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ASHRAE Installs Wichai Laksanakorn as Director, Regional Chair
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ALBUQUERQUER, N.M. – Wichai Laksanakorn, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, Life Member, chair, W. and Associates Group, Bangkok, Thailand, was installed as director and regional chair of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) at its 2010 Annual Meeting held here June 26-30. ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. Its sole objective is to advance through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world. As director and regional chair, Laksanakorn serves on ASHRAE’s Board of Directors and as chair of the Society’s Region XIII, representing the Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand chapters.  He oversees the activities of the chapters in this region and represents them in Society activities. He will serve a three-year term from 2010-2013. “With increasing evidence of global warming, an energy-efficient building is a must,” Laksanakorn said. “ASHRAE, as a leader in energy efficiency standards, should try via its international links that its Standards are known and adopted in totality or in parts by government agencies and private sectors worldwide.  ASHRAE shall lead, both at home and aboard, in enabling net-zero-energy building  to be realized at affordable cost worldwide via innovations of new building design strategy, energy efficient HVAC&R systems, environmental and economic assessment of building performance and identification of onsite renewable energy sources to achieve net-zero-energy building.” Past service includes Region XIII assistant regional chair and a member of the Thailand Chapter Board of Governors.  Laksanakorn has a Master of Science from Oregon State University Corvallis, with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Ref: ASHRAE NEWS,June 30, 2010 (http:www.ashrae.org)