ASHRAE Issues Updated Standard on Thermal Environments
Nov. 7, 2017
Standard 55 specifies conditions for acceptable thermal environments for use in design and operation in buildings.
The 2017 edition of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55 incorporates seven published addenda to the 2013 edition and provides three compliance methods: a graphic method for simple situations, an analytical method for more general cases and a method that uses elevated air speed to provide comfort.
Standard 55 specifies conditions for acceptable thermal environments and is intended for use in design, operation, and commissioning of buildings and other occupied spaces. The standard has a separate method for determining acceptable thermal conditions in occupant-controlled naturally conditioned spaces.
Given the widespread and easy accessibility of computing power and third-party implementations of the analytical method, it is expected that more users will favor the comprehensive analytical methods over the graphical method.
