Daniel Veronica (Fed)

Since October 2008 Dr. Daniel A. Veronica P.E. has been a mechanical engineer in the Mechanical Systems and Controls Group of the Building Energy and Environment Division (BEED) of the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). His research focuses on advancing technologies that improve the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the mechanical (e.g., the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC)) systems in large commercial buildings. In keeping to that goal, his principal ongoing project is as a founding co-developer and maintainer of NIST’s ZandrEA™ open-source software development project, publicly accessible at www.github.usnistgov.ZandrEA. ZandrEA serves the academic and industrial research community currently developing “microservices” that apply sophisticated theoretical techniques from machine learning and expert systems as practical software deployed autonomously from information about a large commercial building held by its “digital twin” (DT). Such microservices can significantly help an overburdened operation and maintenance (O&M) staff keep the complex, tightly integrated mechanical systems in a large commercial building well maintained. Most recently, Dan is researching which factors contribute to the reliability of having large language models (LLM) act as human-machine interfaces to those microservices. He is a member of the Smart Buildings technical committee (TC7.5) of ASHRAE.

Before coming to NIST, Dan managed the Karl Larson Building Energy Systems Laboratory at the University of Colorado, where he taught building sciences and laboratory methods to undergraduates and graduate students conducting research.

For over 15 years before graduate school, Dan was a professional engineer in industry, designing HVAC, piping, and automated machinery systems. His specialty became HVAC of microelectronics (i.e., chip-making) and aerospace cleanrooms. At Cape Canaveral, Florida, Dan directed technicians in assembly and test of satellites carried by the Space Shuttle and designed ground support equipment. Prior to that, Dan served the nation as a commissioned officer on U.S. Navy nuclear submarines, being a graduate of the Naval Nuclear Power School.

Dan's parallel skills across HVAC system design, software engineering, machine learning, expert systems, and LLM technology provide a unique synergy well suited to furthering the reliability of complex mechanical systems in buildings.