Andy is a researcher in the Hybrid Energy Systems group at NREL. They hold a BS, MS, and PhD in Computer Science, and they primarily perform applied data-driven research. Their work spans from energy production (grid integration, energy resilience, energy storage) to energy consumption (buildings, transportation) and beyond.
How long have you been a member of IBPSA-USA?
About 4 years
Why did you join IBPSA-USA?
I joined IBPSA-USA in 2020 after I'd been working on building-focused research for a few years. Initially, I joined the Urban Scale Simulation and Emerging Simulation Technologies subcommittees of the Research Committee.
What’s your favorite part of being a member of IBPSA-USA?
Definitely all the connections I've made, especially with fellow volunteers I've worked with. I've met people from across the spectrum, researchers and practitioners from all stages of their career. I've also found IBPSA-USA to be very open to new ideas.
Can you describe the volunteer work you do with IBPSA-USA?
I'm currently the chair of the Research Committee, and multiple working groups. I've also served as a member of the Scientific Committee and the Board of Directors. Some of the things I've done as a volunteer include organizing HackSimBuild, reviewing a lot of papers, editing the 2022 SimBuild special issue of STBE, coordinating the Your Guide to SimBuild Success webinar series, and coordinating the publication of SimBuild proceedings with IBPSA-World. Of course, all these activities were team efforts.
How did you get involved with this volunteer work?
I started out just attending the subcommittee meetings and participated in discussions. Eventually, I was invited to join the Research Committee, and earlier this year, I took over as a chair.
To someone who is interested in participating in IBPSA-USA, do you have any words of encouragement?
Just start joining meetings! People on the committees are all very friendly and we want to hear from you!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter the field of building performance simulation?
Don't be afraid to ask for help! For general advice on how to approach a variety of problems, the Ask A Modeler column has some great guidance, and for specific questions, Unmet Hours is another great resource. There are also lots of tutorial videos out there for specific tools.
Fun fact that people probably don’t know about you!
I love dance, and will spend an average of 8-10 hours per week dancing Brazilian Zouk and Argentine Tango.
