I am delighted and honoured to assume the chair of CIBSE Ireland and will endeavour to maintain the high standards set by the previous chairs of the committees. I have thoroughly enjoyed the past number of years working with the committee in a number of areas including the conference, annual lunch, CPD events and the student awards. I have also witnessed first hand the dedication and commitment of committee members to the Institution and its activities.
I thank both Tony McKinley for inviting me onto the committee in the first place, and Derek Mowlds for inviting me to be the vice chair for the last two years. May I take this opportunity to congratulate and thank Derek for chairing the committee, and for delivering an excellent programme of CIBSE events and activities during his tenure. Derek’s experience and knowledge gained from his past experience on the CIBSE committee made for an easy transition to chairman and the responsibility that comes with this position.
I will continue to rely on the advice and guidance of Derek and other past chairs as I feel that each year we should continue to build on the successes of previous years. I look forward to working with the committee going forward and thank those who have agreed to continue with their roles and activities, and others who have assumed new roles. I completely understand that it is becoming increasingly difficult for us all to devote this time to the Institution, but feel that there is a corresponding benefit to the companies and organisations that support our involvement, as well as the wider engineering community.
I will start work immediately on the programme of events and activities for the year ahead and will be in touch with the committee over the next few weeks to finalise our plans. I would also like to welcome new committee members, Patrick Field and Andrew Campbell, and look forward to their involvement and participation over the coming year – the committee needs to continually develop and new members are always welcome.
So, In terms of the year ahead, and some of the challenges that we face as a sector, I am determined to continue to raise the profile of building services engineering within industry, including the Public Sector and with other institutions and organisations, such as the RIAI, Engineers Ireland and Irish Green Building Council to name but a few. I also thank Pat Lehane for his continuous efforts in creating and maintaining some of these key links.
We will also collaborate on CPD events with other organisations in the built environment to promote an integrated approach to design and energy efficiency. Building services engineers are central to the delivery of low energy, low carbon and efficient buildings (including refurbishments) while maintaining occupant comfort and indoor air quality. It is essential, therefore, that we are appointed and integrated into project teams from the outset to maximise the benefits of early engineering input to the design process.
CIBSE will continue to monitor, and contribute to, developments in regulations and policy relating to carbon reduction, energy, engineering and the built environment, and keep our members up to speed with the very latest information, so we can, in turn, advise our clients and colleagues. We will achieve this by maintaining our strong links with the Department of the Environment, ETCI, the SEAI, the Department of Communictions, Energy and Natural Resources, and the OPW.
Looking ahead, these are but some brief highlights of what we have planned for the coming 12 months. Comprehensive details of the full schedule will be published shortly.
CPD programme — The committee and I are currently working on the programme of CPD events and look forward to including exciting new topics and technologies. To that end I extend an invitation to all involved in the industry to make suggestions. We also intend to continue with, and extend, live webcast links so that more people can participate from around the country, and even abroad.
Technical symposium — The CIBSE technical symposium will be held in Croke Park on 3/4 April 2014. The event will be organised in conjunction with CIBSE in the UK. This event will provide a platform for industry, academics and researchers to present peer-reviewed papers on areas covering current research and development with opportunities to share experiences and foster and develop contacts.
CIBSE Awards — The DIT Bolton St Student awards, the Young Lighter Awards and the Sustainable Design and Research (SDAR) Awards, will all take place in DIT Bolton St and Kevin St next year. All these awards are an excellent opportunity to showcase some of the great work and projects delivered by the students, young engineers and senior engineers in our sector, all supported and encouraged by the DIT and CIBSE. My thanks to the committee members who manage and oversee these projects, and also the many sponsors whose contribution is equally invaluable.
Networking and site visits — A number of other lectures, seminars and networking opportunities will take place, including a masterclass presentation at The Energy Show 2014. In addition, various site visits will be arranged in conjunction the Irish Green Building Council and some of the other building industry trade and professional bodies.
Social events — On a lighter note, both the CIBSE Golf Outing and the Annual Lunch will also go ahead, in addition to the young engineers’ BBQ evening.
So, to conclude, I am committed to working with the committee in serving the Institution and its members to the very best of my ability over the coming year. I would welcome any suggestions that you may have in relation to the work of the CIBSE committee, and any particular areas that you think we should concentrate more of our efforts on.
