Join Us @ Limbach for our First Meeting of the 2026 - 2027 Society Year
Mtg Date: 9.2.26
Meeting Address:
3097 S Orchard Knob Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37407, USA
SPECIAL NOTES:
The presentation will start promptly at 12 pm. Please plan to arrive by 11:45 a.m. to get your food and be seated in order to start on time :)
Because food must be ordered in advance, RSVPs should be submitted
NO LATER THAN 7 am est on the Monday prior to the meeting.
Please read at least through the first 3 sections for new information!
Our Speaker this month is Mike Bilderbeck, P.E., FASHRAE.
Mike is a life-long Memphian. He graduated from Memphis State University with a
degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1980.
He started at Pickering (A/E firm) in 1980. He was Pickering’s Chief Mechanical/Fire
Protection Engineer for 32 years, and is a Principal-Emeritus there. He now serves as
Senior Mechanical Engineer. He is registered in 15 states.
Mike has been involved in ASHRAE throughout his career:
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Memphis Chapter President 1986-1987
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Chaired multiple Society committees
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served on Society Board of Directors from 1999-2002
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recipient of the Ashrae Exceptional Service Award
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past-chair of TC1.7, “Business Practice and General Legal Education”
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currently Region VII Treasurer and Memphis Chapter Treasurer
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currently serves on Conferences and Expositions Committee
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Has made numerous presentations on engineering ethics at chapter, CRC, and Society meetings
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Was made ASHRAE Fellow in 2005
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Member of the Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board at the University of Memphis
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for 20 years
Our topic this month is on Engineering Ethics
ASHRAE members are often confronted with ethical issues (whether they realize it or not). This session is part of a continuing program under which ASHRAE members engage in an interactive session where participants are presented with multiple real-life ethics cases, discuss the cases in small groups, and then reveal their decisions. Test your "Ethics IQ" against real cases and receive CE credit in the process.
As a reminder, your chapter dues are critical to the success of our chapter. If you have not already paid them through society, please consider doing in advance through Zeffy to save time at the door. And don’t forget, you do NOT need to donate to the platform at checkout. Just change the drop down to other and enter 0.
NEW RSVP, CHECK IN, SPEAKER REVIEW and PDH Details!
You may notice we have a few new tools in play this year to help our chapter run a little bit smoother. After you RSVP, you can expect to receive an email confirmation of your registration as well as a calendar invite! Additionally, just before the meeting starts, you will receive an email with a link to check-in for the meeting and as the meeting wraps up, you will receive an email with a link to review the presenter. If you need a PDH certificate, that will come to you by email once your presenter review has been submitted. If you have any questions or need any help with the new system, please reach out to us at TnValleyASHRAE@gmail.com and we will be happy to help!
Introducing our new society President and Theme:
“Changing the Game: Retrofitting for Resilience.”
Sarah’s theme focuses on how the building industry can work together to improve the efficiency, performance and resilience of existing buildings in the face of growing climate and infrastructure challenges. She compares retrofitting buildings to developing a winning “game plan,” highlighting the importance of modern building codes, retro-commissioning and cross-functional collaboration among owners, operators, engineers, manufacturers, code officials and commissioning providers.
Learn more about Sarah and how she plans to Change the Game Here:
Government Affairs Update
U.S. CONGRESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
EPCA Modernization Bill Introduced in Senate
On August 6, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Energy Efficiency Reform Act of 2026. The legislation would make several changes to U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Appliance Standards Program under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). Among other things, the legislation would:
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Codify the Process Rule which, among things, clarifies procedures for ASHRAE equipment
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Define significant energy savings
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Remove the six-year lookback requirement for covered appliances
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Allow less stringent standards under certain conditions
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Strengthen federal preemption by prohibiting states from banning covered products based on fuel source or emissions or imposing standards where a federal standard has been repealed
More information on the legislation can be found here.
ASHRAE Research
Since 1960, ASHRAE has sponsored research studies at universities and research firms. The results of these studies have been used to prepare chapters in the ASHRAE Handbook series; as foundational material in special publications; in the formulation of standards; to train university students as they prepare for service in the HVAC&R industry; and to spread the knowledge gained through presentation at Society Conferences and publication in ASHRAE Transactions or conference proceedings.
ASHRAE currently has 42 active research projects.
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The total value of all active projects is $7,548,281. The average duration is 22 months.
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Average cost: $179,721.
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Since 1959, ASHRAE has sponsored over 987 projects for a total cost of about $89.15M.
Free Member Access to Research Project Final Reports
ASHRAE members receive an annual subscription to ASHRAE Research Reports, which includes over 600 Research Project Final Reports, as a benefit of membership.
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Nonmembers can subscribe to ASHRAE Research Reports for $199 USD annually. Subscribe
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Individual Reports are available for purchase in the ASHRAE Bookstore.