ASHRAE Standard 183P, Methods and Procedures for Performing Peak Heating and Cooling Load Calculations in Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is open for public comment. It opened for comment on May 6.
Standard 183P does not dictate a particular method or program but does establish a minimum level of care that would apply to any method, Wilkins said. The standard draws information from the ASHRAE’s handbook and publications and assigned criteria is based on accepted practices for determining peak loads.
ASHRAE Standard 183P primarily addresses methods for determining the peak cooling load, both manual and otherwise. It requires that calculations for cooling load be performed for appropriate months and times of the day and sets criteria for the use of weather data, external heat gains from fenestration, opaque building envelope and infiltration, and internal heat gains.
The goal of the standard is establish the criteria of an appropriate calculation process that will result in an accurate estimate of the air-conditioning and heating load in a building, Wilkins said. This load is ultimately the basis of the selection and sizing of the systems and equipment that are required to accomplish inherent psychrometric processes, such as conditioning for outside air, reheat, dehumidification and humidification.
Wilkins said the standard will have a significant impact on ASHRAE members and the HVAC industry as a whole.
He noted that the membership on the committee includes design engineers, manufacturers, academia, energy efficiency experts, code enforcement engineers, and representatives from other societies.
For more information, go to www.ashrae.org.
