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

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 p…

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 …

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…

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 u…

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 tho…

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 worki…

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 projec…

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…

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!

Thr…

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 …

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 manufact…

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 s…

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 discus…

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…

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 …

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.…

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 w…

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 que…

Throughout my career, I've learned a lot of tips. Most of the time these tips came from the school of hard knocks but sometimes I was lucky enough to have someone come beside me and share the knowled…

Protocols define how pieces of technology communicate amongst one another.

But how much do you really know about the protocols that govern the "rules" of your BAS?

If you find BACnet to be a confusin…