While the focus on product innovation will continue at January’s AHR Expo, another useful tradition will continue elsewhere in the building. Our friend and advisor Ken Sinclair, the boss over at www.automatedbuildings.com, is bringing his array of co-presenters and free sessions to the show again this year. Let’s take a quick look at the topics on tap for the building automation crowd in Orlando.

The Reinvention of Building Automation
Monday, January 25 @ 9 a.m. / Ken Sinclair & Jim Sinopoli
The premise here is that while the complexity of building automation isn’t going anywhere, applications like web services, SaaS, and browser presentations can make the entire endeavor more comprehensible and manageable. The pair will also look at what’s transpired since last year’s show and do some crystal-ball gazing about what awaits in 2010.

Applications For BIM in Existing Buildings and Cloud Document Management
Monday, January 25 @ 1:30 p.m. / Dave Branson & Ken Sinclair
Two very hot topics of late, with cloud computing mentioned recently in this space and already an increasingly relevant factor in the mission critical area as well. BIM, however, is usually mentioned more in the context of new building design, so I will be interested to get an expanded perspective on what it can contribute.

Introduction To Cloud Services For Buildings
Tuesday, January 26 @ 9:30 a.m. / Jim Sinopoli & Ken Sinclair
These colleagues open up the three Tuesday entries with a session devoted solely to exploring how various internet entities (say that five times fast) are already using this technology to provide their products and services, with an eye toward picking up relevant ideas for your own use.

Building Automation Gets Griddy While Colliding With The Corporate Enterprise
Tuesday, January 16 @ 1:30 / Dave Branson & Ken Sinclair
On top of previous building automation concerns, how do designers and owners factor in the matter of the electrical grid and increasing real-time pricing schemes? Learn about the intelligent building products and middleware technology coming from the IT sector to help make the most of these opportunities.

Collaborative Energy: Informed Communities of Building Systems
Tuesday, January 26 @ 3:00 p.m. / Toby Considine & Ken Sinclair
As Considine explains, “Loose integration will create a premium on autonomous performance and inter-systems collaboration. Energy and schedule-aware systems will compete on richness of user interface Learn how these expectations will change consumer and owner purchasing decisions.” This seems like a logical follow-up to a couple of the previous sessions.

If what's happening today and what might happen tomorrow in the BAS universe is of interest to you, then I'll hope to see you there for some of the fun.


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