BACnet International recently hosted its 25th PlugFest Interoperability Workshop, October 14th – 16th, at the University of New Hampshire’s Interoperability Laboratory. PlugFest allows participants to test the interoperability of their company’s BACnet products with other vendors in a friendly and neutral environment. Attendees can discover and fix implementation errors during PlugFest before they are found in the field. Twenty-eight companies sent 68 total attendees, consisting of 33 teams and 24 first-time attendees.
“Some of the reasons companies come to Plugfest include, validating that new feature, testing with one or specific companies, testing a new product, or doing some load testing at the Roundtable. Each vendor finds value at a Plugfest and that is why they return year after year.,” stated BTL Technical Advisor Michael Osborne.
Attendees also attended the educational panel discussion, “Testing, Certification, and the Future of BACnet”. The panel brought together industry experts to address key topics in BACnet testing, certification, implementation, and deployment. Through a series of targeted questions, the panelists shared their experiences, best practices, and insights into the evolving BACnet landscape. Attendees gained a deeper understanding of the importance of conformance and interoperability testing, strategies for efficient BTL testing, and the steps required for successful product submissions. The discussion also explored BACnet’s ongoing relevance, anticipated advancements, and practical solutions to implementation and deployment challenges—including datalink pain points, proprietary property integration, and BACnet SC certificate management.
The discussion was moderated by Emily Hayes, BTL Manager, and the speaker panel included Osborne; Dave Robin, BSC Softworks; Coleman Brumley, LumenRadio; Patrice Hell, Sauter; and Chris Howard, Schneider Electric. The panel discussion is available to view in The BACnet Institute (TBI) Resource Library.
This year’s PlugFest was a successful and collaborative workshop enjoyed by attendees. As the BACnet standard continues to advance and influence the building automation industry, PlugFest workshops play a crucial role in enhancing product interoperability and the implementation of BACnet solutions. BACnet International looks forward to welcoming BACnet enthusiasts to its 26th PlugFest in 2026.