Building Simulation Users Group
The Building Simulation Users Group (BSUG) was created in 2009 to help to start a community centered around architecture and engineering-focused building simulation. Three years, later, BSUG secured funding for another three years from the Idaho Power Company, whom also provided funding for the 1st three years. Dubbed "BSUG 2.0" the second cycle of the group made some tweaks to its mission and aspired to provide more value to its members than just a static lecture series. Users groups are in unique positions to generate content that draws upon the diverse expertise of its members and guest lectures. This content has the potential to help support and add value to the established simulation community. The goals of BSUG 2.0 include:
- Continue to procure a lecture series from internal speakers, local experts, and regional/national/international
- Create a website to house newly archived sessions and serve as a gateway of knowledge concerning building simulation
- Create a living document that outlines the simulation protocols used by the UI-IDL on projects
- Conduct market assessments of the market penetration of building simulation in the local market
BSUG 2025
There are six lectures given each year. Lectures are split up to be presented in the first half of the year and the end of the year. Topics include energy modeling software, integrating building performance in the design process, and workflow/methods for an integrated design process. Door prizes are given away each lecture. Prizes focus on energy efficiency or related lecture topics.
Newsletter Sign-Up
Click here to sign up for the BSUG newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest information and lecture topics.
Video Archive
All BSUG session are streamed live and then uploaded to our YouTube channel. To view past lecture please click here.
2025 Calendar
Click here to see this year schedule or past years of BSUG.
2025 Schedule
The schedule will be updated as details become available and is subject to change at any time. We are considering the following topics this year: Coming Soon
May 21st 2025 - AI - Driven HVAC Optimization with Tagup By Dr. Robert Lauer
Tagup’s optimization platform combines machine learning and physics to optimize HVAC equipment in real time, in response to changes in anticipated weather and load. By using HVAC engineering principles as a scaffolding for training, the platform can estimate the impact of operational changes on operating cost or carbon emission before collecting sensor data, and then continuously refine the models. Once deployed, it can optimize multiple control points—including condenser and chilled water temperature set points—to improve system efficiency while simultaneously ensuring the system delivers the projected cooling load. In this talk, we will provide an overview of the technology, how it is being deployed via integrations with building automation or distributed control systems, how it performs at different sites, and what is next in terms of development.
June 18th 2025 - ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2022 Appendix G Performance Rating Method By Olivia Brady
Join us for an overview of the ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2022 Appendix G Performance Rating Method. This session will highlight key updates from the 2019 to the 2022 version, explore how Appendix G has evolved over time, and showcase examples of projects that achieve—or fall short of—compliance. We’ll also compare Appendix G to the Energy Cost Budget method, the other performance-based compliance path in 90.1. Finally, discover how using alternative metrics like site energy, source energy, or greenhouse gas emissions can impact compliance results.
August 27th 2025 - Maximizing HVAC Efficiency and Resiliency in Cold Climates with Air-Source Heat Pumps and DOAS By Jordan Pratt
With the ever-increasing environmental impacts of local pollution and global emissions, there is a necessity for resilient, flexible, and efficient HVAC systems. Unfortunately, while HVAC systems are critical to our comfort and well-being, conventional systems are costly to operate and contribute to more than 50% of total building energy usage in commercial buildings. Dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) with decoupled heat pumps are a proven solution for reducing energy consumption since they optimize the control and functionality of ventilation and thermal comfort separately. When using very high efficiency heat recovery ventilation (>82 sensible recovery), inverter driven heat pumps, and thoughtful design decisions, this solution can work well in cold climates like 5B and 6B with design temperatures down to -15°F and below.
September 17th 2025 - Low Temperature Geothermal Systems By Carter Johnson
This presentation will focus on ambient to low temperature geothermal systems and thermal energy networks. It will begin with a quick review on how heat pumps work, the advantages to using them over traditional HVAC systems, then an in-depth description of the various ways they are coupled to the subsurface. This will include open loop, closed loop, novel technologies, and how to decide on the technology depending on local geology. This section will also briefly touch on low temperature systems and direct use technology.
The second portion of the presentation will widen the scope and explore the various ways geothermal systems can be connected to thermal energy networks. It will cover additional technologies/techniques used to store thermal energy, shave peak loads, and connect various sources and sinks. Last, this section will include two examples of thermal energy networks that utilize the techniques discussed in this presentation.
October 8th 2025 - BIM to BEM - Agile Energy Modeling for High Performance Building Design By Krishnan Gowri
Agile energy modeling provides a framework for robust energy modeling practices based on iterative development starting with BIM models, where the energy model evolves through collaboration between architect, MEP designers and a self-organizing cross-functional team of energy modelers. The collaborative and communicative nature of agile energy modeling needs a scalable infrastructure that can support building model management, analysis as well as delivery of modeling outcomes with software tools and infrastructure solutions. This presentation will introduce the concepts, best practices and evolving workflows that help automate the energy model creation from BIM for early design analysis to detailed design.
November 19th 2025 - Lecture Title By Dru Crawley
Description goes here.
