ATLANTA — Meline Engineering and ASHRAE have set up a scholarship fund in honor of Kirk Mescher.

Mescher, an engineer who specialized in HVAC but whose real forte was innovation, passed away in August. Mescher started Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) design in 1993, prior to ASHRAE publishing design criteria for GSHP. He designed and constructed his own test rig for ground thermal properties testing, developed the one-pipe distribution system for GSHP systems, and extended its application from individual building to campus scale. Mescher also pioneered ground-loop designs that eliminated the use of costly valve vaults and associated manifolds along with outside air-handling designs that permitted the use of standard heat pumps for this duty. His GSHP designs consistently achieved U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scores in the 90th percentile. Active in ASHRAE at all levels, he achieved Fellow, Distinguished Service, and Exceptional Service statuses. He also served as chair of the Society Program Committee, Conferences Committee, TC 5.5 (Air-to-Air Heat Recovery), was a member of TC 6.8, and served as an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer.

The scholarship award is designed to assist teaching faculty interested in developing course material on GSHP or otherwise providing geothermal heat pump information to students; students interested in a career in HVAC and interested in attending an ASHRAE conference or course addressing GSHP; and practicing engineers, teaching faculty, or students who have an idea for an elegant way to achieve greater energy efficiency. Applicants could also include practicing engineers, teaching faculty, or students who have an idea for an elegant way to be more energy efficient and could use this award to test their idea(s) and put them into practice.

The Geothermal Exchange Organization (GEO) donated $1,000 to the fund and has challenged others to match and exceed the contribution.

The award will be administered through the ASHRAE St. Louis Chapter. Contributions and checks should be made out to St. Louis Chapter ASHRAE Scholarship Fund - “Kirk Mescher Scholarship” and mailed directly to Renaissance Financial, Attn: John Bayer, 5700 Oakland Ave., No. 400, St. Louis, MO 63110

Publication date: 12/14/2015 

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