“Comprehensive Information Transfer Approaches for Advanced Building Controls and Management Projects”  by Mr. Dave Vigliotta, Dr. Xiaohui "Joe" Zhou and Mr. Gwelen Paliaga (ESTCP Project Webpage)

Advanced building controls and energy management strategies could result in an average of nearly 30% energy savings. Unfortunately, there is an industry-wide knowledge gap on how to utilize advanced controls to capitalize on energy savings and to ensure that buildings run at peak performance. The objective of this ESTCP-funded technology transfer project, led by Slipstream, in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Texas A&M University and TRC, was to develop and deliver a comprehensive training and education platform for disseminating building controls basics and advanced building controls concepts to Department of Defense (DoD) stakeholders and decision-makers including energy managers, engineers and building operators. 

Project topics included fundamentals of building control systems, common advanced control strategies, energy modeling, intelligent building operation and advanced energy performance monitoring, continuous commissioning, control system re-tuning, and the new American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Guideline 36 titled “High-Performance Sequences of Operation for HVAC Systems”. The project was designed to enable DoD stakeholders to make more informed decisions, better specify and commission building control systems, and manage and operate buildings more efficiently. The project also promoted awareness and allow for the broader adoption of the ASHRAE Guideline 36 within the DoD. This webinar introduced the training content available to DoD managers, and presented results from ongoing field demonstrations of ASHRAE Guideline 36. 

Mr. Dave Vigliotta is director of strategic partnerships at Slipstream in Madison, WI. He is responsible for developing and implementing strategic business initiatives and marketing strategies that support Slipstream’s education, research, policy and programs work. He also manages and designs education and training portfolios for Slipstream and collaborates with Slipstream's research and innovation team to create strategic alliances with the public and private sectors. Additionally, Dave works closely with foundations and philanthropic organizations to advance Slipstream's mission and impact through innovative grants and initiatives. He recently served as panel co-leader for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Dave earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.

Dr. Xiaohui "Joe" Zhou is a principal engineer at Slipstream in Madison, WI. He has over 25 years of experience in building controls and his current areas of research focus on emerging technologies and product field testing and verification. Before joining Slipstream, Joe worked for several organizations including the Iowa Energy Center and Johnson Controls. He has served as principal investigator for multi-million-dollar R&D projects funded by the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. He is a member of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). He is a professional engineer and an AEE-certified energy manager. Joe earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Connecticut, and a doctoral degree from Iowa State University.

Mr. Gwelen Paliaga is a technical director within the research and technology commercialization group at TRC in Oakland, CA. He has 15 years of experience in commercial building energy efficiency and building science research. He brings his expertise in the design and operation of high-performance buildings, research and emerging technology, codes and standards development, and a strong project management background to his role at TRC. He has a long history of facilitating collaboration between the design and construction industry, property owners and managers, academic research, public agencies, and utilities. Gwelen is currently the vice chair of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Guideline 36 Committee. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in architecture with building science emphasis from the University of California, Berkeley.