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

Do you feel like you've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a building automation system and only use 10% of its capabilities? If so you're not alone. In this four-part series we will be discussing how to design, setup, configure, and optimize your building automation system, even if you are a completely non-technical person! How to analyze your existing BAS use How do I optimally utilize my...

Have you considered upgrading a building automation system but aren't sure where to start?  Do you struggle to explain why the "new" features of your building automation system are worth the cost to your customers?  Are you trying to better understand how an upgrade could positively impact your business?  If so this episode is for you. In this weeks episode of the Building Automation Monthly Podca...

How do wireless networks work with building automation systems?  If you've found yourself asking this question then you're not alone.  Wireless technology seems to bring with it a lot of benefits but yet wireless technology still is seeing slow adoption rates. Why? In this episode, we discuss the four most common wireless technologies used with a building automation system. We will discuss the pro...

Are you struggling to make sense of IP controls? Do all the different options just seem to blend together?  In this week's episode of the Building Automation Monthly Podcast, we will be discussing the pros and cons of IP controls and the most common way of implementing IP controls. This episode will cover: The pros and cons of the three kinds of IP controls How IP controls are different than regul...

Why is your building automation server not communicating with your supervisory devices? It could be that your network is down or it could be something much simpler like the firewall being set up incorrectly... In this week's episode of the Building Automation Monthly Podcast, we will be discussing how logical links affect your building automation system's ability to communicate. This episode will...

Have you ever had to explain yourself to IT? It seemed like the IT folks, were blocking you at every turn. Why do you need IP addresses? Why do you need to put your devices on our network? Why do your addresses need to be static?  Every day these questions plague BAS professionals. One false move and the IT group will withdraw and block you from achieving your goals. In this week's episode of the...

What are switches used for?  Why do subnets matter?  How do your BAS devices communicate with one another? If you've found yourself wondering these questions then you are in the right place. In this week's episode of the Building Automation Monthly Podcast we will be discussing: How subnets work What you need to understand when adding BAS devices to a local subnet How to interpret Wireshark captur...

What's the difference between an application port and a switch port? How do you avoid bandwidth constraints and dropped BAS packets? If you are planning on having a career in building automation, these are just a few of the challenges you will face. IT networking is becoming a required skill for BAS professionals. But, outside of our IT course, no one is teaching what BAS professionals need to kno...

How would you setup 1,000 BACnet/IP devices? Would you know what to ask IT? Would you know how to troubleshoot these devices if something went wrong? How would you support all these devices? The amount of BACnet/IP devices being installed is increasingly daily. Unfortunately, the understanding and knowledge of BACnet/IP is not! That's why in this episode you are going to learn BACnet/IP. By the ti...

Have you ever wired up a BACnet MS/TP trunk and it just wouldn't work? Or for whatever reason, the MS/TP trunk was crazy slow, and the customer was getting upset by slow point data? If this sounds familiar you're not alone. Early in my career BACnet MS/TP was super confusing. I didn't know how to make sense of it. And learning BACnet MS/TP was made even more difficult by the lack of knowledge abou...

BACnet is a protocol that confuses many new BAS professionals. Heck, if we're honest with one another it confuses many senior BAS professionals as well. But, it doesn't have to be this way. I've helped several manufacturers build their BACnet stacks and worked extensively with BACnet in the past. In this three-part series, we are going to explorer how BACnet works. In the first episode of this ser...

Is optimization some complex secret hidden throughout the ages and handed down to a select few "experts"? Or is optimization something we all can learn? In this episode we will discuss: The two-steps you must take prior to executing optimization strategies Five commonly used optimization strategies for your BAS Tips and tricks you need to know before implementing an optimization strategy Optimizat...

Depending on what "expert" you talk to there are over 60% of the buildings within the United States that are not "optimized". But what does that even mean? What is an optimized building? Throughout my career, I've seen well-meaning folks damage their building's HVAC and BAS systems in the pursuit of optimization. That's why I'm tackling this topic. The reality is optimization does not equal energy...

Learning logic blocks? How do you do it? Why should you do it? And why should you even care?  Good questions! If you want to be more than just someone installing thermostats and pulling wire then you need to learn how to program. And what do 90% of the BAS manufacturers have in common? They use graphical programming.  In this episode we will discuss: Common Logic blocks How to interpret sequences...

Have you ever wanted to learn how to program a BAS? In the latest episode of the Building Automation Monthly Podcast we discuss how BAS programming works and how you can go about learning to program HVAC with your BAS programming software. Understanding the why behind your programming actions (1:15) Why your mentality determines if you can program (5:00) The traditional way of learning to program...

Have you ever wondered how you control central utility plants? Or how to sequence multiple chillers in a decoupled loop? If complex central utility plant control is something you'd like to better understand then you are in the right place.  In this episode of the building automation monthly podcast we discuss the control and sequencing of complex central utility plants. We will cover: -How chilled...

Do you work with VAV boxes? Have you ever wondered why you can't maintain a space's temperature setpoint even when all the "controls" seem to be working? If so this episode is for you. In episode 110 of the Building Automation Monthly podcast, we discuss how to effectively control a space. This episode takes a deep dive into the topic of space control and covers: How air changes work Strategies fo...

Does reading a building automation control sequence feel like deciphering hieroglyphics? Having a solid understanding of building automation control sequences is critical for your building automation career.  But how do you learn control sequences? What makes a good control sequence?  How do you understand what a control sequence is telling you to do when it's all mixed up and indecipherable? It d...

How do you "do" systems integration. In the final part of this three part series I talk through how to "do" systems integration. I take you step-by-step through 3 of the most common system integration tasks that you will encounter.

Have you ever had a BAS integration project that just seemed to linger on forever? No matter what you did to close out the project the punch list just kept seeming to grow? If so you're not alone. In this episode, I walk through the five questions you need to answer before you start any BAS integration project.

If you needed to tie to different building automation systems into a new front-end how would you do it?  Now don't just give me the answer of I would use BACnet. How would you actually do it?  What system would take charge? Would you remove the other BAS's servers?  Would you write to each systems points at different priorities?  What even is systems integration? That is what my new series What is...

Over the years I've seen some crazy control sequences. And during this time I've picked up some good tips and tricks to help me deal with these scenarios. In this episode, I am going to walk you through 3 of my best tips for dealing with Control Sequences. If you've been looking for a way to take your knowledge of Control Sequences to the next level then you'll want to check out this episode.

Have you ever stopped and thought about why we control systems the way we do? Folks often ask me, "Phil, what is the number one thing a BAS professional needs to know". Without any hesitation, my answer is Control Sequences. At the time I'm writing this I've had the honor of helping dozens of managers and owners of BAS companies create effective training programs for their employees. Without quest...

Every day millions of buildings are operated. But not via a BAS.  No, these buildings are operated manually via timeclocks, hand/off/autos, and 2x4's.  The reality is we have failed these buildings. We have failed to adequately educate and inspire these buildings operators and owners to invest in a BAS. That stops today! In this episode I layout 6 reasons why a BAS is needed. I am arming you with...

Have you ever wondered what makes a building automation system work? In this episode I lay out the key principles that you need to know in order to have a solid foundation of building automation knowledge.