EBOM

LEED speak for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance.
The USGBC has established a program to certify existing buildings at various levels of "green". There are no bad ideas in the standards and they reflect a broad consensus on best practices for an existing building. Even if there's no possibility of LEED certification (it's a big deal), consider the principles in this well done standard for the buildings you influence/own.

Cool USGBC Meeting re Retrofits

Back from an excellent USGBC-NCC meeting re high yield, low impact retrofits to significantly improve energy efficiency in existing buildings. Cool use of smarter thermostats and lighting control, mesh networking and clever sensors to yield of less than 1yr payback. SWEET!

ASCE Hoover Dam Symposium

The nextgen (Erin, the PE) sent me a note about an upcoming ASCE Symposium celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Hoover Dam. Certainly relevant to the IA/IH community.
Thanks Erin!
jay

SIA eNews Goes REALLY Live

In Jan 2009, I got the SIA BoD to agree to an experiment with member email. Over the last year or so, about 260 folks signed up, encouraged by signup blocks on the SIA web site and other places. So, after discussions w/ Don (who keeps the SIA actually working... THX), we merged his list of email addrs into the ConstantContact DB. First, the merge was essentially painless. Ten or so of his record from our member DB actually had two emails, easy fixes. Crafted an eNews with timely info (opening of on-line reg for the Fall Tour, etc.) and with all fingers crossed, hit SEND.
WOO HOO! We have valid email addrs for about 90% of our members (from the bounces), and about 50% of the recipients actually opened the mail, with about 20% of them clicking on one or more of the links in it.
I don't have any followers here, so let me celebrate in private...
WOO HOO!!!!
jay