IBPSA-Houston chapter has a monthly meeting. Anyone with an interest in building simulations is free to attend a chapter meeting with advance notice of at least  2 weeks.

Building simulation is the use of computer based tools to quantitatively predict how a building responds to environmental parameters. It is a broad field Involving simulation of Daylighting, Energy, thermal and visual comfort, flow of heat and moisture and much more. Use of building simulation leads to highly comfortable buildings that use low energy.

It is a technology of considerable potential that provides ability to quantify and compare the competing cost and performance attributes of a proposed design in a realistic manner and at relatively low effort and cost. Moreover during the operational phase, it provides a means to compare measured performance versus design intent to test systems for installation and operational faults and to deduce effective control sequence.