Poll Result

What software do you most often use to size emergency power systems?
Cummins Power Suite	65%
Caterpillar SpecSizer	18%
Generac Power Design Pro	10%
Kohler QuickSize	3%
MTU Onsite Energy PS-Spec 4.0	2%
When engineering systems in military buildings, what’s the most difficult issue you face?
Automation and controls	36%
Codes and standards	24%
Energy efficiency, sustainability	15%
Fire and life safety	13%
Electrical and power	8%
HVAC	1%
When engineering systems in manufacturing and industrial facilities, what’s the most difficult issue you face?
Codes and standards	26%
Energy efficiency, sustainability	23%
Automation and controls	18%
Fire and life safety	13%
HVAC	10%
Electrical and power	7%
Which source do you use the most to obtain contracts and/or projects? Select one.
Plan and spec, architect	32%
Design / build	29%
Direct contract with owner	17%
Government	8%
Plan and spec, general contractor	5%
Subcontract from energy service company	5%
My engineering tasks are primarily in this building type right now (in 2013). Select one.
School (K-12)	31%
Government buildings / military facilities	14%
Manufacturing	14%
Data center	9%
Hospital	9%
Mixed-use (retail and residential)	6%
Research / lab / high-tech	5%
Hotel / motel / resort	2%
Office	1%
Restaurant or retail	1%
School (college, university)	1%
Stadiums / entertainment venues	0%
When engineering systems in labs and research facilities, what’s the most difficult issue you face?
Codes and standards	51%
HVAC	16%
Energy efficiency, sustainability	15%
Automation and controls	7%
Electrical and power	4%
Fire and life safety	4%
When engineering systems in stadiums, sports arenas, and other entertainment venues, what’s the most difficult issue you face?
HVAC	61%
Fire and life safety	11%
Electrical and power	8%
Automation and controls	7%
Energy efficiency, sustainability	7%
Codes and standards	3%
In which aspect of building envelope are you involved the most? Select one.
Vapor barrier	75%
HVAC load balancing	14%
Insulation	3%
R-value, U-value	3%
Window glazing	2%
Window selection	0%
Building orientation	0%
Which factor is most important to you when choosing a new UPS?
Scalability	44%
Energy efficiency	42%
Compact footprint	7%
Flexible thermal management options	5%
In 2013: What design/engineering trend do you foresee incorporating into your firm this year?
Further activity with energy efficiency and/or LEED	34%
Engineering in areas previously subcontracted (plumbing, acoustics, etc.)	32%
Additional commissioning, retro-commissioning, etc.	20%
Incorporating more advanced software (energy modeling, etc.)	10%
More international work	2%
In which building engineering discipline will you spend the most time in 2013? Select one.
Other	48%
Electrical / power	22%
HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning)	15%
Fire / life safety / security	6%
BAS (building automation systems)	3%
Lighting	2%
Cx (commissioning)	1%
Plumbing	1%
When engineering systems in data centers and mission critical facilities, what’s the No. 1 most difficult issue you face?
HVAC	67%
Energy Efficiency, Sustainability	10%
Automation and Controls	6%
Electrical and Power	6%
Fire and Life Safety	4%
Codes and Standards	4%
How much of your time is dedicated to specifying systems for existing buildings (as opposed to new buildings)?
76% to 100%	27%
0% to 25%	25%
51% to 75%	24%
26% to 50%	22%
What type of smartphone or tabloid device do you use most for work? Select one.
None of the above	48%
iPhone	19%
Android phone	16%
Blackberry	7%
iPad	5%
Android tablet	3%
In which way do you earn the majority of your continuing education units (CEUs)?
Association education session	58%
Webcast	32%
Lunch and learn	3%
Conference education session	2%
Presentation and / or writing	1%
Local school / college	0%
When engineering systems in colleges or universities, what’s the No. 1 most difficult issue you face?
Automation and Controls	51%
HVAC	26%
Codes and Standards	8%
Energy Efficiency, Sustainability	5%
Electrical and Power	4%
Fire and Life Safety	3%
When specifying fire protection in nonresidential buildings, which type of suppression system do you specify the most?
Water mist system	51%
Sprinkler system	42%
Clean agent protection	5%
What’s your biggest challenge when specifying stationary diesel-powered generator sets? Select one.
Reliability	89%
Efficiency	4%
Emissions	4%
Installation	1%
Flexibility	0%
Lifecycle	0%
Peak and load shedding	0%
When engineering systems in hospitals, what’s the No. 1 most difficult issue you face?
Automation and Controls	53%
HVAC	21%
Codes and Standards	12%
Fire and Life Safety	6%
Electrical and Power	4%
Energy Efficiency, Sustainability	3%
When engineering systems in office buildings, what’s the No. 1 most difficult issue you face?
Automation and Controls	77%
HVAC	10%
Energy Efficiency, Sustainablity	5%
Codes and Standards	2%
Electrical and Power	2%
Fire and Life Safety	1%
When engineering systems in mixed-use buildings (such as retail/residential), what’s the No. 1 most difficult issue you face?
HVAC	48%
Codes and Standards	19%
Fire and Life Safety	11%
Energy Efficiency, Sustainability	7%
Automation and Controls	6%
Electrical and Power	6%
What is your preferred way to balance a domestic hot water system?
Upsizing pumps	60%
Manual balancing valves	18%
Mechanical balancing valves	12%
Electrically controlled balancing valves	8%
Does your firm do any commissioning, retro-commissioning, recommissioning, or test-adjust-balance? Select one.
All of the above	72%
Commissioning	17%
Retro-commissioning	4%
None of the above	3%
Recommissioning	2%
Test-adjust-balance	0%
What percentage of your time is spent on retro-commissioning projects?
76% to 100%	49%
0% to 25%	26%
26% to 50%	16%
51% to 75%	7%
Are your clients structuring new projects as IPDs (integrated project delivery) with a single contract and a single design platform? Select one.
Not at all.	44%
I have no familiarity with IPD/don’t know what it is.	32%
Only occasionally, but much more than 1 year ago.	8%
Yes, most are now IPDs.	8%
Yes, an integrated project team, but multiple contracts.	8%
Which source do you use the most to obtain contracts and/or projects? Select one.
Direct contract with owner	47%
Plan and spec, architect	26%
Plan and spec, general contractor	10%
Design / build, government	10%
Subcontract from energy service company	5%
When engineering systems in mission critical facilities, what’s the No. 1 most difficult issue you face?
HVAC	42%
Electrical and power	17%
Automation and controls	15%
Energy efficiency, sustainability	10%
Codes and standards	7%
Fire and life safety	7%
Which issue do you find most important or the biggest challenge when engineering / designing a system? Select one.
Emissions (combustion)	40%
Inadequate budget for good design	21%
Energy efficiency	10%
Codes and standards changing frequently	9%
Sustainable design / LEED	9%
Speed of project delivery	7%
Power quality	1%
Indoor air quality	0%
Interoperability / open systems / Web access	0%
Of the various accreditations engineers can obtain, which do you think is the most important? Select one.
PE or PEng	77%
HBDP	13%
LEED AP	2%
Fellow (in any society or program)	2%
CxA	1%
CEM	0%
ARM	0%
RCDD	0%
LC	0%
TBE	0%
CPD	0%
When engineering systems for manufacturing and industrial facilities, what is the No. 1 most difficult issue you face?
Automation and controls	36%
Energy efficiency, sustainability	31%
Electrical and power	10%
Fire and life safety	10%
Codes and standards	5%
HVAC	5%
What percentage of your engineering design services focus on manufacturing and industrial facilities?
0% to 20%	36%
81% to 100%	31%
21% to 40%	14%
41% to 60%	10%
61% to 80%	7%
What one conference/event do you make sure you attend each year?
NFPA	41%
AHR Expo	35%
GreenBuild	11%
ASIS	5%
PowerGen	5%
Uptime Institute	0%
LightFair	0%
NCBC/PECI	0%
NFMT	0%
7x24 Exchange	0%
ASHE	0%
Which social media option do you use the most for professional reasons?
None	56%
LinkedIn	34%
Twitter	7%
Google+	0%
Facebook	0%
When engineering systems for laboratories, what’s the No. 1 most difficult issue you face?
HVAC	57%
Automation and controls	15%
Energy efficiency, sustainability	15%
Codes and standards	6%
Electrical and power	2%
Fire and life safety	2%
When engineering systems for buildings outside the United States, what’s the No. 1 most difficult issue you face?
HVAC	57%
Codes and standards	28%
Energy efficiency, sustainability	6%
Automation and controls	2%
Electrical and power	2%
Fire and life safety	1%
What percentage of your engineering firm’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing, or fire protection work is done outside the United States?
0% to 25%	90%
76% to 100%	5%
26% to 50%	1%
51% to 75%	1%
How much of your time is dedicated to specifying systems for existing buildings (as opposed to new buildings)?
76% to 100%	79%
51% to 75%	11%
0% to 25%	5%
26% to 50%	3%
When engineering systems for K-12 schools, what’s the No. 1 most difficult issue you face?
Electrical and power	86%
Fire and life safety	3%
Automation and controls	3%
Codes and standards	2%
Energy efficiency, sustainability	2%
HVAC	1%