Hi Lynn,

I just came across someone's reference to your email request about a
Proposed Energy Modeling Conference . As an independent consultant offering
whole building sim services to design clients, I would like to share my
input with you. I have also copied this to the eQuest-onebuilding.org users
list because I don't believe your initial email came through that
sim-communication avenue.

I am soo happy to hear that there is an initiative happening for this type
of venture. It is much needed and I anticipate that after word gets out--it
will be well attended by the consultants who are really interested in
investing time & learning in the simulation services niche of the industry.
I especially would like to encourage the emphasis for discussion of service
fees & a baseline for acceptable services. Let's face it--in this industry
niche, you truely do get what you pay for... This is something that really
needs to be suggested to the many firms and independent consultants who are
trying to offer these services and really don't have the full picture of
what all is involved in what we do...

As an independent consultant I vote that the attendance fees for this
conference be kept as low as possible. I do not carry a current membership
with ASHRAE only because I do not work for a firm that will pay for those
types of ancillary expenses--and honestly I'm too cheap to pay for my annual
membership out of my personal project income. However, I will definitely
start planning & saving money so that I can attend this conference.

I am looking forward to taking the new BEMP exam and am very happy that
there is an initiative from some organization to help normalize a base
criteria for quality energy simulators and quality whole building simulation
service providers. This should be a significant topic of education &
discussion at the conference in order to give the industry some baselines to
establish thier own services & fees.

As an ASHRAE committee there should be some discussion about the development
of simulation programs or the history of development. Obviously the first
choice for software in the North American markets currently is
eQuest/DOE2.2--I am only in business for myself because of this software
being freeware. (Again my 'cheap-ness' displays itself.) But then again
this type of design tool should be freeware--for everyone to have access
to. This is the only true way to fix our built environments and
subsequently our planetary environment. Continued support & development
initiatives for freeware software for these purposes are imperative for our
industry to move forward at the pace that designers are developing new &
more complex strategies to fix our energy use issues.

Furthermore, I would hope that a conference of this nature would work to
nurture a community environment for us simulators. So many of us know each
other via the email-threads & recognize names from others who have had
similar experiences or who have helped us directly. This industry is a
lonely one, especially if you are the only energy simulator in your
office--without being able to have the support of other energy simulators we
can feel very alone in this new design frontier that is still in it's
infancy. I love working on my own but my business would have a short chance
at success without the virtual community from the other simulators and I
(and so many others) turn to for support, clarification, mentorship and
training.

I have been doing whole building energy simulations since 1999 and have been
using eQuest (program of choice for me) since 2004. My start on this career
path was on a team at a M&E design firm who focused on sustainable design
and using whole building simulation for all design aspects from SD-CD phases
& post occupancy evals. I am in full support of ASHRAE's or anyones
initiative to offer a simulation-focused conference for the everyday users &
service providers. Yes I am aware of IBPSA and such, but my experience with
these conferences are that more of the discussions are based on the
development of these programs and capabilities of these programs to reflect
the design/construction reality of the building designs. So to have a
simulation conference for the everyday professionals that are just using the
programs in the capacity that they are available to offer the design
community answers they are being told they need to find (i.e. LEED &
Incentive program compliance purposes.) I have much respect for the
developers of these programs because they are pressured to develop the
program capabilities as quickly as designers are developing new HVAC system
approaches--I am in full support of a development fund that would contribute
to the continued development of these types of programs at a pace that can
support the design community's needs for complex HVAC system configurations
& equipment (i.e. chilled slabs, etc.)

I have attached my professional CV for your reference of my experience and
interest with whole building simulation. I welcome your contact if there is
anyway that I can assist with the planning of the conference or simply
promoting the effort for it. Bottomline though, please plan it in a
location that is easily accessible & cost effective so that I can be sure to
attend (from a financial perspective.)

I look forward to hearing more about your plans for this conference and will
keep my eyes/ears posted to these user lists.

Regards,

Pasha Korber

ASHRAE is in the early planning stages of an Energy Modeling Conference for
the spring of 2011 that is targeted for consulting engineering
practitioners. We are looking for input on the appropriate topics and/or
session types you would like to see at such a conference. Some topic
thoughts are: energy simulation, BIM, CFD and daylight modeling.

What conference content would prompt you to travel and attend such a
conference? Please be as specific as possible in describing what you would
like covered at the conference. What do you want to learn? What location(s)
in the US would draw the largest attendance, in your opinion?

Personal regards,

Lynn G. Bellenger, PE