The Smart Buildings Academy Podcast | Teaching You Building Automation, Systems Integration, and Information Technology

There is a ton of noise around cybersecurity lately. And I'm sure a lot of you are getting questions about how to make sure your building automation system is secure. In this episode, we discuss a practical approach to assessing, auditing, ranking and implementing cyber-security for your building automation system.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we discuss the new IAQ guidelines and sequences from ASHRAE.  We also look at how to implement IAQ within new and existing buildings and how you can communicate your IAQ efforts to your tenants.

How can you make sure your BAS projects are cyber secure? How do you know where to start? In this week's episode, we discuss what cybersecurity is and what you need to know in order to securely execute BAS work.

Every day we get questions about information technology. In this episode, we answer our most common IT questions.

What is data? How does data work? And why do we need a semantic data model?  These are just a few of the questions we tackle in our conversation with John Petze from Haystack.  In this episode, we explore the purpose of data, how and why organizations can and should adopt data, and much more.  This episode is packed full of use cases, stories, and concepts, enjoy!

I've always worked on the outside of retrocommissioning projects as an advisor or a technician. That's why in this episode I'm going to join you in exploring how retrocommissioning works and how to best approach it.  Along the way, we are going to analyze strategies, processes, and tips and tricks to effectively retrocommission buildings.

Lighting is one of the most common systems in the building and just like HVAC, we can't really use buildings without lighting. But how often do we actually discuss lighting and more importantly what do we really know about how lighting systems get selected, designed, and implemented. In this Smart Buildings Academy episode, I talk with design expert Beatrice Witzgall of I3D. We discuss the state o...

Have you ever found yourself challenged to understand the differences between two BAS? Maybe you're trying to understand the hype around all these new building automation technologies?  If so you're not alone. In this week's episode of The Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we continue to answer listener questions around buying, designing, and selecting a building automation system. In this episode...

Are you wanting to start a career in building automation but you don't know where to start?  Would you like a proven process to get a job in building automation? If so then this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast is for you. In this episode you will learn: Why BAS is a great career field What the different roles are in building automation Our proven 8 step process to getting hired in B...

Does the idea of implementing integrated use cases seem overwhelming? Are you struggling with how to deal with the complexities of MSI and OT?  In this week's episode, we unpack how to implement MSI and OT technologies on a small scale.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the noise when it comes to building automation products and buying decisions for building owners? If so your not alone! That's why on this week's podcast we are answering questions our listeners have related to selecting, upgrading, or buying a BAS. We received 72 questions and in this episode, we dive into the first 14 of these questions.  In this episode we cov...

Have you ever wondered how the decisions to invest in building and property tech for commercial real estate are made? Are you curious how COVID-19 is going to affect investment and growth in the CRE market?  Are you wondering how CRE assets are valued and how portfolio managers create and execute their prop-tech strategies?  If so this episode is for you! In this episode, we are discussing all thi...

What is data? How is data produced? What do you need to understand about data? In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we explorer what data is, how data works, and what data is used for.

Why is the industry embracing BACnet/SC? Is it a good idea? What are the ramifications of rolling out a new protocol stack to the market? In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, I discuss my thoughts on the BACnet/SC protocol and I discuss why it may or may not be a solution for your business.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we discuss building automation as a service. What is it? Is it viable? Why would you use it?

We are facing a shortage of 20,000+ BAS Professionals. Our current methods of workforce development are not keeping pace with the need for talented BAS professionals.  In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we lay out a step-by-step plan to develop BAS technicians that can work independently in less than 180 days.

In this episode, we discuss how to respond to troubleshooting calls.  You will learn how to apply the five-question methodology to pinpoint troubleshooting issues and how to potentially address the issue before even showing up on site.

Have you been struggling to troubleshoot building automation, HVAC, and IT systems?  If so you're not alone. In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we discuss how to effortlessly troubleshoot systems. In this episode you will learn: Our three-step troubleshooting process How to troubleshoot terminal units Server and network troubleshooting BACnet MSTP troubleshooting AHU troublesh...

2020 has been a challenging year and I firmly believe 2021 will be even more challenging. In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we are going to discuss what you can do to prepare yourself and your business for the changes coming to our industry.

Learn how to layout BAS inputs and outputs for your controls hardware designs in this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast.  We discuss:  How to determine what devices to select Where to start when engineering systems How to avoid overengineering systems How to address scope gaps and irregularities

In this week's episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, you will learn the 5-step building controls hardware engineering process.  We will discuss: How to perform proper takeoffs How to evaluate device selection' How to size systems How to handle add alternates How to design physical architectures And much more

Is your building automation system secure? Does your BAS need to be secure? And what does secure even mean? In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy podcast, we discuss the fundamentals of cyber-security. We look at what cyber-security is, how to evaluate the need for cyber-security controls, and what cyber-security approaches you can use to better secure your building automation system

Have you ever run into a project delay that wasn't your fault?  Did you find yourself running into wall after wall when you tried to get the project team to help you out? If so this episode is for you! In this episode we discuss how to manage project expectations in the contracted environment.

What if I told you that you can develop a BAS Technician in 6 months? Would you believe me?  The OJT myth is a belief that the only way we can develop technicians is to put them in the field for several years until they "figure out" how to "do it".  In this episode we look at alternative employee development models and we explore how and when to best use OJT.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we look at seven key concepts that every building automation professional should know about information technology.