SBC staff, Author at Smart Buildings Center

2023 Built Environment Workforce Survey

February 23, 2023 By SBC staff

The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and multiple membership organizations and associations are collaborating on an important survey to better understand the experiences and demographics of people working in the built environment in the U.S.

This survey is intended for anyone involved in real estate, design, construction, and/or maintenance of the U.S. built environment—that is, human-made structures, features, and facilities viewed collectively as an environment in which people live, work, learn, and play.

The survey should take about 8 minutes. As a thank you for completing the survey, you will have an opportunity to enter a drawing for a chance to win one of four $150 gift cards, which will be delivered by email.

Take the survey now

Registration Open for Smart Buildings Exchange, Aug 15-17!

February 14, 2023 By SBC staff

The Smart Buildings Center is excited to announce that registration for Smart Buildings Exchange 2023 is now open! The free, three-day event to be held August 15-17 will include two days of virtual sessions (August 15^th & 16^th), and the third day will be held in person in the Seattle area (details to be announced).

Interactive conference sessions featuring a mix of panel discussions and case study presentations will explore the market opportunity for smart buildings, building electrification and decarbonization efforts, grid-interactive efficient buildings, smart technologies for resilience and security, optimizing buildings for hybrid work environments and more.

Call for Speakers & Content
Do you have a suggestion for a dynamic speaker or topic with demonstrated application of smart technologies in buildings that should be considered for the SBX2023 agenda? If so, please send your ideas to Britton Rife.

Sponsorship Opportunities
For more information about ways your organization or business can participate in the conference, please download our Sponsorship Prospectus or contact Stan Price for customized sponsorship/partnership opportunities.

Register for free today!

Washington CBPS Early Adopter Incentive Program Live Q&A, Feb 22nd

February 14, 2023 By SBC staff

Need help applying for the Washington State Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS) Early Adopter Incentives? Commerce can help! Funding is still available for the Early Adopter Incentive Program.

The program offers payments to eligible building owners to encourage compliance with the CBPS before the required date. Incentive payments are calculated at $.85 per gross square foot.

Live Q&A session – Wednesday, February 22nd | 11 am PST
Commerce is hosting a live question and answer session on February 22nd from 11 am – noon. The Clean Buildings Team and Energy Star Portfolio Manager staff will be available to answer questions about the application process and how to benchmark your building.

Register for the Q&A session

Learn more on the Clean Buildings webpage

Job Opportunities: City of Bellevue Community Development Department

February 14, 2023 By SBC staff

The City of Bellevue is hiring for five new sustainability positions! This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing sustainability team and help shape the future of Bellevue’s climate and sustainability work. The team is part of the city’s Community Development Department, which has a great group of passionate staff working on long-range planning, neighborhood engagement, arts, economic development, and sustainability. The Bellevue City Council has recently increased the budget for the Environmental Stewardship Initiative, Bellevue’s sustainability program, to help accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Bellevue Plan through an expanded team and new initiatives.

The City is hiring for the following positions and applications are due February 27th:

SBC Welcomes New Partner: BrainBox AI!

January 31, 2023 By SBC staff

The Smart Buildings Center is excited to welcome BrainBox AI as a new Smart Buildings Center Education Program Partner!

Founded in 2017, BrainBox AI was created to address the dilemma currently facing the built environment, its energy consumption and significant contribution to climate change. As innovators of the global energy transition, BrainBox AI’s game-changing HVAC technology leverages AI to make buildings smarter, greener, and more efficient. Working together with trusted global partners, BrainBox AI supports real estate clients in various sectors, including office buildings, hotels, commercial retail, grocery stores, airports, and more.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, a global AI hub, BrainBox AI’s workforce brings with them talent from all sectors with the common thread of being in business to heal our planet. BrainBox AI works in collaboration with research partners including the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Institute for Data Valorization (IVADO) as well as educational institutions including Montreal’s Institute for Learning Algorithms (MILA) and McGill University. For more information visit: www.brainboxai.com.

A Closer Look at the Non-Energy Benefits of Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems

January 31, 2023 By SBC staff

This resource is brought to you by BetterBricks

Very high efficiency dedicated outdoor air systems (very high efficiency DOAS) are a proven solution for reducing energy consumption as they optimize the control and functionality of ventilation and thermal comfort independently. This very high efficiency approach is comprised of four key elements: high efficiency heat/energy recovery ventilator (HRV/ERV), a high-performance electric heat pump system that meets or exceeds current ENERGY STAR® minimum efficiency requirements, fully decoupled ventilation from the heating and cooling equipment, and a right-sized heating and cooling system.

Addressing the heating and cooling needs of a building, and applying best practices in design on a project-by-project basis, enables maximum performance and substantial energy savings. But did you know there are non-energy benefits of applying this approach to HVAC in commercial buildings that are also important?

Continue reading here