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

I've gotten a lot of questions from my subscribers about BAS networks lately. I actually find this interesting as there is a definite uptick.  I get it, networks can be ultra confusing and most folks are having to deal more and more with IT. IT naturally is asking very detailed questions about how these protocols work.  And that is why I recorded this episode.  In this episode you will learn: The...

Naming standards. As you know I'm a bit of a standard fanatic. The reality is most of the BAS problems I have experienced have come from when people went off into left field and created designs that just don't make sense. And there is no other better example of this than in the area of naming. Zone temp, space temp, room temp. They all mean the same thing... Or do they??? In this episode unpack wh...

Most BAS training at the end of the project is terrible.  I know you've been there. You bring in 2 dozen donuts and a jug of coffee and hope and pray that you can keep the customer's attention for more than 2 hours before they wander off (either physically or mentally). What if you could create awesome training that helped your customers learn your BAS? What if this training was so awesome that yo...

Alarms, they can make or break your BAS. Yet so many building owners seem to just accept that having a crappy alarm design is just par for the course. Why is this?  Is it possible to have a structured alarm design that prioritizes the issues that need your attention the most?  I believe it is and by the time you finish this episode you will know: Why most BAS alarming designs are terrible and how...

When I say redlines and as builts what do you think of?  Do you think of how much redlines and as builts can impact the success of your project? Do you think about how much redlines and as builts can impact the effectiveness of any future service calls?  Do you think of how redlines and as builts can massively increase or decrease the time you spend on a project? You should! By the time you finish...

CSI MasterFormat is the defacto standard for specification formatting. But how does it work? What are the gotchas you need to be aware of? By the time you finish this episode you will know: What MasterFormat is and how it is organized21 What you can and cannot change in a specification Key changes you can make to massively increase the effectiveness of your specification!

Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) plans. So many BAS professionals think they know what these documents are.  But do you really know what these documents are? Do you know which part of the plans contains what information? By the time you finish this episode you will: Know what the three parts of the MEP Plans are that you must know! Be clear on how to avoid scope creep by reading the plan...

One of the greatest challenges faced by BAS professionals is getting remote access to their BAS.  In this episode, I teach you my four-step process to get IT to give you remote access to your BAS. I also explore analytics. I unpack what analytics are, how they work and why they are important.  By the time you finish this episode you will: Have a four-step process for gaining remote access for your...

Lately, there have been a ton of questions about data tagging and data normalization. But what does that actually mean? This is a super important topic especially when you consider that having common data formats is required to implement analytics, fault diagnostics, and other advanced services! In this episode, I'm going to dive deep into data. You're going to learn: ►What data is and how it rela...

There's a lot of noise and miscommunication out there about IT technologies lately so when BAM Nation member Jim e-mailed me asking about Zigbee I was excited to answer his questions and help clear up some of the things he'd been told about Zigbee. In this podcast episode you will learn: What Zigbee is and how it works The two main types of wireless communication The differences between physical s...

There's been a lot of chatter across the Facebook group recently about Comm trunks and Mixing and matching different vendors controllers. There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there and I thought I'd do a podcast episode where I discussed both topics. These two topics are very much interrelated when you start to mix and match third-party controllers you can effect your comm trunk so it's i...

You just finished your first integration project! Your all excited you finally stepped into the world of systems integration. But then it happens!  You get that call telling you something's not working.  Maybe it's a value from one of the points you integrated? Or perhaps it's that a command to control one of the integrated systems is going through. It doesn't matter really why. You just need to s...

For a lot of folks, systems integration is the hardest thing they will ever do in their BAS career. And I get that, some of my biggest screw ups in my career were related to system integration projects. That's why you have to listen to my latest podcast episode.  I've got all the scars from systems integration! In this episode I draw on this experience to teach you: How to quickly disqualify a pot...

In the world of Building Automation, there are only a select few things you need to know in order to be awesome at your job.  One of these things is Proportional Integral loops.  I've gotten a lot of questions lately about PI loops and so I recorded this episode. In this episode you will learn: What a PI loop is How the P and I are calculated The difference between deadband and error How to calcul...

Can you feel it! Something in our industry is changing. We are the edge of a new revolution in the BAS world the likes of which haven't been seen since we switched from pneumatics to DDC systems! Threats like the Wanna Cry ransomware are becoming daily occurrences. And with each passing moment networks and integrated systems grow more complex. Yet amongst chaos comes opportunity. Throughout histor...

I started my BAS career in service and I'm thankful I did because I learned so much from servicing BAS. But, there's a dark side of service.  You see not everyone had the power and clout behind that I did working at a Fortune 100 company. Often times BAS service providers are used and abused.  Customers dispute billing, disagree with scope, and flat out ignore recommendations that can improve the...

The day has come, you've finally landed a job in the world of building automation systems, now what?  If your experience is anything like mine, you probably got sent to a class to learn your manufacturer's software and now you're out sitting on a job or servicing a customer. How do you learn more? How do you become the BAS tech everyone wants to have on their projects? How do you become the sales...

In this episode, I discuss the feasibility of occupancy counting to control outdoor air ventilation.  Man, who would have thought that we would be having this discussion? Lately, it seems that I am seeing more and more ideas that are combining different technologies to achieve outcomes.  Case and point, I recently had a BAM nation member and personal friend Walter reach out to me with a question a...

Most interviewers suck. They focus too much on appearances and gut feelings and make stupid hiring choices that they regret later. You don't have to experience that. In this podcast episode, I discuss my experience with hiring dozens of building automation professionals and I provide you step-by-step processes for making sure you hire a stud and not a dud. In this episode you will learn: Why focus...

Most interviewers suck. They focus too much on appearances and gut feelings and make stupid hiring choices that they regret later. You don't have to experience that. In this podcast episode, I discuss my experience with hiring dozens of building automation professionals and I provide you step-by-step processes for making sure you hire a stud and not a dud. In this episode you will learn: Why focus...

Application Programming Interfaces, also known as API's are the solution to every integration problem you have.  And if your BAS has an open an API then your integration options are unlimited.  Or at least that's what all the marketing folks would like you to believe. The problem with all the buzz around API's, SDK's, and system integration is that the folks writing and speaking on the topics coul...

Interviewing sucks... After you spend all your time getting through the HR screening and the "virtual colonoscopy" of pre-interview questions you find yourself in an artificial environment answering questions that you'd probably never be asked in the real world. So how can you survive?  Back in 2007 I got let go from my first BAS job and called every controls company in the US to get hired back in...

Have you ever wondered how a temperature sensor really works?  What does the RTD mean and why is 1,000 ohms resistance so important.  In this week's Friday Fan Answers I discuss a question from Nick.  Nick asks "Can you cover or explain the technical reasons for a 1000 ohm RTD sensor to suddenly begin to fluctuate drastically" Sure thing Nick! In this episode you will learn: The best way to wire u...

Lately, several folks have asked me, "Phil how did you get into the world of BAS?". While it's always fun to talk about myself, what I think folks are really asking is "Phil, how can I get into the world of BAS?" and "What career path is there for me beyond just being a technician?". Over the next 4 episodes, I'm going to tackle these exact questions. In today's episode, I'm going to explore my pa...

Welcome to the new podcast series called "Friday Fan Answers or FFA). Each Friday I will be answering a question from the BAM nation. This week I am answering a question I commonly get asked. The question I often get asked how to find out what the IT requirements for different BAS devices are. If you are not part of the vendor organization this can be quite hard. Well, at least until now. In this...