Benner Award

Benner Award Winners Shine

On May 2, 2007, at the Opening Plenary and welcome session of the NCBC 2007, Hannah Friedman of PECI presented the 8th Annual Benner Award to the organization and the individual that made the year’s biggest strides in making commissioning “business as usual.” The award, created in memory of Nancy Benner, is presented at NCBC each year to honor those whose work moves the commissioning industry forward toward this goal. Benner Award recipients are selected by a committee of national experts on building commissioning from both the public and private sectors, who select based on a list of stringent criteria.

The organization award was presented to the Building Commissioning Association (BCA) for its members’ tireless work in promoting commissioning education, standardization, and best practices. The BCA is a non-profit organization with more than 800 members, including commissioning providers, owners, contractors, researchers, utility representatives, government agency representatives and students. Through its training programs, printed materials, free webcasts and extensive online library, the BCA has truly had a hand in transforming the marketplace through education, organization, and promotion of the commissioning process.

Of all the outstanding nominees in the individual category this year, the committee agreed that Dr. Dan Turner from Texas A&M University, the man known as “Mr. Energy Efficiency for the State of Texas,” should be recognized with the Benner Award for his impact on the commissioning industry. 

Dr. Turner is a pioneer in the field of commissioning existing buildings and has made a significant impact in this field while working as the Director of the Energy Systems Laboratory at Texas A&M University. There, champions the commissioning of universities throughout the state. Outside of his organization, he actively promotes commissioning by giving seminars and workshops; training facility operators and engineering students; and presenting to hundreds of practitioners, researchers, students and industry personnel around the world, creating a solid foundation for commissioning education for years to come.

Overview

In memory of Nancy Benner, the Benner Award recognizes outstanding achievement in making building commissioning "business as usual." This was Nancy's mission, her personal dream, and her challenge to each of us working in the commercial building industry.

The Benner Award Committee is accepting nominations for the 9th Annual Benner Award, a prize for excellence in efforts to make commissioning business as usual.

The committee seeks nominations of individuals and programs/organizations that have engaged in educational, demonstration, policy, or actual commissioning activities that successfully promote building commissioning. Nominations in those two categories will be accepted and will be judged separately. Resubmission of previous nominees is encouraged.

Benner Award recipients are selected by a committee of national experts on building commissioning from both the public and private sector. The committee may award multiple or no awards in each category.

For more information, contact:

Liz Fischer
Conference Manager
1400 SW 5th Ave
Suite 700
Portland, OR 97201
503-595-4468
lfischer@peci.org

Benner Award Criteria

Individual

• Impact of the nominee's commissioning work (for example: total square footage commissioned, types of buildings commissioned, programs and policies established, energy savings, number of clients, etc.)
• How the nominee has promoted commissioning within his or her organization
• How the nominee has promoted commissioning outside of his or her organization
• What makes the nominee's approach innovative and successful
• How the nominee's work has contributed to the commissioning marketplace

Program/Organization

• Volume of work over time (number of projects in number of years)
• Geographic regions served
• How the nominee has publicized the success of the program or organization (for example, case studies, marketing materials, presentations)
• Focus of nominee's commissioning-related research or educational activities, if any
• Tools and resources developed to facilitate commissioning, if any
• What makes the nominee's approach innovative and successful
• How the nominee's work has contributed to the commissioning marketplace

Past Benner Award Winners

• ASHRAE
• Building Commissioning Association (BCA)
• Rick Casault
• Chad Dorgan
• Dr. Chuck Dorgan
• Emory University
• Carl Lawson
• NYSERDA
• Mary Ann Piette
• Karl Stum
• Paul Tseng
• Dr. Dan Turner
• USGBC's LEED Green Building Rating System