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R. Christopher Mathis |
As our flagship standard for the minimum energy efficiency for buildings (except low-rise residential) ASHRAE 90.1 represents the Standard of Care for all certifying professionals serving the building industry. The latest version of that standard, 2013, contains dramatic changes that all certifying professionals should know. In this lecture, attendees will be provided a renewed perspective on the importance of our buildings. Attendees will be learn about the connections between buildings and their energy use and other social and environmental objectives. We will discuss peak power, water consumption, carbon emissions and other connected issues. Attendees will learn about some of the latest changes to 90.1, especially in those critical areas often overlooked by HVAC professionals – the revised building envelope provisions – as well as other changes, and will be challenged to update their knowledge and understanding of the Standard and its role in delivering better buildings. The presenter served 10 years on the 90.1 development committee and remains an active participant in its development.
R. Christopher “Chris” Mathis has spent the past 30 years focusing on how buildings and building products perform – from energy efficiency to code compliance to sustainability and long-term performance durability.
Chris received his undergraduate degree in Physics from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He received a Master of Science in Architecture Studies from MIT where his graduate work focused on energy use in buildings. He has served as a Scientist in the Insulation Technology Laboratory at the Owens-Corning Fiberglas Technical Center, was the Director of the Thermal Testing Laboratory for the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, and Director of Marketing for Architectural Testing, Inc., a private laboratory specializing in the performance of buildings and building products, particularly fenestration performance testing.
Chris is an active participant in Standards and Code development at ASHRAE, NFRC, ASTM and the ICC. He was a founding member and served for four years as the first Director of the National Fenestration Rating Council, the non-profit organization that developed the nation’s energy performance rating and labeling system for windows, doors and skylights.
Chris has been a member and active participant in ASTM committee E06 on Performance of Buildings since 1984. During his tenure at ASTM he has worked on numerous task groups and subcommittees developing a range of standards and test methods addressing window performance, window installation, thermal testing of windows, wall system performance and whole building performance. He currently chairs E06.51.11 addressing window installation standards. He is also a member of committee C16 on Insulation and E60 on Sustainability. Chris currently chairs the Built Environment Advisory Committee at ASTM.
Chris is a 30-year member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). In ASHRAE he has worked on window thermal test standards, national model codes for commercial buildings (ASHRAE 90.1), model codes for residential buildings (ASHRAE 90.2) and is the energy consultant to Standard 189.1 – ASHRAE’s model code for sustainable commercial buildings. He is also the energy consultant to the Chapter Technology Transfer Committee. Chris has been recognized as an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer, conducting seminars on a variety of building science, energy efficiency and sustainability topics across the US and worldwide.
Chris has published numerous technical papers at ASHRAE and presented his work at a variety of national and international conferences. His publications include technical papers on: advanced test methods for insulation materials and wall systems; daylighting design and assessment techniques; off-peak cooling techniques for commercial office buildings; new residential and commercial energy codes; and metrics for environmentally preferable products. He has written numerous engineer-, architect-, builder- and consumer-targeted articles and guides on various building and product performance issues. He is the author of Insulating Guide - a book for home builders providing insulating best practices for many of the most common home building details. He is the co-author of Is Your Home Protected from Water Damage? A Homeowner’s Guide to Water Damage Prevention published by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.