ASHRAE, which stands for American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, is a professional organization that aims to advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. It does this by developing and publishing standards, guidelines, and research reports, and by providing educational and networking opportunities for its members. Some of the standards and guidelines published by ASHRAE include:
- ASHRAE Standard 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy
- ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
- ASHRAE Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
These standards provide guidance on topics such as indoor air quality, ventilation rates, thermal comfort, and energy efficiency. They are widely used by building designers, engineers, and contractors in the United States and around the world.
On the other hand, IPM&V (Integrated Project Management and Verification) is a methodology that emphasizes the importance of early and continuous collaboration among all stakeholders on a building project, including the owner, the design team, the construction team, and the commissioning team. The goal of IPM&V is to ensure that a building’s systems are designed, constructed, and commissioned in a way that meets the owner’s needs and expectations.
IPM&V is an interdisciplinary process that involves:
- Defining the owner’s needs and expectations through a clear project scope statement
- Establishing clear performance criteria for the building systems
- Coordinating the design, construction, and commissioning process to ensure that the systems are installed and calibrated correctly
- Verifying that the systems perform as intended through testing, monitoring, and commissioning
IPM&V is broader than just HVAC system, it’s a process that can be applied to all building systems, including lighting, controls, plumbing, and fire protection. It can be used for new construction, retrofit, and existing buildings.
In summary, ASHRAE sets standards for HVAC systems and related areas, while IPM&V is a broader approach to managing the design, construction, and commissioning of all building systems, including HVAC, in order to ensure that the systems perform as intended and meet the owner’s needs and expectations.