Thomas Phoenix is currently working with Mechanical Contractors, LLC – a design/build HVAC contractor with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina. He previously worked as a Principal in two architectural/engineering firms for over 30 years. He has a B.S. degree in engineering from NC State University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina and six other States and has over 35 years of experience in the design, operation, and maintenance of building mechanical systems.
Mr. Phoenix has been an active member of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) since 1982, and was elevated to the grade of Fellow in 2011. He is an ASHRAE Presidential Member, having served as Society President in 2014-15. He previously served terms on ASHRAE’s Board of Directors as Society Treasurer, Society Vice President, as a Director at Large, and as Director and Regional Chairman of Region IV. His past ASHRAE activities also include serving as the Chair of ASHRAE’s Members Council, Chair of Publishing and Education Council, and as the Chair of numerous ASHRAE committees and task groups. Mr. Phoenix is an ASHRAE certified Building Energy Modeling Professional (BEMP).
Mr. Phoenix is the immediate past Chair of the Advanced Energy Design Guide Steering Committee, and a Co-Chair of the original ASHRAE Task Force for Building Decarbonization. He also currently serves as Vice Chair of the National Institute of Building Sciences.
Mr. Phoenix is active in his local community. He is a graduate of Leadership Greensboro, a member of the Leadership Greensboro Alumni Association and a past member of the Board of Trustees for the Greensboro Children’s Museum. He is a Charter Member and Past President of the Gate City Rotary Club. He served as a Committee Chairman for the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic for Cancer Research for 19 years.
He is married to the former Rebecca Champion, and he and Becky have two children.
Technology changes and advances literally every day; and, just in the last generation, these advances have completely transformed the way buildings are designed, constructed, and operated. This program will look at some of the history of advances in technology and how these advances have changed the AEC industry. The program will also discuss how new technologies will affect the future of our industry.
Learning Objectives:
▪ Discover the Technology Curve
▪ Review the History of Technology & Technology Life Changers
▪ Look at Current Trends and How They Have Affected Our Industry
▪ Explore What the Future Might Look Like
This program will define the characteristics of a "high performing building" and how to identify and measure those metrics. It then discusses the tools that can be used to identify and analyze potential measures for improving the operating performance of the building.
Since 2002, ASHRAE, the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), USGBC, and AIA, with support from the Department of Energy, have collaborated on a series of Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs) that would result in significant energy savings in the built environment beyond what is expected by using only ASHRAE Standard 90.1. The AEDG series of documents is now one of the most popular publications in ASHRAE’s history with over 600,000 copies in circulation.
This program will review a brief history of the AEDG Series, and then focus on the newest group in the AEDG series – Achieving Zero Energy. The first volume in this new series is for Zero Energy K-12 School Building Design, and the program will highlight the major steps and Integrated, systematic approach for achieving Zero Energy in schools.
A soft skills program. Building on the concepts introduced in the 2014-15 ASHRAE Presidential Theme, this program will discuss how to establish meaningful goals and the steps need to achieve those goal. The program focuses on the importance of attitude and dedication to be successful in both your professional and personal life.