EMAIL INTERVIEW – Ron Zimmer and Ken Sinclair

Ron Zimmer is President & CEO of Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA)

Ron is committed to achieving the organization’s vision:
“CABA advances the connected home and intelligent buildings sectors.”

Mr. Zimmer joined CABA in 1997 working with industry leaders who promote integrated systems and home/building automation throughout the world. CABA’s members include manufacturers, dealers, installers, service providers, energy utilities, builders, consultants, research organizations, publishers, educational institutions, governments, associations and content providers. In addition to working closely with the CABA Board of Directors, Ron is actively involved with a number of industry committees/councils including the CABA Intelligent Buildings Council, CABA Connected Home Council, and represents CABA on the Automation Federation Board of Directors. He is also on the Advisory Board for IBcon, an intelligent buildings conference hosted by Realcomm.

He was instrumental in establishing the CABA XML and Web Services Committee (oBIX), which now resides with OASIS. He was also on the transition team that integrated the Internet Home Alliance into CABA, which became CABA’s Connected Home Research Council. Ron is a Certified Association Executive with over 30 years of Association Management experience.  He has authored a number of articles and documents including, “Smart Communities: A Concept Paper,” and he regularly makes presentations on integrated buildings and home/building automation at many international industry events.

Email: zimmer@caba.org  
Web site: www.caba.org
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/caba_news
LinkedIn (9,400+): http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2121884

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Sinclair:  What is CABA and what is its mission?

Zimmer:  The Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) is a leading international, non-profit, industry organization that promotes advanced technologies in homes and buildings. Its 350+ strong corporate members and 28,000+ individual industry contacts are leaders in advancing integrated home systems and building automation worldwide. 

Our mission is to enable organizations and individuals to make informed decisions about the integration of technology, ecosystems and connected lifestyles in homes and buildings.

Sinclair:  How do you get your message out at events?

Zimmer:  CABA has just implemented a new Outreach Program, whereby CABA members and staff will share and showcase research at six upcoming industry events in 2018. The main objective is to share CABA research and information with industry stakeholders that do not get the opportunity to attend our flagship CABA event. To assist with this new strategy, the CABA Board will be shifting its face-to-face meetings to coincide with major industry events in January and June of 2018. 

Sinclair:  Will you be holding sessions at the upcoming AHR Expo?

Zimmer:  Yes.  At AHR Expo, CABA will coordinate the following four sessions.  The cost of attendance is free (as included with AHR Expo registration).

Connected Home IoT Energy Roadmap
Monday, January 22| 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Room S104A
This session will present the findings of a $150,000 research project being completed by Frost & Sullivan, entitled “Connected Home IoT Energy Roadmap”. The roadmap provides a comprehensive examination of all the major aspects of energy in the smart home, including: state of the market, key industry players, business opportunities, technical barriers and opportunities, future market direction, issues, case studies, along with industry recommendations.

Improving Organizational Productivity with Building Automation Systems
Monday, January 22| 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | Room S104A
This session will present the finding of a $150,000 research project completed by the National Research Council (NRC), entitled “Improving Organizational Productivity with Building Automation Systems”. This research synthesized existing data which will enable decision-makers to benchmark their buildings against others on multiple organizational productivity metrics. This presentation will provide guidance concerning how to use this information to make strategic building decisions for their organizations for the benefit of the organization and its employees. 

Intelligent Buildings: Design & Implementation
Tuesday, January 23| 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Room S104A
This session will present the finding of a $150,000 research project being completed by Frost & Sullivan, entitled “Intelligent Buildings: Design & Implementation”. This research addresses the approach and application of technical design in intelligent, high-performance buildings from the perspective of architects, building engineers, designers, OEM hardware/software providers, service providers and facility managers. Topics that are covered include: automated lighting and shading, system integration, HVAC configurations, real-time controls, comfort and productivity, security and access control.

CABA Intelligent Buildings Town Hall
Tuesday, January 23| 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | Room S104A
This session is open to all AHR Expo attendees and is an open discussion on all topics or issues related to intelligent buildings. The session will let industry stakeholders network with peers, while also gaining valuable insight into what is happening right now in the intelligent buildings industry.

Sinclair:  Will you be participating in any other sessions?

Zimmer:  Yes.  We will also work in conjunction with GridWise™ Architecture Council (GWAC) to offer a session on integrating smart building and smart grid technologies.  Here are the session details:

Integrating Smart Buildings to the Smart Grid: Creating Greater Value on Both Sides of the Meter
Monday, January 22| 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Room S103A
Industry experts from GWAC, CABA, and LonMark will come together during this unique session to discuss industry trends, technology, regulations, and standards relating to the development of grid aware buildings. This session will introduce the complexity of how distributed energy resources (DERs), building energy loads, and building energy management interfaces relate to the management, reliability, and resilience of the power grid.

Sinclair:  Can I get more information on how to meet with CABA at the event?

Zimmer:  For more information about CABA's attendance at these events, or to schedule an interview or meeting please e-mail caba@caba.org.  To learn more about our organization, please go to our Web site at www.caba.org.