by Brianna Crandall — May 9, 2012—Worldwide building technology society ASHRAE has created a new Web site that supplies common definitions for terms found in ASHRAE standards and other publications. The free ASHRAEwiki contains over 6,000 terms related to buildings, with a particular focus on mechanical, envelope, electrical, lighting, load calculations, design, water design/conservation and energy use and measurement metrics.
“Common terminology in communications and particularly in standards helps users in their understanding, thus encouraging adoption and use,” Art Hallstrom, a member of ASHRAE Technical Committee 1.6, Terminology, said. “The ASHRAEwiki goal is to improve communication by encouraging the use of consistent terminology definitions within ASHRAE and the industry, worldwide.”
The new ASHRAEwiki can create custom reports of terms and primary definitions that will aid in the development of standards, guidelines, handbooks and other ASHRAE publications. With time, it may have broader use across the industry, according to Hallstrom.
Each term in the wiki has one or more primary (recommended) definitions, ASHRAE standard(s) in which the term is used, the definition source, and known legal information such as trademark registration. The wiki also lists any secondary definitions used in an ASHRAE standard or guideline, which will help with the development of consistent standards, notes the society.
ASHRAEwiki terms are grouped by words, symbols, abbreviations and acronyms. Definitions that include units may use Inch-Pound (I-P) or International System (SI) as primary units. ASHRAEwiki is in English but might be expanded to other languages in the future, notes the group.
“ASHRAEwiki content is controlled by the ASHRAEwiki editors and TC 1.6 but suggestions from individuals or organizations are welcome,” Bruce Billedeaux, TC 1.6 vice chair, said. “Suggestions can be entered in the wiki discussion section or sent to the ASHRAEwiki editor.”
ASHRAEwiki replaces a proposed ASHRAE Standard, Standard 166P, Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Terminology, which had been proposed to offer uniform terminology for use in the HVAC&R industry.
