Education & Training Archives - Smart Buildings Center

Is the Workforce Ready for High Performance Buildings? Report Finds Major Skills Gaps

September 30, 2020 By Britton Rife

Melanie Danuser and the Smart Buildings Center team contributed to the ACEEE report “Training the Workforce for High-Performance Buildings: Enhancing Skills for Operations and Maintenance.”

By Mariel Wolfson, Editor/Writer

We know that improving the energy efficiency of the U.S. building stock can reduce building-related carbon emissions by as much as 50%. High performance buildings, which are energy-efficient, durable, resilient, and offer excellent indoor air quality, will be critical for cutting emissions and meeting our climate goals. Yet these buildings also require highly specialized knowledge to optimize performance.

This specialized knowledge is the focus of a new ACEEE report released today. The report — based on an original survey and expert interviews with professionals who work with high performance buildings as owners, managers, and technicians — identifies the precise skills that education and training programs should prioritize to ensure that the workforce can meet current and future demands.

The vast majority of respondents — 92% — said that operations and maintenance (O&M) is the most critical skill area for the buildings workforce of the future…

Continue reading the blog post

Download the report

Ask the Lighting Experts: What 1:1 Replacement Means for Energy Savings and Light Quality

September 24, 2020 By Britton Rife

There’s a lot of buzz about the benefits of luminaire level lighting controls (LLLC), from space flexibility to simplicity of installation and beyond. Now, a new research study shows LED retrofits with luminaire level lighting controls have the potential for big energy savings and high quality of light – but without the big price tag.

For this first-of-its-kind research, experts from the University of Oregon and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) studied a 1,000 square foot office space, analyzing the amount of energy saved when fluorescent lights were individually retrofitted with an LED equipped with LLLC compared to a complete redesign.

Join us for a free, virtual event on Thursday, October 1, at 10 a.m. PT as the researchers behind the study unveil the results and discuss the lighting implications as we look at the future of commercial spaces.

To attend, you must register in advance HERE.

Have questions you want to ask? Feel free to submit them ahead of time in the questions/comments box when you register. Or, send them to nshaddy@cplusc.com.

Building Tune-Up Accelerator Program – Final Technical Report Published

September 3, 2020 By Britton Rife

In 2016, as part of its Climate Action Plan, the City of Seattle passed a mandatory Building Tune-Ups requirement (SBTU) for commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet gross floor area, with a focus on optimizing energy and water performance by identifying low or no cost solutions related to building operations and maintenance.

The Tune-Up Accelerator (TUA) Program was an opportunity for building owners to meet the requirements early and receive incentives from the utilities for the corrective actions implemented to optimize building performance. 102 buildings completed the TUA program representing 6.9 million SF total and about 18% of the target market buildings with 50,000-100,000 SF. The final technical report for TUA program is published on the City of Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) website.

The Smart Buildings Center (SBC) was a program partner and served as a primary provider of training & curricula, Tool Lending Library (TLL) support, project tracking and help desk support for the Tune-Up Accelerator (TUA) Program.

SBC along with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and OSE led the development of the curriculum, which was centered around a customization of PNNL’s Building Re-tuning training for SBTU requirements. To track deliverables required by each participant and evaluate savings resulting from corrective actions taken by buildings, a robust custom database was created by SBC.

SBC also conducted Measurement & Verification (M&V) services on 10% of the participating building population which included onsite verification and data analysis. The aim of M&V was to evaluate the energy and cost savings resulting from energy measure implemented by the buildings.

Read more about the findings of the Building Tune-Up Accelerator Program in the final technical report here!

To Learn more about our Tool Lending Library, click here!

Virtual Smart Buildings Week Replaces In-Person SBX2020 Conference

July 14, 2020 By Britton Rife

Due to the uncertainty surrounding holding large events during the COVID-19 pandemic and with the health, safety, and well-being of attendees as our top priority, the Smart Buildings Center is postponing the in-person Smart Buildings Exchange (SBX) Conference & Tradeshow until August 24^th & 25^th, 2021. The event will remain at the Bell Harbor Conference Center in downtown Seattle, and any tickets purchased for the 2020 dates will be honored for the 2021 dates or may be refunded. A special thank you to SBX event sponsors, Advisory Committee members, and session speakers for your understanding and flexibility as we make this shift. Although we are disappointed we are unable to hold the in-person event this year, we look forward to convening the industry in the summer of 2021 to cover the robust agenda topics we have developed while also enjoying outdoor socializing and networking.

In place of this year’s planned in-person event, we are hosting a free Virtual Smart Buildings Week September 14^th-17^th, 2020. Each day during the lunch hour, a virtual session crafted from key topics and speaker commitments for our planned in-person event will feature a lively and interactive panel discussion as outlined below. Registration for the first three virtual sessions on September 14^th, 15^th and 16^th is now open and details for a fourth session on September 17^th will be announced soon. These one-hour sessions each qualify for 1 Building Operator Certification (BOC) credential maintenance point and 0.10 IACET CEUs towards the renewal of industry certifications, certificates and licenses including but not limited to AIA, PE, LEED, IFMA, ASHRAE, and AEE.

Smart Buildings: Using Data and Analytics to Improve Performance
September 14^th, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
This session brings together two leading local smart service providers and two facility directors who have real world experience bringing smart solutions to their buildings. Designing for optimal performance is no guarantee that it will happen. The ability to acquire system performance data is no guarantee that the data will trigger operational improvements. In these two case studies, buildings that should have been “top of their game” needed a new approach. Attendees will hear how ATS Automation and DB Engineering intervened to help facility directors collect relevant data from installed building systems, use analytical tools to provide insights into performance problems, and then – most importantly – help those facilities take action. The results speak for themselves. Improved energy performance that is persisting over time.

Moderator:

Stan Price, Smart Buildings Center

Panelists:

Pete Segall, ATS Automation
Trevor Sodorff, DB Engineering
Tim Wingert, CBRE
Keith Berkoben, Google

Smart Buildings: Grid Enabled (and Efficient) Buildings
September 15^th, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Grid enabled buildings (GEB) are equipped with technologies for load management that can respond to dynamic conditions in the electric grid. GEBs are generally more efficient (HVAC, lighting, envelope, appliances), connected (hardware and software), smart (data and analytics), and flexible (loads, generation, storage). In an environment where hardware is increasingly attractively priced and a plethora of data is available, building owners are able to provide a significant benefit to a utility’s growing portfolio of resources and play a creative role in meeting its resource capacity needs in real time and for the long term. GEBs also offer the owner the additional value proposition of taking more control of their utility costs.

An expert, national panel will describe the key features of GEBs and outline the value streams that accrue to both the building owner and the serving utility in creating this grid enabled relationship. The panel will discuss both the technology required to create a two-way communication condition as well as the cost and benefits to all the parties in making GEBs a reality.

Moderators:

Ben Levie, Seattle City Light; Mark Lenssen, Puget Sound Energy

Panelists:

Alexi Miller, New Buildings Institute
Cara Carmichael, Rocky Mountain Institute
Mark Frankel, Ecotope
Mary Ann Piette, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

Smart Buildings: Achieving Persistent Operational Performance
September 16^th, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Facility energy performance and operations are often in direct conflict. It’s tough to hear, but the scales are not balanced for building owners or operators. Social pressure, building codes and new legislation are pushing EUI targets lower and lower. Advanced energy systems and smart building controls tease easy answers during initial design and construction, but the harsh reality is that designing an efficient building does not translate to operations success and often only adds to reactive practices, deferred maintenance and risk. In most cases, operators are not prepared to take on complicated building systems and new-to-them technologies. With inadequate training or resources, overtaxed staff override system settings to simply make it work. The result inadvertently drives up energy consumption and negates all efforts to optimize energy performance during design and construction while reducing asset life and introducing unnecessary risks.

The transition to smart and sustainable operations offers a best practice that balances the scales between energy expectations and operational realities. Panelists will outline proven approaches on actual projects that bridge design, build, train, optimize to ensure current energy requirements are effective and met.

Moderator:

Ric Cochrane, McKinstry

Panelists:

Mike Kowalick, South Landing EcoDistrict
Roy Buchert, Kaiser Permanente
Norm Menter, University of Washington

Register now for these engaging virtual panel discussions during Smart Buildings Week!

Upcoming Remote Learning Events & On-Demand Recordings

July 8, 2020 By Britton Rife

Here are a few of the upcoming remote learning events and on-demand recordings available on the SBC Remote Learning Calendar and Library.

Upcoming Remote Learning Events

July 14th: The Value of Connected Lighting, 10:00-11:00 am PT, Register
The commercial lighting market has seen significant shifts, first with the proliferation of LEDs, and now as controls become more sophisticated. As controls progress from a wall switch with a manual on-off control to more advanced controls that incorporate multi-feature sensors and luminaires embedded with controls, lack of understanding, interoperability issues, and often an unclear value proposition has slowed the adoption of connected lighting systems. This webinar will examine the key trends in the connected lighting market, the benefits connected systems can provide, and the role of energy efficiency, sustainability, integration and interoperability, and codes and standards. Krystal Maxwell, a senior research analyst covering lighting efficiency at Guidehouse Insights, will lead a discussion with Levin Nock, senior technical manager at DesignLights Consortium; Chris Wolgamott, senior product manager at Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance; and Peter Jacobson, lighting specialist at Con Edison, on the challenges faced by building owners and facility managers and how key stakeholders—including facility managers, utilities, standards and quality organizations, and technology firms—can work together to accelerate the adoption of connected lighting systems.

July 16^th: Next-Generation Building Performance Policies: Maximizing Energy Savings and Environmental Impacts, 10:00 – 11:00 am PT, Register
Cities are deploying the next generation of building performance policies to maximize energy savings in buildings and meet the energy and environmental goals they have set. Come hear from leading cities regarding their strategies for policy design, challenges and successes with implementation, and early impacts from these policies. Speakers: Dave Epley, District of Columbia Department of Energy and the Environment; Rajiv Ravulapati, City of St. Louis; Nicole Ballinger, City of Seattle

July 23rd: The Future of Work: Upgrade Your Building Science Toolkit, Live Webinar Panel with Interactive Q&A, 5:30-7:00 pm PT, Register
The Sustainable Building Science Technology and WSU Energy programs co-present this Future of Work webinar. Are you prepared for the jobs of the future in building science, operations, and management? Join us for this panel discussion about how the building science and technology field is changing and what roles are in demand. Our panel discussion will explore:

What are the skills needed to operate, manage, and tune-up buildings that are becoming smarter and greener?
How might trends and policies in sustainability and energy efficiency impact the built environment and jobs?
What opportunities exist to build new skills including continuing education and academic programs?
What new strategies do candidates need to differentiate themselves in a post-COVID job market?

On-Demand Recordings

Coronavirus Information with Building Operations Focus, BOMA Seattle-King County
This 2.5 hour webinar featured several panelists and the following topics were covered: Background on the Virus, Building Operations, Property Pandemic Response Plan Basics, and Personal/Family Preparedness.

Emerging Smart Building Technology & Enhanced Building Performance, Smart Buildings Center
This webinar introduces smart buildings technologies and practices that harness building data and controls to optimize performance and enable more efficient, comfortable, and cost-effective operations.

Better Buildings, Better Bodies: Strategies for Health & Wellness, DOE Better Buildings
The buildings in which we live, work, and play have a direct impact on our mental and physical health. This webinar showcases Better Buildings partners who are implementing design strategies and benchmarks in their buildings and sustainability plans that focus on the wellness, health, and productivity of the people inside them. Speakers highlight the Fitwel certifications, WELL standard, and more. Speakers: Sara Neff, Kilroy Realty; Megan O’Neil, City of Atlanta; Beth Hawkins, Three3

To submit upcoming or previously recorded events for inclusion on the calendar or in the library, please use the links below.

Submit calendar event

Submit recording

Webinar: Resilient Buildings in a Time of COVID-19

June 10, 2020 By Britton Rife

Resilient Buildings in a Time of COVID-19

June 18, 2020 | 6 PM PST
Register Now

Description: Professor Victoria Hardy, RCFM, will be hosting this webinar on how building and facilities managers can strengthen their response to COVID-19. What are others in the field doing to make their buildings safer and more useful during this time? How can you address this change and prepare for other emergencies before they happen?

Moderator:
Victoria Hardy, RCFM, ASHRAE Associate, Consultant and Adjunct Faculty, B.A.S. Sustainable Building Science Technology

Panelists and SBST alumni:
– Amy Cho, Critical Environment Program Manager, Puget Sound Datacenter
– Patrick Hart, Executive Director, National Association of Church Facilities Managers
– Kevin Kajita, CHFM. Director of Support Services at Evergreen Hospital
– Casey Lawrence, Director of Plant Engineering, Pacific Research Labs

Resilient buildings are those able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. In today’s world, that means sanitizing with new cleaning schedules and a fresh approach to HVAC management, filters, air quality, humidity control, and disinfectant.

Many organizations are planning workplace reorganizations, with more remote access and social distancing in the office. Then there are the energy and transportation implications of the shutdown.

Host Professor Hardy is an expert in facilities management. Hardy developed the first Human and Environmental Factors Competency Guidelines for the International Facility Management Association and served as principal author on the Facility Management Commissioning Module for the Project Resource Manual from the Construction Specifications Institute.

Come hear these speakers share their perspective about how COVID-19 is changing building operations, finance, and workplace health and safety.

REGISTER