Chris is a Professional Engineer with 15 years of experience in the HVAC industry in all aspects from Product Development and Testing to Sales & Service. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As Business Development Manager – Heating & Cooling, Chris is a subject matter expert on Hydronic Heat Pump solutions. Chris has a passion for efficient and environmentally responsible HVAC solutions which will be imperative in the preparation for the future of the built environment, as the industry strategizes to meet local and global targets to mitigate the effects of climate change. He has been an active ASHRAE member since 2012 providing numerous presentations at the chapter level across Canada and the US, as well as presenting through other industry associations such as ASHRAE, HRAI, CIPH and the CHC on Airto-
Water Technologies as a solution for electrification and decarbonization of hydronic systems. He has also provided presentations at ASHRAE conferences in both Canada and the United States.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the energy savings and comfort benefits of low temperature heating and high temperature cooling systems.

2. Explore and understand the latest technologies contributing to the "A2L" all electric building, including Chilled beams, central heat pump plants, and ventilation equipment as well as the importance of integrated control strategies such as demand control ventilation.

3. Understand how the safety concerns and carbon emissions associated with refrigerants can be mitigated by utilizing hydronics and central heat pumps as designs shift to all-electric.

4. Review the benefits of an all-electric building when a complete system approach to equipment selection is taken, as demonstrated through case studies from Europe

Check the link below to secure your spot today.

Dinner: Thursday, February 26th
Where : Hotel Blackfoot

Registration 5:00 PM

Dinner - 6 - 7 PM

Speaker - 7 - 8 PM

Wrap up: 8:30 PM

Address : 5940 Blackfoot Trl SE, Calgary, AB T2H 2B5

Thursday, January 29, 2026

5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Last Defence Lounge (LDL) at the University of Calgary (map)

Description: You're invited to spend the evening of Thursday, January 29th with your fellow ASHRAE YEA members, industry peers, and ASHRAE Student members for a fun evening of food, drinks, and good conversations!

Students will have a great opportunity to connect with industry individuals and get better insights on what opportunities HVAC has to offer.

Peyman Raphe, PhD, is a highly skilled professional in the field of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) with a specialized focus on numerical simulations and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). He has carved a niche for himself in the areas of automotive ventilation and personalized ventilation (PV) systems, where his extensive knowledge of 3D CFD simulations enables him to design and optimize advanced HVAC systems for a variety of environments.

Currently serving as a Product Specialist in the HVAC industry (The Master Group), Peyman brings a unique blend of technical expertise and practical experience to his role, particularly in promoting cutting-edge ventilation solutions such as NAD Klima’s high-efficiency systems. His ability to communicate complex engineering principles in an accessible way makes him a valuable resource for engineers and sales teams alike, especially in the context of enhancing energy efficiency and ensuring comfort in occupied spaces.

Check the link below to secure your spot today.

Dinner: Tuesday, January 20th
Where : Wild Rose Tap Room

Registration 5:00 PM

Dinner - 6 - 7 PM

Speaker - 7 - 8 PM

Wrap up: 8:30 PM

Address : 4580 Quesnay Wood Dr SW, Calgary, AB T3E 1T8

Join us for a lunch and Charity Auction December 10th!

Silent Auction will begin at noon

All proceeds go to supporting Calgary Foundation Charity

ASHRAE is still looking for sponsors and donation items for the silent auction, if you wish to help contribute to a good cause please contact George Niksic <George@aquaair.ab.ca> for more information.

https://calgaryfoundation.org/

Come tour the exciting new BMO Centre, a convention centre located in Stampede Park, which is in the Beltline district south of downtown Calgary. At one million square feet (93,000 m2), it is the largest convention centre in the city and the largest in Western Canada.

In March 2016, the Calgary Stampede organization announced plans to demolish the adjacent Stampede Corral to make way for a $500 million expansion of the BMO Centre.Construction began in April 2021 and was completed in March 2024.The 565,000 sq ft (52,500 m2) expansion officially opened on June 5, 2024

Stay tuned for more information. Unfortunately, ticket prices have increased due to the dinner cost.

Registration: 4:30 PM

Tour: 5-6PM

Dinner and speaker to follow

Speaker 
Alex Madsen, P.Eng
Building Systems Coordinator

PCL Construction Management

Alex holds a P.Eng in Mechanical engineering and has 7 years' experience in the construction and start-up of mechanical and electrical systems in large commercial buildings. He has worked on a number of major projects throughout Alberta, including the BMO Centre Expansion.

Come help honor SAC ASHRAE’s past presidents and enjoy an evening at The Confluence (Formally known as Fort Calgary).

Meet your board for this year and learn a bit of chapter history with a fun Family Fued event

Where : Fort Calgary/Confluence - 750 9 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 5E1

Registration 4:30 PM

Dinner - 6 - 7 PM

Family Feud/Trivia- 7 - 8 PM 

Wrap up: 8:30 PM

*Survey - Please click this survey to answer some ASHRAE related questions and  join in on the fun

https://form.jotform.com/252684432034050

BOMA Calgary, the Western Canada Data Centre Alliance, and the Southern Alberta Chapter of ASHRAE (SAC-ASHRAE) are excited to co-host a full-day conference that brings together key contributors to the future of the data centre industry in the province and beyond. From hyperscale developers to policy-makers, commercial real estate professionals and investors to utilities and engineers - all under one roof to help pave a path forward.

Dinner: Monday, September 29
Where : McMurrary Room at the Calgary Petroleum, 319 5 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 0L5

Registration 5:00 PM

Dinner - 6 - 7 PM

Speaker - 7 - 8 PM -Nicholas Labonte - Data Center Design

Wrap up: 8:30 PM

Conference:Tuesday, September 30
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Where:The Westin Calgary
320 4th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta  T2P 2S6
Canada

https://members.boma.ca/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1979357&group=

Date / Time April 15th, 2025 5:00pm

Tour Location : University of Calgary,  3550 24 Ave NW.
Dinner Location : Brewhouse 3953 University Ave NW #220, Calgary, AB T3B 6K3

• Registration at 5:00 PM  

• Tour 5:30 PM

• Dinner 6:30 PM

• Presentations 7:30 PM

Please arrive at the Heating Plant at 5:00pm and we will divide people into groups of 15 each. This will ensure that all tour attendees will be able to hear each guide. Also it will allow more time for attendees to ask questions, if any. 

The address of the Hearing Plant is 3550 24 Ave NW.

You may also use the following link for directions:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ur3TxTzSwnqhMcZW6?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

Parking is available at Lot 51. This lot is just east of the Heating Plant, in front of the "Yamnuska Hall" sign. Please note that this is an hourly lot. There are pay stations to purchase a ticket as needed. I anticipate that you won't need more than an hour of parking.

Please see photo below for parking lot location with the Heating Plant in the background.

U of C Capstone: 

This year, ASHRAE SAC is proudly sponsoring the University of Calgary's capstone project, where students are modeling improvements to indoor air quality (IAQ) using ASHRAE 241 as a guideline. The project focuses on the engineering lounge at the Schulich School of Engineering, where students have explored various options to enhance IAQ. They will present their findings at the April Dinner meeting, showcasing a physical prototype of the space. This prototype introduces smoke and demonstrates how an ionizer can effectively dissipate it, highlighting the practical applications of their research.

SAIT Capstone: 

ASHRAE SAC is proudly sponsoring a capstone project undertaken by SAIT students. This project evaluates the energy savings and improvements to occupant comfort that a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system can provide to an existing building. By comparing these findings with an upgrade of the existing equipment to modern variants, the students aim to highlight the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. Using a real-life building as a case study, the research references ASHRAE 41-2023 to demonstrate how the standard can assist engineers, contractors, and building operators in optimizing HVAC systems. This research offers valuable insights into the energy efficiency and comfort enhancements achievable with VRF systems.

Please join us for an evening of food, drinks, fun and new connections. This event is meant to create a space for ASHRAE members to extend an invite to someone new who could benefit from this community.

We will be providing some guided networking, games, light entertainment, and grazing style food options with minimal formal programming.

Date / Time: March 18th, 2025 5:00pm

Location: The Rooftop YYC

Registration at 5:00 PM  

• Dinner 6:00 PM

• Games and Entertainment 7:00 - 8:00 PM

Date: February 21st, 2025

Location: Calgary Curling Club, 720 3 St NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N9

Please join us for the 2025 Annual SAC ASHRAE Curling Bonspiel! 

This year's event will take place at The Calgary Curling Club, on February 21th, 2025.

The event will start with lunch (provided) at 11:45 AM followed by curling from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM.

Prizes and RP draws to follow after!

Team Registration is below. Register to secure your spot.

All skill levels welcome, we are just out to have fun! Equipment rentals are available for an additional cost in the office.

Non-marking, clean runners or curling shoes are required on the ice. Shoe cleaning machines must be used before entering rink.

EVENT / PRIZE SPONSOR:

Don't Miss This Valuable Opportunity to Join a Roundtable Discussion on Integrating NECB Standards!

Date / Time: February 18th, 2025 5:00pm

Location: Wild Rose - 4580 Quesnay Wood Dr SW, Calgary, AB T3E 1T8

Registration at 5:00 PM  

• Dinner 6:00 PM

• Presentation 7:00 - 8:00 PM

Panel: 

Richard Outtrim
Justin Pockar
Gary Jhutty

TALK: 

1. Overview of the NECB Requirements Including Changes

2. Challenges with compliance and implementation (best practices, New/Existing projects, identifying challengers for contractors, cost analysis)

3. Collaboration and coordination of NECB with the design team and installation teams (interdisciplinary collaboration)

4. Future trends of NECB code

5. How does NECB fit into the broader energy efficiency and sustainability landscape?

6. Open Discussion and Questions

Master Group is honoured to sponsor the upcoming ASHRAE Dinner on NECB Standards. Master is a Canadian company with locations country wide and into the USA. We have a broad range of products to support your needs, namely AHUs, chillers, WSHP/ASHP, fan coils, VRF/Splits, ERVs, Fans, high induction diffusers, RTUs, hydronics, etc.

 

Meeting Topic: Getting from AEDGs to Zero-Energy Buildings

Date / Time: January 21st, 2025 5:00pm

Location: 5940 Blackfoot Trl SE, Calgary, AB T2H 2B5

BIO : Dru Crawley is Bentley Fellow and Director, Building Performance Research focusing on building performance, zero-energy Buildings, decarbonization, digital twins, smart cities, sustainability, and resilience. Prior to being elevated to Bentley Fellow in 2014, he led development of Bentley’s building performance software suite for four years. Before joining Bentley in 2010, Dr. Crawley developed and managed EnergyPlus and the USDOE’s Commercial Buildings Initiative (now Better Buildings Initiative and Alliances) promoting creation of net-zero-energy buildings.

TALK : Buildings account for more than 40% of worldwide primary energy use. ASHRAE, IESNA, USGBC, AIA, and DOE have collaborated on a series of Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs) for significant energy savings beyond Standard 90.1. The guides provide prescriptive packages for each climate zone to reach the energy savings goals of 30% and 50%.  AEDGs for 50% savings in five building types were completed in 2014. This presentation provides an overview of the AEDG process as well as examples of packages and case studies from the 50% guides. Also presented are examples of today's zero-energy buildings and the key systems and technologies they employ.

Registration: 5:PM at Hotel Blackfoot

Dinner: 6 - 7 PM

Presentation: 7 - 8 PM

Wrap up: 8:30 PM

Join us for a lunch and Charity Auction TBD

Silent Auction will begin at noon

All proceeds go to supporting Calgary Foundation Charity

ASHRAE is still looking for sponsors and donation items for the silent auction, if you wish to help contribute to a good cause please contact George Niksic <George@aquaair.ab.ca> for more information.

https://calgaryfoundation.org/

Chase Hayden will be sharing his journey joining CSA B52 committee. Chase joined in 2020 after submitting a RFQ to the committee then subsequently attending several meetings before asking if it made sense for him to just join the committee. He will be speaking about his experience with committee work, and benefits of joining a technical group. Chase will also speak about not needing as much experience as you may think to join a technical committees, and talk about some of the discussions behind some of the clauses he worked on from the new edition.  

Chase will also be going over several changes from the CSA B52:18 edition to the CSA B52:23 edition that has had some large revisions to allow for slightly flammable refrigerants. Chase will go over a few examples on how different refrigerant systems may be compliant using the codebook. 

Meeting Topic: ABSA - B52 code change/refridgeration

Date / Time: Nov 19th, 2024 5:00pm

Location: 5555 76 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2C 4L8 (this is not the Okotoks location) as it may pop up in google

Registration: 5 PM

Dinner: 6 - 7 PM

Presentation: 7 - 8 PM

Wrap up: 9 PM

Please join us for a meeting recognizing our past presidents and a presentation from Darrell Peil.

Meeting Topic: Thermal and Acoustical Insulation for HVAC Mechanical Systems - The Silent Contributor to Indoor Enviromental Quality (IEQ) and Decarbonization.

Date / Time: October 15th, 2024 5:00pm

Location: The Winston Golf Club - 2502 6 St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 3Z3

Presented by: Darrell Peil

Darrell Peil holds the position of Specifications and Business Development Mgr./Commercial & Industrial for Knauf Insulation (www.knaufinsulation.com), serving North America. Currently a member of ASHRAE and ASTM, he serves on several committees related to mechanical insulation systems and components. He is past Chair of NIA’s Technical Information Committee, a past chair of ASHRAE’s TC 1.8 Handbook Subcommittee, current Secretary for TC 1.8 - Mechanical Systems Insulation, and a member of the editorial committee for the North American Commercial and Industrial Insulation Standards manual (NACIIS manual)

Registration: 5 PM

Dinner to follow

Meeting Topic: Sam Center Tour

Date / Time: September 23, 2024 5:00pm

Location: 632 13 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 1C5

Welcome back for the 2024/25 SAC ASHRAE Year!

To get things kicked off we have a tour at the newly opened SAM Center in the Stampede district.

Registration: 5:PM at SAM Center

Tour begins at 5:30 with dinner to follow at the King Eddy

(Parking Details to Follow)

Join us for Dinner and technical topic “Lessons Learned SCC Certification Training” with Robert Prybysh, P.Eng., Ph.D, LEED AP, 4th Class Power Engineer, LEED BD+C

Robert has over two decades of expertise in Mechanical Engineering, controls, and environmental fields. Robert is the Technical Director with Englobe Corp. and former President of the Northern Alberta Chapter of ASHRAE. He is well-versed in safety standards and high-performing building design. His extensive academic background includes a PhD in Civil Engineering focusing on potable water piping arrangements, alongside a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta. Serving as the Engineered Air Fellow in HVAC Engineering at the same institution underscores his commitment to advancing the field. Over the past decades, Robert has been involved in several thousand individual design projects, primarily involving HVAC and Plumbing, but also involving Storm Water Management, Municipal Servicing, Water / Energy Consumption, Industrial Safety, and Air Quality Management.

Description: You're invited to spend the evening of Thursday, April 4th with your fellow ASHRAE YEA members, industry peers, and ASHRAE Student members for a fun evening of games, food, drinks, and good conversations!

Registration: 5:00

Join us for Lunch at Craft Beer House

Guest speaker: Paul Pieper, P.Eng., Member ASHRAE

Senior Director of Business Development

The Master Group

Topic: Meeting Your Decarbonization Goals with Air-to-Air Energy Recovery

Registration: 11:30

Join us for a great evening at Ironwood Stage & Grill

Guest speaker: Erich Binder

Topic: Cold Climate Design Past Present and Future

Erich Binder is an independent engineering consultant with an extensive experience in in the sustainable design of Commercial, Institutional, Industrial, & Cold Climate, Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC), Plumbing, Fire Suppression & Specialty Mechanical Systems engineering. Erich has also a Certified Risk Manager with over 20 years of Process Safety, Loss Prevention, Industrial Hygiene, Health & Safety Engineering and Auditing experience. Including Corporate Emergency Response and Merger and Acquisition Activities.

Past Society Director at Large - ASHRAE

Past Society Director and Regional Chair - ASHRAE Region XI

Chairman - ASHRAE Cold Climate Design Conference 2012 & 2023

Co-Author - ASHRAE Cold Climate Building Design Guide 2015 & 2023

Co-Author - ASHRAE Hazardous Spaces Design Guide. 2023

Author Industrial HVAC Design Guide – Basics of industrial HVAC – 101 -2023

Past Chairman - HVAC Advisory Committee (SAIT)

Past Chairman: ASHRAE TRG9 – CCBDG – Cold Climate Building Design Guide.

Chairman - Chelonian Loss Prevention Engineering Seminars

Registration: 5 PM

Dinner to follow

SOLD OUT - Thank you to all who registered

Join us for a 3 course Roast Beef lunch and Charity Auction

Silent Auction will begin at noon

All proceeds go to supporting Calgary Foundation Charity

https://calgaryfoundation.org/

Join us for a great evening at Winsport to recognize all of the wonderful donors contributing to our Research Promotion Goals.

Guest speaker: Bernie Oegema

Topic: Data Centre Power Trends and Augmented Cooling Strategies

Bernie Oegema, P. Eng., is Director of Business Development for the data center market at Siemens Canada.  He has spent his professional career in the data centre industry with a focus on improving energy efficiency without compromising reliability. Bernie graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor Engineering Physics and Management and York University with an MBA.

Registration: 5 PM

Dinner to follow

Come help honor SAC ASHRAE’s past presidents and enjoy an evening at beautiful Fort Calgary.

Meet your board for this year and learn a bit of chapter history.

The 2023 SAC ASHRAE Sustainable project has been completed. We will be providing a update at the October meeting.

This year's project the  Kids Cancer Care Camp Kindle Music Hall boiler system replacement.

We want to thank the  SAC Chapter, DC Sales, Fusion Plumbing & Heating, Wolseley, CRH Contracting and others for their generosity and labor.

Stay tuned for mystery Guest speaker announcement

Registration: 5 PM

Dinner to follow