EMAIL INTERVIEW – Ray Bert and Ken Sinclair

Ray Bert, Executive Director, AABC Commissioning Group

Sinclair:  What should attendees of CxEnergy 2018 anticipate?

This will be our fifth CxEnergy Conference and Expo. When the event’s presenting associations, the AABC Commissioning Group (ACG), the Associated Air Balance Council (AABC) and the Energy Management Association (EMA), created it what we had in mind was that it would be an event people on both the service provider and building owner sides of the commissioning, energy management and test & balance industry would look to for the latest trends, technologies, and regulatory developments that impact them. We have definitely delivered on that promise this year.

Sinclair:  How so?

We begin by looking at our 32-session technical program. In terms of new technologies, we have a program on the use of drones in the architecture, engineering and construction industries with a particular emphasis on commissioning workflows. We’re responding to the building owner and service providers with a session on cybersecurity concerns in BACnet building automation systems. With microgrid deployments expected to grow 115 percent by 2020, frequent CxEnergy presenter Schneider Electric is back with cases studies on “Microgrids-as-a-Service.”

Regarding new technologies, we have Lutron with a session on tunable white lighting in the context of Well Buildings; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on next-generation analytics with data derived from digital controls and smart meters; Lucid demoing benchmarking products developed in their partnership with DOE; and, while not a technology per se, Citi’s presentation on its new “efficiency as a service” method of financing huge, multi-site retrofit projects will get attention.

As for the regulatory side, we’ll have presentations on the new ASHRAE 211 Energy Audit Standards, the latest on New York City’s ambitious Local Law 87 Audit and Retrocommissioning Statute, NFPA 92, Standard for Smoke Control Systems changes for 2018, and the National Institute of Building Sciences presenting on communities establishing energy performance and/or greenhouse gas emission goals.

And, as has become a CxEnergy tradition, we will feature numerous programs in the form of case studies in commissioning and energy management in a variety of important marketplaces such as education, healthcare, hospitality and data centers.

All of our sessions are AIA-approved for continuing education credits, which can also be applied to USGBC LEED general education requirements and, of course, the certifications provided by our own organizations.

Sinclair:  Which brings us to the Preconference Program of CxEnergy, what’s the 2018 version have to offer?

Our associations’ membership encompasses over 600 companies with nearly 2,000 employees who carry one or more of our certifications. CxEnergy is an ideal setting to become a part of this network.

We are offering certification workshops followed by exams for ACG’s Certified Commissioning Authority (CxA) and EMA’s Energy Management Professional (EMP) on Monday-Tuesday April 23-24. Last year the CxA attained ANSI Accreditation and DOE Better Buildings® Recognition, and the EMP is undergoing that process this year. We hope to have the EMP completed by CxEnergy, if not we expect it shortly thereafter. The EMP’s exam and training seminar have already been realigned to this regime.

On Tuesday, AABC is providing a Test & Balance Seminar for CxAs, Engineers and TAB Professionals. The presentation is geared to helping commissioning providers, engineers, and building owners understand how the test and balance process is carried out, why it’s important, and what expected results should be. It’s an excellent opportunity to demystify this important aspect of building operation and learn it from the preeminent experts in the field. 

Sinclair:  Another important aspect of CxEnergy is the Expo Hall, who and what will we see there this year?

This year’s group of top companies and organizations provide products and services to commissioning, energy management, and test & balance professionals as well as building and facility owners and operators. It ranges from manufacturers of HVAC products to metering and instrument suppliers, to lighting and technology products. We also have a contingent of service provider companies that are looking to build partnerships or offer unique services. You can view them all on the CxEnergy Sponsors & Exhibitors page of the website. The advice to companies that are considering exhibiting is to move quickly. More than 75 percent of the available space is sold out. The CxEnergy Exhibitor Prospectus is available on the website.

The exhibit hall is also a great place to meet CxEnergy’s sponsor companies, most of whom are also exhibitors. We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge our Gold Sponsors, CxAlloy®, Facility Commissioning Group (FCG), TLC Engineering for Architecture, and TMCx Solutions, LLC. Their long-time support has been greatly instrumental in CxEnergy enjoying the stature in the industry it does today.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]Sinclair:  An important driver of conference attendance is the ability to network and make business connections. What does CxEnergy have to offer in that regard?

Networking is a top consideration of CxEnergy planning. We provide for multiple receptions in our spacious expo hall as well as serving breakfasts and lunches there. This brings all attendees—from presenters to exhibitors to registrants—together in an informal setting with great food and beverage at hand.

This is all the more important as our event grows and diversifies. We’re putting service providers and building owners, facility managers and representatives of top commercial real estate and building maintenance & facility services companies together. This year, you’ll see companies like CBRE, ABM, BCC Management, Inc., ICF, Stanford University, University of Texas, Cities of New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas and many others from the building owner/operator side mixing with the outstanding commissioning, energy management and TAB service providers that have always been the backbone of CxEnergy. We’re expecting more than 550 participants.
 
Sinclair:  How can our readers get more information about CxEnergy and register for the event?

Our website (www.CxEnergy.com) features online registration, event and technical program schedules, prospectus, all the latest news, and a listing of CxEnergy sponsors and exhibitors. For other questions just phone our office at 202 737-7775 or send an email (anna@commissioning.org). We hope to see many of Automated Buildings' readers there, and we are offering them an exclusive discount, just enter promo code “SAVE10” on the registration form before March 23!