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Join Kathleen Owen at ASHRAE in Indy, June 22-26, 2024


Are you attending the ASHRAE Annual Conference in Indianapolis this coming week? Make sure to join Kathleen Owen for two insightful sessions on critical topics affecting building occupant health and air quality standards. Here's a sneak peek at what Kathleen will be discussing:


Seminar 4: Wildfires and Their Effect on Building Occupant Health

Sunday, June 23, 2024, from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM EDT

JW Marriott – Indianapolis, Grand Ballroom 3

Session Abstract: The recent Canadian wildfires have underscored the vulnerability of our buildings to contamination and the associated life safety concerns. Are there new guidelines, codes, and standards being developed for design engineers and facility operators to safeguard their facilities and minimize the risk?

Kathleen’s Talk: Title: How can Filtration and ASHRAE Guidelines provide guidance to protect building occupants from the effects of wildfires?

Abstract: Filtration and other air purification technologies play a crucial role in safeguarding building occupants during wildfire events. Smoke from wildfires contains particles and gases, so responding to wildfires requires more than just a MERV filter. This talk will explore how ASHRAE guidelines and filtration technologies can be utilized to protect building occupants effectively.


Seminar 45: New ASHRAE Standards 185.3, 145.4, and 185.5 for Air Cleaners – What are They and When to Use Them?

Wednesday, June 26, 2024, 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM EDT

JW Marriott – Indianapolis, Grand Ballroom 8

Session Abstract: In this seminar, the chairs of three new ASHRAE test methods will discuss their respective tests. Linda Lee will present the newly published bioaerosol challenge in a test chamber test. Caitlin Naske and Kathleen Owen will provide updates on the progress of gas-phase and bio/particle tests for devices mounted in HVAC ducts (chamber with recirculating duct tests). The goal is to ensure that all air cleaners can be sold with high-quality efficacy test results.


Don’t miss these sessions to stay updated on the latest guidelines and technologies designed to protect building occupants and ensure air cleaner efficacy. See you in Indy!


About Kathleen Owen

Ms. Owen, WFI Advisory Board Member, ASHRAE Fellow and Distinguished Lecturer, is an expert in air filter/cleaner efficiency/efficacy testing and test method development with Owen Air Filtration Consulting. She recently completed ASHRAE projects conducting Interlaboratory Studies (aka Round Robins) on the ASHRAE 52.2 and 145.2 methods for testing particle and gas-phase air cleaner efficiencies and an ASHRAE project on reactive air cleaners.  During her 33 years at RTI, she ran the air cleaner test lab for 20 years and worked on the ASHRAE and US EPA projects that developed ASHRAE air cleaner efficiency test methods 52.2 (for particles), 145.2 (gases), and 185.1 (UV-bioaerosol). She ran ASHRAE 1360-RP and worked on many ASHRAE and EPA projects on air cleaning and air quality including the recent EPA EIP on air cleanup in VI situations. She also developed chamber test methods for gases and bioaerosols based, in large part, on the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) CADR test method.  She is the current chair of ASHRAE SPC 185.5 and is past chair of both ASHRAE committee SSPC 145 and 52.2.  She was the research subcommittee chair for TC2.3 Gaseous Contaminants. She is currently a member of SSPC 241, EHC, Standards and multiple TCs as well as the US TAG to ISO 142.



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