Are you aware of CABA's Intelligent & Integrated Buildings Council and it's six Task Forces?

Task Force 1: Intelligent Building Ranking System
Task Force 2: Middleware
Task Force 3: Life Cycle Costs Analysis Tool
Task Force 4: Best-Practices Guide for Intelligent Building Technologies
Task Force 5: Demo Project - High Performance Building
Task Force 6: FIATECH - Capital Projects Technology Roadmap

How can I get involved?

Both Task Force 1 and Task Force 3 have come to a point that we require funding. We are pursuing government and industry funding sources but, as you are probably aware, funding is scarce everywhere. We need your assistance in identifying potential funding sources, potentially including your own company. At this point, we don't expect that any one organization will be providing large funding amounts - instead, we will be pursuing smaller amounts from multiple sources. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I would be more than happy to tailor "funding proposals" to meet the specific requirements of any potential funding source or to direct the funding to a specific Task Force. Kirk McElwain, Technical Director
Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) Your Information Source for Home & Building Automation
Tel: 519.846.1916 or Toll Free: US/Canada: 888.798.CABA (2222)
Mexico: 001.888.514.2222
mailto:kirkatcaba@sympatico.ca
http://www.caba.org

Complete minutes are posted on the IIBC Forum at http://caba.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x.

What is Task force 1 Intelligent Building Ranking System doing?

Tom Lohner Chair of the IIBC and Chair of Task Force 1 reviewed the proceedings from the 1.5 day workshop/forum at BuilConn in April:

• The Ranking System is focused on technology – not energy, such as LEED and EnergyStar.

• The intent is to develop a tool that can be used by architects, building owners, building developers, commercial real estate, etc.

• For a certified ranking (probably driven by Appraisal Institute) will need certified professionals.

• For tool to be useful, we need to develop content detail on each line item in the matrix.  There will be an RFP developed by the TF

• A second RFP will be developed for the creation of the actual online ranking tool.

• In order to promote awareness, the tool will be made available for free to CABA Members and there may be a small charge to non-members.

• Task group must focus on:
  °         Develop two RFPs.
  °         Identify funding.  A suggestion was made that perhaps we can sell advertising links on the tool web page to help fund development.
  °         Continue to review narrative – the professional organization that we hire to develop the content detail may develop only about 60% of the final - the remainder we expect to come from industry feedback.  The Whole Building Design guide (www.wbdg.org) developed by Sustainable Building Industry Council (www.psic.org) for free and maintained by Stephen Winter Associates provides a facility for feedback – perhaps we can leverage.

• Schedule for completion – Q2 2005 – depending on funding.  Funding requirement expected to be $100 – $125K USD.

What is Task Force 3 – Life Cycle Costs doing?

Tom Lohner, Chair, IIBC 

• The driver behind building construction is the bottom line – up front cost has been a major stumbling block to the implementation of intelligent building technologies.  TF3 is developing a life cycle costs analysis tool – starting with conceptualization – to help prove to the stakeholders that IBT is less expensive over the full life cycle of the building.  The intent is to develop a tool that will help design professionals, system integrators and building owners identify where costs come from when developing an intelligent building.

• The online survey to collect verifiable, documented, quantitative data from public and private large buildings is now available at www.caba.org/survey.  All IIBC members are requested to ask building/facility managers within their own company and/or customer locations to complete the survey.  In order for the eventual online tool to be accepted by the industry stakeholders, it is imperative that the data being used is real.

• The interim white paper is now available as well at: http://www.caba.org/councils/tf3.html. This paper can be used as background information to help convince contacts to complete the survey.  If the reader buys the existing assumptions, than it will be obvious that IBT provides the best LCC.

• We have talked to NIST – they have a group specializing in LCC.  We may be able to use their BLCC as engine for our online tool.  If we are successful, it will help us get to market quicker and keep costs down.

• Funding is required for this Task Force as well – estimate $75K to complete an online tool.

Can you help? Read my interview with Tom in our August issue.

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