Bluegrass ASHRAE Sustainability Seminar and Keeneland Tailgate

Please join us on Friday, April 18th for the third annual Bluegrass ASHRAE Sustainability Seminar,

followed by a tailgate on The Hill at Keeneland!

Presentation and Speaker Details

Speaker: Dr. Davide Ziviani – Associate Professor, Ray W. Herrick Laboratories, Purdue University | Co-Director, Center for High Performance Buildings (CHPB)
Dr. Davide Ziviani, is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue and the Co-Director of the Center for High Performance Buildings (CHPB). Dr. Ziviani’s research activities focus on advanced heat pump and thermal management systems for different applications including buldings, space habitats, data centers, and military applications. Dr. Ziviani is actively involved with ASHRAE and the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR). Dr. Ziviani is an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer, CEC member, and received the ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Ziviani is Treasurer of of UNSC/IIR and is Commission Member B2 “Refrigerating Equipment” for the U.S. At Purdue, Dr. Ziviani is a member of the Military Programs Committee (MPC) that oversees all the ROTC educational activities.
Dr. Ziviani has been recognized for his academic excellence. He received the 2021-22 Teaching for Tomorrow Fellowship Award from Purdue University and was nominated to the list of “Outstanding Engineering Teachers” during Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2023 and 2024. Moreover, he is the recipient of the 2023 ASHRAE New Investigator Award and the 2023&2024 ACORN Seed for Success Award from Purdue (recognizing a research award greater or equal than $1M).

Topic: The role of flammable refrigerants (A2L/A2/A3) in heat pumps for residential and commercial buildings
The phase down of high-GWP refrigerants in the mid- and long-terms requires trade-offs between GWP and flammability. Efforts are being made to pursue natural refrigerants such as propane (R290) in residential applications (e.g., mini-split systems) especially in Europe and Asia, but in the U.S. there are still several barriers to be overcome to adopt mildly- and flammable-refrigerants. This lecture provides an overview of the state-of-the-art flammable refrigerant in heat pump applications for residential and commercial buildings, outlines current regulatory limitations and provides an outlook on research activities.

Speaker: Ronnie Moffitt PE, CEM – Lead HVAC Systems Development Engineer, Trane
Ronnie is currently a systems development engineer for Trane Commercial HVAC Americas. His primary focus is developing energy efficient systems that improve indoor environmental quality. With over 30 years of experience in the HVAC industry, his expertise includes dehumidification, air-to-air energy recovery, and dedicated outdoor air systems. The current HVAC system puzzle he is developing solutions for is how to best integrate hydronic heat pumps into the airside and distribution design. He has received Trane Technologies Master Inventor status and has over a dozen patents. Ronnie is actively involved in the HVAC industry and on the related AHRI and ASHRAE engineering committees. Over the years, he has led the development of multiple industry standards including ERVs and DOAS rating and testing standards, and is currently the chairman of the AHRI dehumidification STC.

Over his 29-year career at Trane, Ronnie led the development of many systems that improve the energy efficiency and performance of commercial HVAC systems including a winner of the R&D 100 Award for The Most Technologically Significant New Products of 2005. Some examples of ASHRAE publications that exemplify his passion to reduce the carbon foot print of buildings include the Zero Energy Advanced Energy Design Guide for Offices and ASHRAE Journal Technical Feature Article “When Fan Energy Can Be a Good Thing”. He is a licensed professional engineer, a Certified Energy Manager by the Association of Energy Engineers, and received his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Syracuse University.

Topic: Electrifying heat with hydronic heat pumps
This seminar explores the various considerations and requirements for building heating systems using hot water, focusing on the use of hydronic heat pumps for space heating. The optimal hot water temperatures for space heating, the origins of traditional hot water temperatures, and the necessary air temperatures for effective space heating will be reviewed. The seminar also addresses the balance between comfort and efficiency in heating systems, identifying temperature thresholds that may impact both. Additionally, what do the annual heating needs of buildings typically look like and what annual COP is needed to be sustainable. The seminar delves into the design changes required when transitioning from traditional boilers to hydronic heat pumps. The design of traditional multiple zone Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems and Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS) that utilize hydronic heat pumps will be reviewed.