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BACnet Interest Groups News
Scott Ziegenfus Named Chairman
of ASHRAE SSPC 135
Scott Ziegenfus, a seasoned leader in
building automation and lighting controls,
has been named Chairman of ASHRAE
SSPC 135, the committee responsible for
the BACnet standard. With over three dec-
ades of experience and a deep commitment
to interoperability and innovation, Ziegenfus
brings a unique perspective rooted in real-
world applications and a vision to modern-
ize the standard for the next generation.
A Career Built on Integration
Ziegenfus’s journey spans leadership roles
at Lutron Electronics, Hubbell Lighting, and
currently Current Lighting, where he serves
as Vice President of Customer Experience,
Technical Services and Customer Facing
Software. His work has consistently focused
on bridging systems – lighting, HVAC, access
control – through open protocols and seamless
integration.
His involvement with BACnet began over 15
years ago, culminating in roles as Vice Chairman, Scott Ziegenfus, Chairman of ASHRAE SSPC 135
Secretary and Convener of both the Protocol
Services Working Group and the Data Modeling
Working Group. These positions have given him a 2012 – Introduction of 54 standard objects everyone,” Ziegenfus explains. “We need to
front-row seat to the evolution of BACnet and the for modeling diverse building systems ensure that the next generation of engineers
challenges faced by engineers implementing it. 2015–Present – Focus on cybersecurity, can engage with the standard without being
semantic tagging, and application profiles overwhelmed by its complexity.”
BACnet: A Living Standard
These milestones reflect BACnet’s ability to Lighting Industry Leadership
Since its first publication in 1995, BACnet has adapt to emerging technologies and integration
undergone continuous, transformative upgrades. needs, making it a cornerstone of smart building Ziegenfus is the first Chair from the lighting industry,
Far from being a legacy protocol, BACnet is a infrastructure. a milestone that reflects the growing importance of
living, adaptive standard that rivals any modern lighting systems in building automation. He credits
communication protocol in flexibility, scalability, A Vision for the Future Current Lighting for their continued support as he
and relevance. takes on this leadership role.
Today, the BACnet standard spans 1,527 pages –
“BACnet has evolved from a pioneering protocol a testament to its depth, but also a barrier for new Conclusion
into a modern, adaptive standard that meets engineers. Ziegenfus’s vision as Chairman is to:
today’s complex integration and cybersecurity With a career rooted in practical applications and
demands,” says Ziegenfus. Optimize and organize the standard for a passion for open standards, Scott Ziegenfus is
clarity and usability poised to lead BACnet into its next chapter. His
Timeline of Key Milestones Modernize its structure to reflect current vision promises a more streamlined, modernized
system design practices standard – one that empowers engineers and
1995 – First publication of ANSI/ASHRAE Create pathways for new engineers to adopt integrators to build smarter, more connected
Standard 135 and implement BACnet more easily environments.
2003 – BACnet becomes ISO 16484-5
2004–2015 – Expansion to BACnet/IP, “My goal is to make BACnet more accessible,
BACnet/WS, and wireless protocols more intuitive, and more powerful – for
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