We’re nearing the second half of the year, and for IIAR staff, committee, and volunteer members, that means building on the substantial work completed so far in 2015 on a variety of different initiatives. You’ll read in this issue of the Condenser about two important research projects, a new scholarship initiative and work to reach our funding goal for the Ammonia Refrigeration Foundation.

IIAR’s ARF-funded projects are great examples of the real-life value of IIAR’s committee work in our industry. The IIAR Research Committee, like all IIAR committees, is dedicated to solving real world problems, producing practical tools and advancing our understanding of our technology and operations in a way that makes what we do safer and more efficient.

In addition to awarding a new scholarship recipient for 2015, ARF has also launched a new process to select its research projects, which now starts with a simple, one-page form. The process makes it easier for IIAR members to submit their ideas to the research committee. The form, which is available online, is used to explain the proposed project, state its potential benefits and merit, and can be submitted by any IIAR member.

These types of initiatives are projects that really are state of the art in terms of addressing the practical information and design that underlie everything we do as an industry. And in the same way that the Research Committee is dedicated to solving practical in-use problems, all of IIAR’s committees are working to find meaningful, actionable solutions to issues that impact the dayto-day operations of our industry.

We’re pleased to announce that IIAR has recently formed a new committee. The Compliance Guidelines Committee is one of the organization’s newest committees. Its purpose is to review, revise and publish IIAR guidance documents that currently do not have a formal home within any of the other committees. Those documents include the Ammonia Data Book, the Process Safety Management & Risk Management Program and the Ammonia Refrigeration Management Program.

This committee will begin work to review those publications, and will also be working with the Standards Committee to develop a Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices standard.

Meanwhile, standards committee members, volunteers, and consultants are involved in the update and release of IIAR’s Suite of Standards, and that wide variety of perspectives is helping ensure we create the best resource possible.

While each of our IIAR committees are focused on different initiatives, collectively they are making the world of ammonia and natural refrigerants safer by ensuring all of us have access to the best resources available. Your involvement and input within this industry as IIAR members moves us all forward.

Of course, behind the ongoing work of our membership, our staff at headquarters is always working to deliver new products and resources, and our biggest resource, the IIAR Annual Conference is no exception.

The 2015 event was one of our best conferences yet. The packed technical paper sessions, workshops and technomercials were the usual highlights of our annual meeting, as well as the exhibit hall, which was crowded this year with a record-breaking number of exhibitors and sponsors, representing manufacturers, service providers and educational organizations.

It’s time to start thinking about how to use that renewed enthusiasm in the coming year to strengthen IIAR’s member presence and plan for our next event. The 2016 IIAR Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition will be held in Orlando, Florida on March 20-23, 2016.

As always, your staff, board and volunteer members are working hard to make sure the upcoming conference is an even bigger success.

We’re focused on many different initiatives this year, and as a volunteer member, you too can get involved in our industry’s work. Some of that work represents big steps the industry is taking to advance standards and safety, as in the case of the rewrite of the IIAR-2 standard. And some initiatives represent smaller, but just as important goals, like the creation of new task forces and committees. It is the ongoing support and participation of IIAR members that make these conversations possible. Thank you for continuing to enrich our industry with your collaboration, input, and knowledge.