BS-8 teleconference minutes - #9

12 December 2001

Participants: **Vlado Bazjanac** (LBNL, author of these minutes),
**Jean‑Pierre Bedrune** (Laurenti), **Jim Forester** (Marinsoft),
**Philip Haves** (LBNL), **Rob Hitchcock** (LBNL), **Pascal Poggi**
(EDIBATEC), **Kent Reed** (NIST), **Fritz Schmidt** (IKE), **Peng Xu**
(LBNL).

**Activity report.**

*Task 1 (Connectivity)* - TAG discussed general connectivity in two
teleconferences, with another scheduled for tomorrow. The existing crude
connectivity defined in the IFC object model will be expended by node
and connector definitions, plus port geometry. This is a broad approach
that should not impede higher level approaches. A draft of a white paper
should be available within the next two weeks.

*Task 2 (Time series)* - EXPRESS modeling of the time series schema is
finished. A new draft of the white paper will be distributed for review
next week.

*Task 3 (HVAC object/attribute/relationship sets)* - Most of the work
since the last teleconference focused on this task. Reviews of the lists
of components are lagging. Phil has received a few reviews, and some
additional promises of reviews. Reviewers have been identified for about
one half of the listed components. More assisting from BS-8 project
participants is needed. Phil expressed a concern that GPC-20 may not be
the best body to review the lists. Rob, Peng, Phil, someone from NIST
will be at ASHRAE and try to meet there. Phil will organize an informal
teleconference in the next week or so to prepare for ASHRAE. The basic
definitions of 75-80% of the critical definitions are already in the IFC
object model. A third structure is being added to define life-cycle
performance - instance. The model now contains type data (geometric
definition, manufacturer) - each instance has local placement, and
performance history with multiple instances. Heavy use of property sets
is expected for local variation. This will require extended generic
features of property sets to include time series, quadratic equations,
etc. Tables and curves both need to be in the model to define
performance data. Simplified geometry should be defined and referenced
through the existing IFC geometry model. Existing definitions of units
permit any combination and mixing desired.

*Task 4 (Electrical systems)* - Due to other work this task had no
recent activity; work will hopefully resume next week.

*Tasks 5 and 6 (Controls model + Relationship to BACnet)* - Phil had
sent an invitation to participate to about 10 people with interest in
modeling of sequences of operation; some of those are in the BACnet
community. He found out that those in the private sector are not ready
to contribute resources beyond reviewing other people=s work. The
approach to work on this task needs revisiting. Phil will organize a
mini-teleconference to discuss how to proceed - NIST, LBNL and French
representatives will participate.

*Task 7 (Integration of BS-7)* - No new work was reported for this task.

*Tasks 8, 9 and 10 (EXPRESS model, IFC model integration, and Early
implementation)* - Modeling work started related to a number of tasks.
It will be necessary to coordinate modeling with the results of reviews
of the listed components so that they are defined in EXPRESS only once.

*Tasks 11 and 12 (Project support + Coordination with the overall
CEC/PIER project)* - Both supporting agencies (DOE and CEC) are
continuously informed about the work.

Tasks 13 (The Project Advisory Group) - No news were reported regarding
the Project Advisory Group.

**Face-to-face meeting in Europe.** A meeting will be held in
conjunction with IAI technical meetings in Munich in January. It will be
a full day working session with participation of members of the IAI
Modeling Support Group (MSG); it will take place at Obermeyer offices in
Munich on Monday, January 14. Vlado will distribute the proposed agenda
before the next teleconference.

**Action items**:

-   Phil will organize a mini-teleconference to discuss how to proceed
    with work related to control systems;

-   Vlado will prepare and distribute the agenda for the meeting in
    Munich.

The next general BS-8 teleconference will take place on Tuesday, January
8. It will start at 17:00 GMT, which is 9:00 PDT, noon EDT, 18:00 in
Germany and France, 19:00 in Finland and 2:00 (December 5) in Australia.