Is there an online resource of weekly or monthly meetings for energy modelers to interact with each other? Local IBPSA chapters or some other organization body like MeetUp, perhaps?
There are several resources that you might find useful. You can check for a nearby IBPSA Chapter in your country (USA, Canada) and contact them about upcoming events. IBPSA-USA also holds meetings every six months on the Saturday preceding ASHRAE conferences.
Of course, you can also participate on this site, Unmet Hours, and interact with peers and experts in the field!
A couple of mailing lists will occasionally announce seminars, webinars and social events for energy modelers:
Finally, there are also a few groups on LinkedIn that you might consider following. There are a lot of options here, and they all have something different to offer:
I would echo Neal Kruis but LinkedIn is also a big resource for connecting with people in your field.
This would be best as comment on the answer above rather than an answer. That way the OP of the answer can just include it as an additional detail if he judges it relevant.
Local chapters of IBPSA country affiliates for face-to-face interaction. For instance, IBPSA-Canada has been following the IBPSA-USA lead with local chapters in Toronto (GTA), Vancouver and Ottawa. Nothing like commiserating over a beer!
@Neal Kruis: can you please add Linkedin to your answer per @Monika Sharma's good comment? (Maybe quote the IPBSA group and its subgroups too?!).
Then, maybe @Aaron Boranian will be fully satisfied and be able to mark your answer as correct so that the subject is flagged as being resolved (for more info on accepting answer: http://meta.stackexchange.com/questio...).
Thanks all!
If you attend the ASHRAE conferences, we always have an IBPSA-USA dinner meeting on the Saturday afternoon and evening prior to the start of the ASHRAE technical program on Sunday morning.
Details are still being finalized, but the next meeting will be January 24th, 2015 in Chicago -- location TBD although I'm hoping we come to an agreement with the Berghoff.
There will be at least an hour of networking time at that meeting. This is one of the best opportunities to meet other energy modelers in person.
In addition to the networking, there will be industry updates, as well as a technical dinner presentation. Hope to see many of you there!
David
Building Energy Modelers hide in LOTS of places. As great as IBPSA is as at collecting the knowledge base and both leading edge practitioners and researchers, we are only a small part of the community. The email lists Neal suggests have a fairly large user base.
But, for meeting people locally I think you need to start watching for meetings by your local ASHRAE chapter and your local AIA chapter. I run into ASHRAE members all the time who never heard of IBPSA or the email lists. I run into even more architects who have heard of neither. I'd post links but since it's the local chapters you want to meet, it's up to you to find them.
The IBPSA chapters are a good source for meeting fellow modellers. Look out for notifications on the forums, we have a meeting in DC on October 22nd if you are in this area. NY, San Francisco, Chicago, LA and Boston hold regular meetings and there are many more around the country too. Often there are go to meeting links to these events as well.
What about www.LinkedIN.com if you are a member ( it' like Facebook for Professionals - 500 million business people around the world )
There are a number of IBPSA Groups. These Groups are aimed at the business side of it all, although there are many Academics as members too. These LinkedIN Groups support UnmetHours !
Also, the LinkedIN Groups are where non-energy modellers meet with the modelling geeks - a great way to do business.
1) IBPSA - International Building Performance Simulation Association - 4,800 members - http://www.linkedin.com/groups/IBPSA-...
2) Daylighting & Fenestration for Green Buildings - IBPSA - 2,400 members - http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Daylig...
Further there are many local IBPSA Chapter Groups ( listed in order of size )
A home for everyone ...
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