ashrae.org/decarb.

Closing the plenary session, leading expert on future trends, Peter Leyden, focused on technological revolutions in infotech, biotech and energy tech such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), genetic engineering and electric transportation.  

 ASHRAE Learning Institute (ALI) offered 20 courses. New courses were as follows:

• Introduction to Building Decarbonization
• Energy Management Best Practices
• V in HVAC – What, Why, Where, How, and How Much (Includes Basic Requirements of Standard 62.1-2019)
• Fundamentals of Decarbonization Design Systems and Equipment Applications
• Best Practices for Installing DDC Systems
• V in HVAC – Efficiently Improving IAQ using the Ventilation Rate Procedures (Using Advanced Options for Standard 62.1-2022)
• Smart HVAC Solutions for Climate Design

All registered attendees, both in-person and virtual, will have access to the virtual conference platform during the conference and 12 months post-conference.

The 2023 ASHRAE Annual Conference will take place June 24 – June 28 in Tampa, Florida. The 2024 Winter Conference will take place Jan. 20–24, and the AHR Expo, Jan. 22–24, in Chicago.