Operation, Maintenance and Cost Management
ASHRAE Technical Committee 7.3

The ASHRAE Handbook is published in a series of four volumes, one of which is revised each year, ensuring that no volume is older than four years. 

This TC is responsible for Chapter 38 - Owning and Operating Costs & Chapter 40 - Operations and Maintenance Management in HVAC Applications 2023.

Upcoming

The next version of the chapters will appear in HVAC Applications 2027.

New members are welcome to join the handbook subcommittee at any time. To participate in this process, either attend the 7.3 Handbook Chapter meetings, or submit a comment using the link below.

Operation and Maintenance Management

Effectively managing operations and maintenance is essential for cost-effective provision of the built environment that humankind enjoys today. To derive the greatest return on existing building stock, and to ensure future generations will continue to enjoy these benefits, the built environment must be sustainable. A significant component of the sustainable facility is the way the structure and its systems are operated and preserved for the long term. This chapter presents several strategies, methods, procedures, and techniques for operation and maintenance management programs that minimize asset failure and preserve system function to deliver their intended purpose.

The ASHRAE HVAC APPLICATIONS HANDBOOK may be purchased from the on-line bookstore by clicking on the highlighted text.

Comment on the Handbook: ASHRAE welcomes your comments on the Handbook or a specific Handbook chapter.  To submit a comment about any aspect or part of the Handbook series, you can contact the Handbook Editor through the ASHRAE Handbook website.

Technical committees develop and sponsor technical sessions at the winter and annual conferences. Information about their future technical program is discussed at each TC meeting and at the TC’s Program Subcommittee meeting. TC 7.3 programs subcommittee members participate in online conference calls to share ideas and promote cross TC collaboration between winter and annual conferences.

Attendees of technical programs at ASHRAE conferences have access to session recordings online for a limited time after the conference. ASHRAE publishes papers and transactions from presentations at its conference events. In addition, ASHRAE records most of the seminar sessions from its conferences on DVD. These DVDs are ideal for use at chapter meetings, in university courses, or company lunch and learns. Products available from the most recent conference may be found here.

Programs presented at 2026 ASHRAE Winter Conference (Las Vegas):

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Forum 5: Renewal Meets Reality: Bridging the Gap Between Deferred Maintenance and Carbon Goals

Program Track: Future-Proofing the Built Environment

Room: Caesars Palace Las Vegas, P, Milano I/II

Sponsor: 7.3 Operation Maintenance and Cost Management, 1853, College of Fellows

Chair: Catherine Tinkler, EBCP, PMP, LEED AP O+M

Summary: This forum invites ASHRAE members to share real-world examples of why carbon reduction and renewal initiatives often stall before becoming reality. Despite growing pressure to decarbonize and future-proof buildings, financial constraints, technical hurdles, regulatory gaps, and organizational priorities frequently impede progress. Deferred maintenance backlogs, aging HVAC&R equipment, and buildings constraints pose significant challenges, as delaying replacement risks unexpected failures and operational disruptions. Through frank dialogue in a collaborative environment, participants will exchange experiences, explore these barriers, and share practical strategies that connect emissions reduction, resilience, and timely equipment renewal in the built environment.

Programs presented at 2025 ASHRAE Annual Conference (Phoenix):

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

9:45 AM - 10:45 AM MST

Seminar 47: LIVESTREAM: Simple, Virtual, Augmented, Mixed or Extended: In or Out of the Matrix, Reality is Integrated

Program Track: HVAC&R Systems and Equipment

Room: Phoenix Convention Center North Building, Level 2, 224B

Sponsor: 7.3 Operation Maintenance and Cost Management

Chair: Sonya Pouncy, CEM, LEED AP

Summary: Imagine entering a mechanical room and seeing, on all equipment, an overlay of setpoints and operating points. Imagine the equipment is color coded indicating whether it’s operating within ideal, acceptable, or unacceptable ranges. Today, building design regularly includes BIM, which early adopting owners incorporate into O&M. But visionaries are working on what comes next: using BI dynamically for on-going staff training and for trouble-shooting problems quickly & accurately in real-time. This session explores the extended reality future of building management and discuss some interim steps, like digital twins, we’ll encounter along the way.

Programs presented at 2025 ASHRAE Winter Conference (Orlando):

Sunday, February 9, 2025

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM EST

Seminar 5: LIVESTREAM: Practical Progression and Implementation to Decarbonization

Program Track: Pathways to Building Decarbonization

Room: Hilton Orlando, LL, Orlando V

Sponsor: 7.3 Operation Maintenance and Cost Management, 7.1 Integrated Building Design

Chair: Sonya Pouncy, CEM LEED AP

Summary: Three perspectives on how to approach decarbonization in existing facilities: planning, digitizing and categorization/organization. This seminar first explores how to approach aging infrastructure without losing sight of the need to decarbonize. This then looks at the role digitization, specifically a digital twin with analytics can play in decarbonization and overall operational efficiencies. Finally, this session discusses the roles of standard systems of information management and data tautologies on streamlining and decarbonizing operations.

3:15 PM - 4:45 PM EST

Panel 1: Long Term Outlooks for the Built Environment

Program Track: Future-Proofing the Built Environment

Room: Hilton Orlando, LL, Orlando VI

Sponsor: 7.3 Operation Maintenance and Cost Management

Chair: Aaron Sorrell

Summary: Many approaches to the future of the built environment have been proposed. This panel explores those options, and dives into the best approach(es) and the time frame to achieve them.  The panel discussion includes net-zero, decarbonization, passive house and other options, as well as the time frame to execute them successfully.

Monday, February 10, 2025

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM EST

Seminar 22: Developing a Carbon-Free Future Depends on Opening the Door the Past: Existing Buildings Hold the Key

Program Track: Pathways to Building Decarbonization

Room: Hilton Orlando, LL, Orange C

Sponsor: MTG EBO Effective Building Operations, 7.3 Operations Maintenance and Cost Management, TC 1.4

Chair: Jennifer Isenbeck, PE

Summary: To meet global decarbonization goals, keys to success will need to incorporate existing building stock (75% of buildings in 2050 already exist). Tools and resources are available for owners, engineers and invested stakeholders of existing buildings. Presentations focus on three different pathways that address energy efficiency, resource optimization, embodied carbon, policy and financing - all essential to decarbonization strategies. How can data, AI and building modeling impact capital and operating costs for infrastructure and equipment replacement?

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM EST

Seminar 36: LIVESTREAM: Interdisciplinary Dimensions of Occupant Behavior, Indoor Environmental Quality for Building Health

Program Track: Ventilation and Indoor Environmental Quality

Room: Hilton Orlando, LL, Orlando V

Sponsor: 7.3 Operations Maintenance and Cost Management

Chair: Chien-fei Chen, PhD

Summary: Building energy consumption and the built environment significantly influence various aspects of our lives, including climate change, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and physical and mental health. Notably, the integration of sustainable building technology with behavioral and socio-demographic dimensions in building research is lacking. This seminar proposal emphasizes human-centric research as the crucial link between the built environment, occupant behavior, social factors and the creation of healthy and sustainable communities. Our aim is to promote interdisciplinary research that contributes to developing human-centric building topics in decarbonization, sustainability, health, and occupant behaviors.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM EST

Seminar 48: Casting a Wider Net: Future-Proofing to Meet AEC Industry's Talent Demands

Program Track: Future-Proofing the Built Environment

Room: HIlton Orlando, LL, Orange A

Sponsor: 7.3 Operations Maintenance and Cost Management, 7.5 Smart Building Systems, College of Fellows

Chair: Filza Walters, MBA, FESD, FASHRAE

Summary: Academic programs provide engineering students with vital technical expertise and core competencies essential for success in a dynamic professional landscape. Diverse backgrounds and perspectives foster innovation, creative dialogue and problem-solving. Technical skills, combined with teamwork, communication and critical thinking, enhance market differentiation. Effective recruitment practices, academic preparedness and inclusive company culture are crucial. Identifying and addressing skills and knowledge gaps through re-skilling and lifelong learning strengthens the workforce. Talent development will be explored through young engineers, educators, and industry experts. Sharing best practices will prepare future generations to be "future-ready" and meet HVAC and building sciences industry demands.

Programs presented at 2024 ASHRAE Annual Conference (Indianapolis):

Forum 2: Integrating Thermal Storage and 40% Tax Credits into ASHRAE Standard 90.1

Seminar 13: Better Data and Analytics Enable Better Decisions Making on Building Operations and Decarbonization

CIDCO Seminar 9: Energy Master Planning of a Geothermal Community

Workshop 5: Buzzwords and Bias: Meeting in the Middle Advances the Whole

 ASHRAE writes standards for the purpose of establishing consensus for: 1) methods of test for use in commerce and 2) performance criteria for use as facilitators with which to guide the industry. ASHRAE publishes the following three types of voluntary consensus standards: Method of Measurement or Test (MOT), Standard Design and Standard Practice. ASHRAE does not write rating standards unless a suitable rating standard will not otherwise be available. ASHRAE is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and follows ANSI's requirements for due process and standards development. Standards may be purchased at the ASHRAE Bookstore.

This TC is responsible for the following Standards:

Guideline 1.3: Building Operation and Maintenance Training for the HVAC&R Commissioning Process

(TC 7.3 is Co-cognizant Committee, with TC 7.9 as lead Cognizant Committee)

Guideline 4: Preparation of Operating and Maintenance Documentation for HVAC&R Systems

Guideline 32: Sustainable, High Performance Operations & Maintenance

ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Std. 180: Standard Practice for Inspection and Maintenance of Commercial-Building HVAC Systems

(TC 7.3 is lead Cognizant Committee, with TC 2.4 and TC 9.8 as Co-cognizant Committees)

Standard 221: Test Method to Measure and Score the Operating Performance of an Installed Constant Volume Unitary HVAC System

 The purpose of this Education & Training Subcommittee of TC 7.3: Operations, Maintenance and Cost Management is to develop and disseminate training and education materials for best practices in operations, maintenance, and management of air-conditioning, heating, ventilating and refrigeration systems and equipment. Education and training efforts are targeted toward a broad audience including, but not limited to: HVAC engineers, O&M managers, O&M technicians, building owners and/or building occupants. Training and educational materials can be developed and delivered in multiple forms, including web-based resources, forums, seminars, workshops, and certifications.

 This subcommittee will also serve as a liaison with other ASHRAE committees, staff functions, external professional associations and training and education providers to support ASHRAE’s vision to be a global leader in educational information pertaining to operations, maintenance, and management of air-conditioning, heating, ventilating and refrigeration systems. 

 See ASHRAE’s mission and vision statements here: http://www.ashrae.org/about-ashrae/.

Technical Committees are responsible for identifying research topics, proposing research projects, selecting bidders, and monitoring research projects funded by ASHRAE. Information about their specific research program is discussed at each TC meeting and at the TC’s Research Subcommittee meeting.

1977-SP: Expand and update the ASHRAE Service Life Table in the HVAC Applications Handbook

Sponsor: TC 2.8 Building Environmental Impacts and Sustainability, Co-sponsor: TC 7.3 Operation Maintenance and Cost Management

In recent years, there has been a shift in the Architecture, Engineer, and Construction (AEC) industry from focusing solely on reducing operational carbon emissions to a growing focus on minimizing the whole-life carbon of buildings. To effectively estimate and analyze the true whole-life carbon impact of a building, it is critical to understand the estimated life expectancy of building systems and equipment. ASHRAE’s existing service life data is dated and is missing crucial information regarding equipment commonly used to electrify building systems. This research project will investigate the existing data for equipment service life and will expand and upgrade the existing Service Life Table in the ASHRAE Handbook – HVAC Applications with the goal to better support life cycle analyses with more accurate data and the inclusion of important equipment relevant to electrification of building systems.

RP 1650: Training Requirements for Sustainable, High Performance Building Operations

Sponsor: TC 7.3 Operation and Maintenance Management. Co-sponsors: TC 2.8 Building Environmental Impacts and Sustainability, TC 7.6 Building Energy Performance, TC 7.8 Owning and Operating Costs

The rapid advancement of building technology, codes, and performance expectations has created a gap in knowledge for the operation and maintenance of high performance buildings. The goals of this research are to identify the specific areas of operating staff training needed for high performance buildings, to assess the extent to which they are addressed by existing training tools, and to provide the foundation for training in those areas not currently addressed by existing products. Results of the project will contribute to ASHRAE’s ability to impact the actual operation of advanced designs and, for the broader society, to achieve buildings that operate with lower carbon footprints and higher indoor environmental qualities.

This TC is a member of the following MTGs:

Building Information Modeling
MTG.BIM will coordinate the activities of multiple TC/TG in the area of standards and approaches to support the implementation of BIM within ASHRAE products and within the industry workplace.  MTG-BIM will also represent ASHRAE interests within the BIM marketplace outside of ASHRAE and provide a conduit for funneling information about the BIM industry to ASHRAE members.

Operation and Maintenance Activities that Impact Energy Efficiency
MTG.O&MEE will coordinate TC/TG/TRG activities to help support the application of ASHRAE guidelines, Standards and other technical resources to support regulatory bodies, utilities, building owners and others who are attempting to enhance efficiency of existing buildings. Responsibilities include suggestions for research, development and presentation of technical programs of all types on maintenance and its impact on energy consumption and efficiency. It will be especially involved with interactions with those who are introducing and evaluating strategies for building efficiency enhancements.

ASHRAE Technical FAQs are provided as a service to ASHRAE members, users of ASHRAE publications, and the general public. While every effort has been made to ensure their accuracy and reliability, they are advisory and provided for informational purposes only, and in many cases represent only one person’s view. They are not intended and should not be relied on as an official statement of ASHRAE. Technical questions not addressed may be submitted to the ASHRAE Technical Services department at tse@ashrae.net.

The TC is responsible for the following FAQs:

Does ASHRAE have recommendations for equipment maintenance procedures and maintenance frequency?
Is there an economic justification for HVAC equipment maintenance?