ASHRAE Journal - April 2020 - 4

COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY

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DIRECTOR OF ASHRAE PUBLICATIONS & EDUCATION
Mark S. Owen
EDITORIAL
Editor
Sarah Foster
sfoster@ashrae.org
Associate Editor
Rebecca Matyasovski
rmatyasovski@ashrae.org
Associate Editor
Jeri Alger
jalger@ashrae.org
Associate Editor
Tani Palefski
tpalefski@ashrae.org
Associate Editor
Mary Kate McGowan
mmcgowan@ashrae.org
Associate Editor
Courtney Payne
cpayne@ashrae.org
Contributing Editor, Europe & Middle East
W. Stephen Comstock
PUBLISHING SERVICES
Publishing Services Manager
David Soltis
Production
Jayne Jackson
ADVERTISING
Associate Publisher,
ASHRAE Media Advertising
Greg Martin
gmartin@ashrae.org
Senior Coordinator-Advertising
Production and Operations
Vanessa Johnson
vjohnson@ashrae.org
Coordinator-Circulation Development
Austin Brafford
abrafford@ashrae.org
ASHRAE OFFICERS
President
Darryl K. Boyce, P.Eng.
President-Elect
Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E.
Treasurer
Michael Schwedler, P.E.
Vice Presidents
K. William Dean, P.Eng.
Malcolm Dennis Knight, P.E.
William F. McQuade, P.E.
Farooq Mehboob, P.E.
Secretary & Executive Vice President
Jeff H. Littleton
POLICY GROUP
2019 - 20 Chair
Publications Committee
Chee Sheng Ow, Ph.D., P.E.
Washington Ofﬁce
washdc@ashrae.org

Lessons From Unique Applications
How do you design an HVAC system for a facility ﬁlled
with hundreds of mini-evaporative coolers? That's one
of the considerations for designing a cannabis grow
facility because the plants themselves cool the air,
according to Stephen Roth, P.E., Member ASHRAE.
"Plant transpiration is an evaporative cooling process, so
sensible heat gets converted to latent, reducing the overall sensible load
of the room," according to Nadia Sabeh, Ph.D., P.E., Member ASHRAE.
Sabeh is a co-chair for a standard in development cosponsored by the
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and
ASHRAE.
When determining the sensible load, the amount of cooling the plants
provide must be considered. In addition, the latent load from the water
vapor produced in this process can create challenges for HVAC equipment if the load calculations aren't accurate. Other challenges for calculating loads correctly include dealing with the vapor pressure differential, accounting for nighttime conditions and the needs of each type of
grow room, and designing for proper airﬂow volume.
More information on understanding load calculations for grow facilities starts on Page 82.
AIRPORTS ARE ANOTHER challenging type of space for HVAC designers because many of the buildings have large, open spaces with high ceilings. However, this also means airports present a tremendous air destratiﬁcation energy savings opportunity, according to Christian Taber,
BEMP, HBDP, Member ASHRAE, and Brandon A. Steele, Student Member
ASHRAE. Large diameter, high volume, low speed fans (HVLS) can mix
warm air at the ceiling with cooler air at the ﬂoor during winter and can
minimize excess heat at the ceiling during warmer months.
How much savings can be expected using HVLS fans in these spaces? The
article starting on Page 26 reports on a study that sought to quantify the
effects on energy cost and consumption from the use of an HVLS fan for air
destratiﬁcation in an airport hangar.
WE HAVE A NEW WAY for readers to give us feedback. At the end of
each article and column, we've added a QR code that is linked to an
online survey for the issue. The QR code can be scanned using a smartphone's camera or you can visit the link beneath the code. Your feedback
will be used to help improve ASHRAE Journal.
Sarah Foster, ASHRAE Journal Editor
Mission Statement: ASHRAE Journal reviews current HVAC&R technology of broad interest through publication of application-oriented
articles. ASHRAE Journal's editorial content ranges from back-to-basics features to reviews of emerging technologies, covering the
entire spectrum of professional interest from design and construction practices to commissioning and the service life of HVAC&R
environmental systems.

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ASHRAE Journal - April 2020

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