Christian Taber is a Principal Engineer of Codes and Standards at Big Ass Fans. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering followed by a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Kentucky. Christian's graduate work focused on renewable energy and sustainable building design.
Christian has worked as a marketing and applications engineer for Trane, where he trained thousands of customers on building energy modeling. He has also taught several undergraduate engineering courses on HVAC/Environmental Control at the University of Kentucky.
Christian is an active participant in regulations, standards, and building code development and collaborates with ASHRAE, AMCA, US DOE, and the ICC. He is a member of ASHRAE's Standards Committee/Standards Project Liaison Subcommittee (SPLS), a voting member of SSPC 90.1, a member of GPC 37, and was a voting member of SSPC 189.1. Christian is also an ASHRAE Building Energy Modeling Professional, an ASHRAE High-Performance Building Design Professional (HPBDP), and an AEE Certified Energy Manager (CEM).
Christian's contributions to the air movement industry include leadership roles on publications, test standards, and codes for fans. He currently chairs AMCA's North American Air Movement Advocacy Committee and AMCA Standard 340, a new standard being developed for rating the sound performance for large diameter ceiling fans. He is also the Vice Chair of the AMCA Air Movement Division and a member of the North America Region Steering Committee. Christian has served on committees for the recent revisions to ANSI/AMCA test and rating standards 230, 214, 210, 208, 99 and AMCA Publications 211 and 11, which are operating manuals for the AMCA Certified Rating System.
Christian has several articles in the ASHRAE Journal and has presented his work at various national and international conferences. He has been granted a patent for a condensation control system, was part of a team that designed an experiment sent to the International Space Station, and provided technical support to Congress for the proposed and enacted Ceiling Fan Improvement Act of 2020.
In his free time, Christian enjoys outdoor activities with his wife and twin daughters. He currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
An Introduction to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55 defines the range of indoor thermal environmental conditions acceptable to the majority of occupants. An understanding of this standard is integral to the design of a new building or renovation, as it accommodates a variety of comfort solutions that contribute to sustainable building.
The purpose of this presentation is to provide an introduction to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55, which explains occupant thermal comfort requirements and how they affect design, and consider changes incorporated in the 2020 version of the standard.