ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 6

INDUSTRY NEWS

DOE Releases Study Highlighting Untapped
Potential of Geothermal Energy in the U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C.-A new U.S. Department of Energy report details how
combining accelerated geothermal development time lines and
technology improvements could
increase electric geothermal generation capacity by more than 26-fold
by 2050. If geothermal capacity is
combined with faster development
time lines with technology improvements, capacity could increase to
60 GW by 2050. The analysis shows
how geothermal can enhance heat-

NIST Identifies LowGWP, Alternative
Refrigerant Blends
GAITHERSBURG, MD.-New NIST research
finds more than a dozen chemical
blends that could serve as alternative refrigerants that will not heat
the atmosphere or catch fire. The
NIST study identified the 22 "best"
nonflammable or marginally flammable blends with lower global
warming potential (GWP). The
analysis was conducted for the U.S.
military, but the results also ap-

GREENWICH, CONN.-

Electricity generated by geothermal plants could
increase significantly in coming years.

ing and cooling solutions for American residential and commercial
consumers through direct-use and
heat-pump technologies.
ply to air-conditioning systems for
homes and cars. The study identified 14 nonflammable blends that
offer GWP reductions of as much as
51% compared to R-134a. Eight more
blends were marginally flammable
with GWP reductions of as much as
99%. The study was a follow-up to
a 2017 NIST study, which found all
single-component, climate-friendly
refrigerants were mildly flammable.
The newer study revealed several
trends, including a general trend of
efficiency increases in tandem with
GWP and flammability.

INDUSTRY IN BRIEF
to a comfortable temperature as the
ambient temperature changes.

Patch Increases Thermal Comfort,
Decreases Energy Use
SAN DIEGO-One device could increase

occupant thermal comfort while
helping to save energy on air conditioning and heating. Engineers at the
University of California San Diego
developed a wearable patch that provides personalized cooling and heating and helps people feel comfortable
in a wider range of temperatures. The
patch cools or warms a user's skin

ASHRAE JOURNAL

ashrae.org

Dynamo Behind
AHR Expo Leaves
Legacy of Success

DOE Small Business Program
Announces Buildings-Focused Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Integrating a high-

efficiency blower with a compact,
low-pressure drop heat exchanger
that uses an air-side porous fin
could improve an AHU's heat transfer by 43%. This project is one of 12
the Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy will fund.

J U LY 2 0 19

The driving
force behind the
International
Exposition
Company (IEC),
Remembering
which manCharles Henry
ages the AHR
(Hank) Stevens
Expo, has died.
Charles Henry (Hank) Stevens,
born Oct. 6, 1932, died May 26.
Stevens worked at IEC from
1957-2019 and was a dynamic
force behind AHR Expo, which
is co-sponsored by ASHRAE
and AHRI, becoming one of the
world's largest trade shows.
When Stevens joined IEC in
1957, his first AHR Expo was in
Chicago and was 171,375 ft2 (15
921 m2) of exhibit space. Over
the years and under his leadership as president and CEO,
AHR Expo has grown to be consistently more than 500,000 ft2
(46 451 m2). IEC also manages
the Chem Show and the AHR
Expo-Mexico. One of his sons,
Jeff Stevens, the president of
IEC, called his father a kind
and fair businessman who
prided himself on his close
relationships with exhibitors.
"Hank made sure personal
attention was given to each
exhibitor, both large and small,
and this is a trait he instilled
in his family and employees.
This is one of the main reasons
why IEC remains so successful
today," Jeff Stevens said.

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ASHRAE Journal - July 2019

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