ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 50,000 persons with chapters throughout the world. The Society is organized for the sole purpose of advancing the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration for the public's benefit through research, standards writing, continuing education and publications. Through its membership, ASHRAE writes standards that set uniform methods of testing and rating equipment and establish accepted practices for the HVAC&R industry worldwide, such as the design of energy efficient buildings.

With more than 50,000 members from over 132 nations, ASHRAE is a diverse organization dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.

The Society's research program, currently more than 100 research projects worth nearly $8 million, investigates numerous issues, such as identifying new refrigerants that are environmentally safe. ASHRAE organizes broad-based technical programs for presentation at it's semi-annual meetings and co-sponsors the international Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Exposition, the largest HVAC&R trade show in North America.

The Lehigh Valley Chapter covers an area of Pennsylvania from roughly Reading to the west, Quakertown to the south, Phillipsburg, NJ, to the east, and the Poconos to the North.