april 15, 2026 ~ rothchild’s, 12:00 ~ 1:00

East Tennessee ASHRAE Members,

We will be having our April chapter meeting on Wednesday, April 15th at Rothchild’s Catering on Kingston Pike from 12:00 – 1:00 pm. Please come as early as 11:45 to socialize with other members and friends in our industry. Lunch cost will be $25 per person and will be payable by credit card, check, or cash at the door. 1 PDH will be available for attendance.

We are excited to announce that our April meeting will feature University of Tennessee Students

Presentation Topic - UTK Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Thermal Storage Design

The University of Tennessee (UT) campus at Knoxville yearly spends millions of dollars for its electrical services and about 25% of the cost is demand charges for comfort conditioning UT’s buildings from June through September. The demand can be significantly reduced by simply shifting the electrical load from on-peak to off-peak periods using direct expansion thermal storage systems (DX-TSS). Several campus chiller systems are nearing system replacement. A new planned central DX-TSS is targeted for Mossman, Hoskins and Senter Hall. 

Students were tutored in conducting building physics calculations to determine HVAC heating and cooling loads based on ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and ASHRAE Standard 62.1 for occupant thermal comfort in commercial buildings. Benchmarks of the building load will be developed in conjunction with Facilities Services Commissioning personal. Given benchmarked building loads, students will size, select and develop cost estimates for thermal storage equipment used to curb peak electrical loads for the Mossman, Hoskins and Senter Hall buildings.

Speakers:

Andrew LoPresti
Andrew LoPresti grew up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Aerospace Engineering. After graduation, he will join the Will County Department of Transportation in Illinois as a Permit Engineer.

Alex Ballard
Alex Ballard is finishing his fourth year in Mechanical Engineering. Originally from Portsmouth, Virginia and currently residing in Wisconsin, he has accepted a pilot slot with the 115th Fighter Wing in Madison, Wisconsin, where he will fly the F-35 Lightning II for the Wisconsin Air National Guard after graduation.

Andrew Kukkapalli
Andrew Kukkapalli is from Memphis, Tennessee and is currently studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. After graduation, he plans to pursue a master’s degree in mathematics.

Keegan Cole
Keegan Cole is a senior graduating in August and is currently seeking opportunities in HVAC, process, or quality engineering. He enjoys playing music, gardening, and cooking, and is especially interested in a smaller team environment with room to grow and learn from a senior engineer.

Cody Hicks
Cody Hicks is from Crossville, Tennessee and is a senior in Mechanical Engineering graduating in May. After graduation, he will be joining Direct Kinetic Solutions as a Mechanical Engineer I.

Register Here for the ETN ASHRAE April Meeting

Jared Murrell

Chapter President 2025-27