Controlling moisture in the built environment becomes increasingly challenging as required humidity levels drop beyond the practical limits of conventional cooling-based systems. Traditional refrigerant or chilled water systems rely on cooling air below its dew-point temperature to condense moisture, which can introduce operational constraints such as coil freezing, reduced efficiency, and limited ability to achieve very low humidity conditions. For many applications, these limitations necessitate alternative approaches to moisture control.

This presentation provides a clear, engineering-focused introduction to desiccant-based dehumidification, a technology that removes moisture directly in its vapor phase through adsorption or absorption rather than condensation. By decoupling latent and sensible processes, desiccant systems enable precise humidity control across a wide range of applications, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food processing, archival storage, and other environments requiring low dew-point conditions.

Attendees will gain a practical understanding of how desiccant systems function, how they compare to traditional cooling-based approaches, and where they provide the greatest value. Emphasis is placed on system design considerations, energy performance, and application-specific benefits, equipping HVAC engineers with the knowledge needed to evaluate and apply desiccant dehumidification as part of an integrated HVAC strategy.

Learning Objectives

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Explain the fundamental operating principles of desiccant dehumidification, including solid and liquid desiccant processes and system component interactions.
2. Differentiate desiccant-based systems from conventional cooling-based dehumidification and evaluate their respective capabilities in achieving low humidity conditions.
3. Identify applications where desiccant dehumidification provides a technical or economic advantage, particularly in environments requiring low dew-point control.
4. Incorporate desiccant dehumidification into HVAC system design strategies, considering performance, energy efficiency, and operational constraints.

Many healthcare facilities continue to operate with legacy HVAC systems originally designed for earlier standards of care, often leaving engineers and facility professionals challenged to meet today’s more stringent requirements for operating room (OR) environmental control. These systems may struggle to maintain proper temperature, humidity, and ventilation conditions while also accommodating surgeon comfort preferences—creating a complex and often conflicting set of performance demands.

This presentation provides an engineering-focused framework for evaluating and improving existing HVAC systems serving hospital operating rooms. Emphasis is placed on understanding the fundamental relationships between temperature, humidity, and system capability, and how these factors influence both environmental compliance and occupant comfort. Attendees will explore the limitations of conventional system designs—such as standard chilled water systems—and how these constraints impact the ability to achieve modern OR performance requirements.

Through practical analysis and real-world retrofit strategies, this session equips HVAC engineers with the tools to assess existing system performance, diagnose environmental issues, and implement effective solutions. A range of system approaches—including chilled water, DX, low-temperature glycol systems, and desiccant-based dehumidification—will be discussed in the context of improving OR conditions while maximizing the value of existing infrastructure.

Learning Objectives

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Evaluate the capabilities and limitations of legacy HVAC systems serving hospital operating rooms, including chilled water, DX, and alternative system configurations.
2. Apply psychrometric principles to diagnose OR environmental issues, including the interaction between temperature, humidity, and occupant comfort.
3. Assess the impact of standard chilled water temperatures on humidity control and identify why conventional systems may fall short of current OR requirements.
4. Develop practical retrofit strategies to improve operating room environmental performance using existing infrastructure and targeted system enhancements.

Hospital operating rooms represent one of the most demanding and complex environments in HVAC system design. These spaces must simultaneously satisfy stringent requirements for infection control, ventilation, temperature, and humidity—while also accommodating the competing comfort demands of surgical staff. The result is a frequent disconnect between system capability, environmental compliance, and occupant expectations, often leading to persistent temperature and humidity control challenges.

This presentation provides a practical, engineering-focused analysis of the most common environmental issues encountered in operating rooms. Through real-world examples, four recurring challenges are examined: requests for extremely low space temperatures, rising relative humidity at reduced temperatures, condensation events (“raining” conditions), and increased indoor humidity resulting from added outdoor air ventilation.

Each condition is evaluated using applied psychrometrics and HVAC system performance principles to identify root causes, including limitations of chilled water systems, dew-point relationships, ventilation air moisture loads, and the effects of evaporative cooling on perceived comfort. The session then translates these insights into actionable engineering solutions, including control strategies, system modifications, and advanced dehumidification approaches.

Learning Objectives

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify and diagnose common operating room environmental challenges by applying psychrometric principles to temperature, humidity, and ventilation interactions.
2. Evaluate the impact of low-temperature operation on humidity control, including the limitations of conventional chilled water systems in maintaining acceptable dew-point conditions.
3. Analyze the causes of condensation events in operating rooms and implement design and operational strategies to prevent moisture-related risks.
4. Apply practical HVAC and dehumidification strategies to achieve stable, compliant operating room conditions while balancing surgeon comfort and system performance.

Effective humidity control is fundamental to delivering high-performance buildings that are safe, durable, energy-efficient, and compliant with modern standards. Yet, moisture-related failures—ranging from microbial growth and IAQ degradation to material deterioration and system inefficiencies—remain among the most persistent and costly challenges faced by HVAC engineers.

This presentation provides a technically grounded exploration of indoor humidity through the lens of applied psychrometrics and building science. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how moisture is introduced, transported, and stored within buildings, and how these mechanisms influence both HVAC system performance and the built environment. Drawing from key ASHRAE resources—including guidance on damp buildings, human health, and HVAC design—this session connects fundamental principles to real-world engineering applications across all climate zones.

With a focus on practical implementation, this presentation equips HVAC professionals with the knowledge needed to proactively manage humidity, mitigate risk, and design systems that support long-term building performance and occupant well-being.

Learning Objectives

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define and apply ASHRAE-recommended indoor humidity limits to minimize the risk of condensation, microbial growth, and moisture-related building damage.
2. Differentiate between key psychrometric parameters—including relative humidity and dew-point temperature—and apply them appropriately in HVAC system analysis and design.
3. Evaluate moisture behavior within building systems, including surface condensation, absorption/adsorption in materials, and vapor diffusion through assemblies.
4. Incorporate humidity control strategies into HVAC system design to improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ), system reliability, and overall building performance.

Healthcare facilities are among the most energy-intensive building types, accounting for a disproportionate share of energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to their footprint. Continuous operation, stringent ventilation and environmental requirements, and complex HVAC systems make hospitals uniquely challenging to decarbonize. As a result, HVAC engineers play a critical role in advancing strategies that reduce emissions while maintaining patient safety, regulatory compliance, and operational reliability.

This presentation provides a practical, engineering-focused roadmap for reducing hospital energy consumption and transitioning toward net-zero emissions. Drawing from guidance ASHRAE, the American Society for Health Care Engineering, along with industry best practices, the session examines how energy efficiency, electrification, and system optimization can be applied within healthcare environments. Key concepts—including energy use intensity (EUI), direct and indirect emissions, and high-impact energy drivers—are translated into actionable engineering strategies.

Attendees will explore cost-effective opportunities to reduce energy use and emissions through HVAC system improvements, operational strategies, and targeted investments. Emphasis is placed on identifying measures that deliver meaningful results with minimal first-cost impact, as well as effectively communicating the financial value of these initiatives to key stakeholders.

Learning Objectives

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define key drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in hospital facilities, including direct, indirect, and operational contributors tied to HVAC system performance.
2. Apply energy use intensity (EUI) and related metrics to evaluate hospital energy performance and identify high-impact opportunities for reduction.
3. Identify and prioritize cost-effective HVAC and system-level strategies that reduce energy consumption and support decarbonization goals.
4. Communicate the financial and operational value of energy efficiency initiatives to stakeholders, supporting investment decisions and implementation.

Hospitals are among the most energy-intensive building types, driven by continuous operation, high ventilation requirements, strict environmental control, and complex HVAC systems. These factors create significant challenges for engineers seeking to balance energy efficiency with patient safety, regulatory compliance, and operational reliability. However, substantial energy savings can be achieved through the application of proven design strategies and technologies.

This presentation provides an engineering-focused overview of the ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guide (AEDG) for Large Hospitals, which outlines practical pathways to achieving energy savings of 50% or greater compared to ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 baseline requirements. The session translates the Guide’s recommendations into actionable insights, emphasizing how HVAC system selection, configuration, and control strategies directly influence hospital energy performance.

Attendees will explore key contributors to hospital energy consumption and evaluate high-impact design strategies—including energy recovery, heat recovery, optimized air distribution, and advanced humidity control. The presentation also connects these strategies to real-world implementation, highlighting opportunities for both new construction and retrofit applications, while considering financial feasibility and operational constraints.

Designed for HVAC engineers involved in healthcare facility design and optimization, this session equips participants with the knowledge needed to apply AEDG principles to reduce energy use, improve system performance, and deliver high-value, sustainable hospital environments.

Learning Objectives

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the primary drivers of energy consumption in large hospital facilities and prioritize opportunities for high-impact energy reduction.
2. Apply key strategies from the ASHRAE AEDG for Large Hospitals to HVAC system design, including energy recovery, heat recovery, and optimized air distribution.
3. Evaluate the performance and energy implications of various HVAC system technologies, such as DOAS, chilled beams, desiccant dehumidification, and high-efficiency hydronic systems.
4. Incorporate energy-efficient design approaches into both new and existing facilities, balancing energy savings, operational reliability, and financial return.

Hospitals represent some of the most demanding environments in HVAC system design, where air-handling systems play a critical role in maintaining patient safety, infection control, and overall clinical performance. Unlike conventional commercial buildings, healthcare facilities operate continuously under stringent regulatory requirements governing temperature, humidity, ventilation, filtration, and system reliability. These factors place unique demands on the design, configuration, and operation of hospital air-handling units (AHUs), requiring a deeper level of engineering understanding and precision.

This presentation delivers a practical, engineering-focused walkthrough of a hospital air-handling system, following the airflow path from intake to discharge. Each section of the AHU is examined in detail, with emphasis on how component selection and configuration influence key performance outcomes such as infection control, humidity management, energy efficiency, and long-term system reliability. Drawing from real-world applications and ASHRAE guidance, this session bridges fundamental principles with applied design strategies specific to healthcare environments.

Tailored for HVAC engineers responsible for the design, operation, and optimization of healthcare facilities, this presentation provides actionable insights to support the development of high-performance, code-compliant air-handling systems that meet the rigorous demands of hospital environments.

Learning Objectives

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify and evaluate key AHU components and configurations specific to healthcare applications, including filtration, coils, air distribution, and control strategies.
2. Apply hospital-specific environmental requirements to HVAC system design, including temperature, humidity, ventilation, and pressurization relationships critical to infection control.
3. Assess moisture management and filtration strategies to maintain dry, clean air-handling systems and reduce the risk of microbial growth and system degradation.
4. Incorporate reliability, redundancy, and energy optimization strategies into AHU design to support continuous operation and reduce lifecycle operating costs.