Jesse Sycuro
It’s hard to believe that we’re in the final days of 2023, getting ready to move into a new year. It seems like just yesterday that I was at the ASHRAE Winter Conference, working with the many volunteers who maintain, update, and draft standards and guidelines for our industry. I remember being in the conference room during one of the guideline discussions and leaning over to Liz, our Executive Director, to ask her if she had heard of this thing called ChatGPT. It’s been exactly a year since the language model launched in November 2022, and ever since, we have seen the continued acceleration of machine learning and AI technology playing a role in our work, our homes, and everyday life.
I started my professional career in 2000 in the U.S. Navy – where the smartest phones were Blackberry’s and pagers were a common tool on your belt. Going into the nuclear propulsion field, my days would often include carrying a clipboard to document reactor operations and review the logs in the plant, which included many more handwritten notes and readings (all on clipboards). I feel old and dated, but it’s only been a little over two decades, and in that short period, we have seen exponential growth in how technology touches every aspect of our lives.
Long gone are clipboards and old pneumatic systems in our buildings (funny to think that pneumatic systems were the original open protocol building systems). Today, it’s not farfetched to think about how the future building systems will self-diagnose their performance and tell us when they need maintenance and repairs – with the potential of moving towards fully autonomous built environments with dispatch and coordination of the work to be done.
But with the great power of technology in our building systems comes great responsibility, and we’ve seen the application of technology take us down some challenging rabbit holes over the last few years. Where we see ‘analysis paralysis’ with the inundation of data coming at us, drowning in the amount of information and lacking the ability to prioritize or discern action from the noise. Where we have lost connection with each other, relying too much on virtual meetings that separate the relationships we need to thrive. Where we see a trend where we use remote testing and models to evaluate buildings over the value of seeing, feeling, and hearing systems in operation in the field. Where cybersecurity breaches are on the nightly news, and building systems are targeted for access to sensitive information. And, where building technology is being implemented at such high levels of complexity with the best of intentions but at the same time with the risk of making simple tasks like turning the lights on a real challenge for operators.
As we reflect on the rapid changes and challenges brought on by the technology evolution in the building industry, the one constant that grounds me and gives me a great sense of hope for how we will, as an industry, continue to deliver buildings that work is Commissioning. It is the human element of what we do that brings the building industry together, bridging the gap between design, construction, and operations of systems; that brings contractors, engineers, and maintenance staff to the table to drive solutions that create better outcomes as a whole than as individuals, and that gives thoughtful insight to when and how technology can be best applied to analyze, monitor, and maintain building performance long after construction is complete. We are at our best as Commissioning Providers when we bring project teams and stakeholders together – with the value of communication, change management, and connecting us to work towards meaningful solutions that drive high-performance systems and buildings – supported by technology that works for the benefit of the building, not against it.
As technology and building systems continue to advance, the need for adaptability becomes paramount. Through our commissioning processes and systematic approach to identifying and managing changes throughout a building’s lifecycle, we build an understanding of what building owners, operators, and technicians need for long-term success and use that knowledge to inform and steer the design and construction to meet owner requirements.
In my early days as a Commissioning Provider, I didn’t fully grasp the value of the Commissioning meetings held in the small construction trailers on the job site. But these meetings are invaluable to bringing project teams together – not focusing on issues but working together towards solutions. Commissioning Providers are the glue that, when done right, maintains the project team’s focus on priorities with open dialogue that creates an environment where challenges are identified early, innovative solutions are proposed, and consensus is reached.
Bringing people together is THE fundamental aspect of building commissioning, and this connection of people goes beyond the technology, systems, equipment, and bricks and mortar. Commissioning brings us together to make buildings work.
It is with great appreciation that I look back at the past year and value the time we’ve had together – at the Leadership Summit in the Spring, where our chapter and committee leaders and volunteers set our goals and focus of our efforts this year, the work we’ve done together in updating and maintaining our Best Practices, at the hard work put into updating our online training that is coming out soon, and in seeing so many friends and even more so in making new friends at our Annual Conference in the Fall. Thank you to all the volunteers who have helped move Commissioning closer to business as usual, our staff that support our efforts, and our members who help carry forward our BCxA values - you are at the heart of bringing people together through building commissioning.
Wishing you all the best in the new year,
Jesse Sycuro
BCxA President, 2023