Steven T. Bushby is the leader of and a supervisory electronics engineer in the Mechanical Systems and Controls Group of the Energy and Environment Division (EED) of the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Mr. Bushby is responsible for overseeing research activities in the Embedded Intelligence in Buildings Program including the development of national and international standards for integrated building automation systems, automated fault detection and diagnostics for HVAC system components, automated commissioning tools for HVAC control systems, and developing a testbed for studying the interaction of multiple building control systems in "cybernetic" buildings.
Mr. Bushby provided a leadership role in developing the BACnet communication protocol, which is now an American national standard, an ISO standard, a European Community standard, and a national standard in over thirty countries. He is a past chair of ASHRAE SSPC 135, the committee that developed and maintains the BACnet protocol, convener of ISO TC 205 WG 3 Building Control System Design, which is developing ISO standards for various aspects of digital control systems, and serves as Chair of the ASHRAE Standards Committee. Mr. Bushby created and managed the BACnet Interoperability Testing Consortium, a cooperative research and development agreement between NIST and 22 private sector partners whose lead to the establishment of BACnet International and an industry run testing and listing program for BACnet products in both the United States and Europe.
Mr. Bushby has provided technical assistance to several high profile BACnet technology demonstration projects including the world's first large scale multi-vendor BACnet system in the Phillip Burton Federal Building in San Francisco, the General Services Administration Energy Maintenance Network (GEMnet) linking federal government office buildings in four states, the Iowa Army National Guard Smart Building Demonstration Project linking control systems in twelve buildings across the state, the Advanced Measurement Laboratory complex at NIST, and the renovation of the Capitol Hill building complex in Washington, D.C. Mr. Bushby has also lead delegations of BACnet experts on technical visits to China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates to meet with business, academic and government officials.
Mr. Bushby joined NIST as an Engineering Co-op in 1979, working on projects developing a computer interfaced system for the study of wear properties of thin metal coatings, development and computer simulation of testing standards for flat plate solar collectors, and design of a passive solar component testing facility. He left NIST in August 1983 and returned in March 1986 to join the Mechanical Systems and Controls Group as a project leader in an experimental energy conservation study involving the operation of automated building control systems. In 1999 Mr. Bushby became leader of the Mechanical Systems and Controls Group.
Mr. Bushby's professional experience also includes: A research associateship at the Solar Energy Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (1983-85), working on evacuated tube heat-pipe collectors, absorption air conditioning, and combined microwave-solar drying; Systems Engineer with Indian Pacific Solar Electric Aust. Ltd., Sydney, Australia, designing solar powered pumping systems for use in "outback" Australia; Consulting Engineer with Renewable Energy Services, Brisbane, Australia (1984-86), designing solar thermal and solar electric systems and assisting in the development of a renewable energy course for the Ithaca TAFE College.
Mr. Bushby has received several awards including the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal in 1992 for his work in developing the BACnet protocol; a Hammer Award from Vice-President Al Gore in 1996 for his work applying BACnet technology in government buildings; the NIST William P. Slichter Award in 1996 for outstanding work to improve NIST's ties to industry; the ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award in 2004; ASHRAE Fellow in 2008; and the Edward Bennet Rosa Award for outstanding achievement in the development of meaningful and significant engineering standards in 2009.