standard

ASHRAE Standard 55-1992, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, is mainly a prescriptive standard intended for occupants with primarily sedentary activity. This article discusses some of the issues being addressed during the proposed revision. The proposed revision will include an analytical method based on the PMVPPD method, where different levels of comfort may be specified. Using the analytical method requires better dialog between the client (builder, owner) and the designer. 

Architecture and engineering journals have been increasingly attentive to innovative non-residential buildings designed with operable windows. Such buildings may rely exclusively on natural ventilation for cooling, or may operate as mixed-mode, or "hybrid" buildings that integrate both natural and mechanical cooling. Architects who want to incorporate natural ventilation as an energy-efficient feature need to collaborate closely with mechanical engineers.

Designers, professionals and practitioners are currently making evaluations and sizing ventilation systems and apparatus in Italy on the basis of the Italian standard UNI 10339. This prescriptive standard is relatively recent, being issued in June 1995.

This British Standard gives recommendations on the principles which should be observed when designing for the natural ventilation of buildings for human occupation.

Relations between indoor neutral temperatures and outdoor temperatures are currently proposed as an "adaptive standard" to supplement ASHRAE Standard 55-1992. They rest on the 1998 ASHRAE database. Humphreys and Nicol drew attention to the depression of the regression coefficient by measurement and formulaic error in thermal comfort indices. This paper applies their suggested correction, and improves the precision of the relations. Comparison is made with similar relations from earlier data. The relation for unheated, naturally ventilated buildings has remained unchanged.

The new Guideline VDI 6022 contains hygienic standards for ventilation and air-conditioning systems. The requirements for the planning, design, operation and maintenance of ventilation and air-conditioning systems and their components are dealt with to ensure a hygienic condition according to the state of the art. The Guideline is subdivided as follows:

• part 1 Offices and assembly rooms (published 07 /98)
• part 2 Standards for Hygiene training (published 12/98 as a draft)
• part 3 Factories (activities have been started 01/99)