With more than five new tracks, 100 sessions and 400 speakers, the Technical Program at ASHRAE’s 2015 Winter Conference capitalizes on the wide range of systems, equipment and applications in the Chicago area to present several relevant and timely programs.

“With the Conference being held in the big city of Chicago, the Technical Program itself is going big with a focus on big projects, the big picture and big impacts with the intent of presenting big results for engineers, contractors, manufacturers and building professionals,” Doug Cochrane, Conference chair, said.

The Conference takes place Jan. 24-28, Palmer House Hilton, while the ASHRAE co-sponsored AHR Expo is held Jan. 26-28, McCormick Place. Complete Conference information and registration can be found atwww.ashrae.org/chicago, and Expo information at www.ahrexpo.com.

The Technical Program begins Sunday, Jan. 24, with special hour-long interactive sessions with audience participation, followed by a networking coffee break. It concludes Wednesday, Jan. 28.

The Technical Program offers over 200 Professional Development Hours, as well as Continuing Education Units, which can be applied toward a Professional Engineering license.

The Conference features papers and programs for eight tracks, which address trends in the industry and also are relevant to the design community in the area.

The tracks are:
    •    Systems and Equipment: The proper selection of HVAC&R for a job is critical. This track covers considerations for a proper functioning system.
    •    Fundamentals and Applications: Basic HVAC&R principles are key in any project. Knowing what they are helps to apply in specific projects. This track covers a broad array of pertinent information.
    •    New! Industrial Facilities: Manufacturing and processes can have different requirements for HVAC&R. This track explores design and practices for industrial buildings.
    •    New! Large Buildings: Mission Critical Facilities and Applications: Facilities like data centers have different characteristics. This track looks at what is required for these unique applications.
    •    Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency is on everyone’s mind as energy costs continue to rise. This track covers an array of considerations to help drive toward net zero energy.
    •    New! Life Safety: This encompasses egress, sprinklers, alarms, emergency lighting, smoke barriers and special hazard protection. This track provides the tools for all the factors to consider in life safety and lessons learned.
    •    New! Design of Energy and Water Efficient Systems: The trend is to green sustainable buildings. This track looks at what works and what doesn’t to attain these efficient systems.
    •    New! Hospital Design and Codes: Healthcare design takes into account some unique aspects. This track explores design and code requirements to ensure patient comfort.