ASHRAE is the global authority on heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration engineering. The society develops the technical standards, design handbooks, and engineering methodologies used worldwide for refrigeration system design and specification.

Cold Chain Relevance: ASHRAE provides the foundational engineering calculations that underpin every cold chain facility and refrigerated vehicle in South Africa. The ASHRAE Handbook—Refrigeration contains the thermal load calculations, insulation specifications, and equipment sizing formulas essential for cold room design. Critically for South African operations, ASHRAE publishes altitude correction factors for refrigeration equipment—compressors and condensing units lose approximately 3-4% capacity per 300 metres of elevation, making these corrections essential for Highveld installations at 1,500+ metres. The society’s standards cover blast freezer design, controlled atmosphere storage for fresh produce, and pharmaceutical cold storage validation protocols. For cold chain operators and equipment suppliers, ASHRAE resources enable accurate equipment specification, energy consumption forecasting, and facility design that performs to requirements in South African conditions. The society’s SA chapter provides local networking and access to technical resources.