At the Building Performance Analysis Conference — formerly known as the ASHRAE Energy Modeling Conference — the topics addressed will be energy modeling and expanded subject matter that encompasses non-energy building performance analysis and simulation.

The conference is set for Sept. 27-29 in Atlanta and a call for presenters is now open for presentations that address the following topics:

• Modeling for and during the design phases (includes thermal comfort, visual comfort, water, and health, safety and welfare);

• Early design modeling and concepts;

• Modeling innovative or new technologies;

• Existing building modeling;

• Data visualization;

• Future trends in modeling; and

• Making the business case for modeling.

Presentations are due March 13 and decisions will be announced April 3.

“The conference’s goal is to serve practitioners with the most up-to-date best practices, work flows and processes required to plan, design, construct and operate high-performing, low-energy consuming, environmentally responsive and responsible, safe, secure and healthy buildings for human occupancy,” Conference Chair Dennis Knight said.

In other ASHRAE news, the 2016 editions of ASHRAE’s major refrigerants-related standards have been published as a package with 30 new refrigerants and refrigerant blends added. ANSI/ASHRAE 15: Safety Standard for Refrigeration Systems and its sister standard ANSI/ASHRAE 34: Designation and Safety Classifications of Refrigerants constitute a complete set of requirements for the safe design, construction and application of refrigeration systems used in a variety of commercial, industrial and residential applications.