Coopersburg, PA (Friday, October 31, 2014) – Brent Protzman, Ph.D, Manager of Energy Information & Analytics, Lutron Electronics and Thanos Tzempelikos, Associate Professor of Civil (Architectural) Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University will be co-presenting “Window treatment science: a research-driven approach” at the 2014 Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Annual Conference at 1:15 pm on Monday, November 3 in Pittsburgh, PA. The IES Annual Conference is held for professionals from diverse disciplines to come together to explore, present, discuss, debate and exchange best practices in the art and science of lighting.
Protzman and Tzempelikos are both experts in the field of daylighting design, and will present a research driven methodology that will illustrate the effect of daylighting design, fabric selection, and shade control on glare control, daylight autonomy, and view preservation.
“Historically, window treatments in commercial buildings have been chosen based on color, texture, and architectural preference. As a result, occupant comfort or building performance suffers – sometimes, both,” says Protzman. “Although, in the past, specification of shade fabrics may have been thought of as trivial, improper consideration of performance properties will have a detrimental effect on building performance including human comfort and daylight autonomy. By combining proper fabric selection with automation, indoor environmental comfort and energy performance is maximized. We look forward to presenting our research and engaging participants to discuss this important topic.”
Protzman has a Ph.D in Architectural Engineering from the University of Nebraska and is a former Assistant Professor and Researcher in the Building Systems Program at the University of Colorado. His research and publications have focused on building performance through human factors and sustainable building systems. With an expertise in both energy performance and human factors, he has unique understanding of the interactions between building system operation, occupant acceptance, and environmental functionality. As Manager-Energy Information and Analytics at Lutron Electronics, his team’s research and collaborations are often at the forefront of building system technology and innovation.
Thanos Tzempelikos is an Associate Professor of Civil (Architectural) Engineering and Mechanical Engineering (by courtesy) at Purdue University. He holds a B.Sc. in Physics and M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Building Engineering from Concordia University and has published over 70 articles in referred scientific journals and conference proceeding. His research is focused on advanced and dynamic building facades, integrated thermal and daylighting analysis of buildings, indoor environmental comfort and shading systems design and control. He serves as the vice chair and program chair for ASHRAE¹s fenestration technical committee and has also been a facade energy consultant for several architectural and engineering firms.
About Lutron Electronics (www.lutron.com)
Founded in 1961, Lutron Electronics is headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, in the heart of the Lehigh Valley. From dimmers for the home, to lighting management systems for entire buildings, the company offers more than 17,000 energy-saving products, sold in more than 100 countries around the world. In the US alone, Lutron products save an estimated 10 billion kWh of electricity, or approximately $1 billion in utility costs per year. The company¹s early inventions (including the first solid-state dimmer invented by Lutron¹s founder, Joel Spira) are now at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.