Lining Out Electrical Subcontractors: Why It's Critical for BAS Success

Ever had a BAS project go sideways due to wiring issues, unclear expectations, or finger-pointing between trades?

Episode 520 of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast is your guide to avoiding those problems. If you're responsible for delivering successful BAS installs, you'll want to understand the real cost of skipping the subcontractor line-out process.

From scheduling and leading effective meetings to practical tools that help avoid miscommunication, this episode provides clarity on a process that often gets overlooked until it's too late.

Topics Covered

• When and how to line out electrical subs for maximum project impact
• Key standards to communicate for wiring, labeling, and termination
• Documentation practices that can prevent disputes and rework
• Common pitfalls that derail BAS installs and how to sidestep them
• Real-world mistakes that cost thousands and the simple fixes

This isn't about theory. It's about protecting your time, your budget, and your reputation.

Performing a point-to-point checkout may seem routine, but it's the difference between a reliable BAS and one that fails under pressure.

In this week's episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we dive into the real purpose behind point-to-point checkouts and why rushing through them can derail your entire project.

If you're in the field or leading a team, you'll want to ensure these checkouts are done right, because your commissioning team is counting on you.

Topics Covered

• Preparing the right tools and documentation before you ever touch a point
• Following a repeatable process for accuracy and consistency
• Preventing the most common errors field techs encounter
• Habits that lead to cleaner logs and better team coordination
• Pro tips for leveraging mobile tech and real-time communication

Start tightening up your checkout game.

Training is often the first thing cut when budgets tighten. But what if you could show that training delivers measurable ROI?

This episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast focuses on how to justify training investments using numbers that matter to leadership.

You'll learn how to turn training into a proven profit driver.

We cover:

• Why training is undervalued and how to change that
• What to track before and after training to prove ROI
• A clear framework to quantify training impact
• Real-world examples from contractors and facility owner
• How to position training as a profit engine

If you need to defend or grow your training budget, start here.

🚀 Recorded live on 4-17 at 12PM PST: SBA 420 - The BAS Selection Bible: Your Go-To Guide for Evaluating and Choosing the Right System! 🏢

Hey, fellow BAS enthusiasts! Ready to make informed decisions about your building automation system? We've got you covered with our latest podcast episode, where we dive into the crucial aspects of selecting the right BAS solution, featuring insights from Phil Zito! 🎧 Join us as we explore:

🔑 Key BAS features, such as energy management, occupant comfort, integration, user-friendliness, and security

🤔 Comparing systems and vendors: research, criteria, reputation, costs, and ROI

📈 Scalability and compatibility: planning for growth, assessing infrastructure, and future-proofing your BAS 

🤝 Stakeholder involvement: effective strategies for collaboration and communication

Don't miss this chance to level up your BAS game and ensure your facility's long-term success! Tune in and apply the insights from this podcast to your own facility management journey. Let's build a smarter, more efficient future together! 🌟

In this episode, we'll guide you through the BAS Blueprint, providing you with the essential steps to evaluate systems, set goals, and budget for your facility. 🛠️

We'll walk you through conducting a thorough needs assessment 📋, engaging key stakeholders 🤝, setting SMART goals 🎯, and evaluating your existing infrastructure 🔍.

Plus, we'll discuss budget considerations, project timelines, and how to coordinate with vendors and contractors for a seamless BAS implementation. 🔄

Don't miss this in-depth, 30-minute journey into the world of BAS! Tune in now and kick-start your facility's transformation! 🎧

Hey there! Welcome to Episode 418 of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast with Phil Zito. In this episode, we dive deeper into building automation systems (BAS) for facility management. We cover topics like the purpose and objectives of implementing a BAS, its components, protocols, benefits, and some real-world examples.

If you're new here, we have 417+ episodes for you to explore at smartbuildingsacademy.com. So, grab a drink, sit back, and let's talk building automation!

We kick off by defining a building automation system, which is an overlay of a control system, providing visualization and control of those control systems through a multi-layered architecture. We dive into the four-tier architecture, which includes the server layer, supervisory devices, field controller layer, and sensor actuator level. This architecture is common across all building systems like lighting, access control, and audio-visual, making it super important to understand.

Next, we chat about BACnet, the most common protocol for building automation systems. It helps different controllers from various manufacturers communicate with one another by creating a common data model and communication aspects for both serial and IP networks.

So there you have it! A quick summary of episode 418, where we explore the fascinating world of building automation systems. Don't forget to check out smartbuildingsacademy.com for more episodes, and feel free to send in your questions or comments. We love interacting with you all!

Are you a facility manager looking to enhance your building's performance and efficiency? Tune in to our latest episode where we cover the essential steps to successfully implementing a Building Automation System (BAS).

We'll walk you through:

1️⃣ Understanding BAS and its components

2️⃣ Assessing your facility's needs and goals

3️⃣ Selecting the right BAS solution

4️⃣ Developing a comprehensive implementation plan

5️⃣ Installation, commissioning, and testing

6️⃣ Staff training and ongoing support

7️⃣ Monitoring and optimization for continuous improvement

Don't miss this valuable guide to modernizing your facility and maximizing its potential!

In this episode we continue our multipart series on BAS Project Estimates.

We will cover:

• How to create a bill of materials
• How to identify item requirements for your BoM
• And our live Q&A Session!

Your building automation systems been compromised. What do you do now?

Whether it's by ransomware, exploits, or other attacks there is still hope.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we are going to look at the response to cybersecurity attacks and intrusions.

We will look at actions you can take right now to ensure you have the ability to recover from an attack, how to preserve the environment for forensic analysis, and how to clean your systems post attack. We look forward to seeing you at this live session.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we talk with Abby Massey of Calvetti Ferguson. Abby has a deep understanding of the 179D tax code changes and how they impact the building automation market. 

In this episode you will learn:

• What 179D is
• The changes to 179D as part of the IRA
• How you can use 179D to create more retrofit opportunities
• The requirements of a 179D tax deduction

Everyone's talking about Smart Buildings. But how do you actually "do" a smart building?

In today's episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we interview Sabine Lam of Google. Sabine has deep experience with developing and deploying an integrated system architecture across a broad portfolio of buildings.

Sabine and I explore how Google approached the problem of data sanitization, creating an integrated cross business architecture, and lessons learned deploying smart buildings architectures across a variety of building types and geographies.

How do you estimate a building automation project?

In this episode we continue our multipart series on BAS Project Estimates.

We will cover:

• How to perform a takeoff
• How to build a scope document
• How to identify scope items
• And our live Q&A Session!

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we continue our multipart series on cyber security.

In today's episode we are going to dive deeper into exploit phase, which is the second phase of a cyber security attack.

Here we will be looking deeper into techniques and tools that are used to exploit potential targets.

We will explore how to protect your building automation system and your BAS employees from this phase of an attack.

As always please ask any questions you have.

Are you truly in control of your building systems, or dependent on your vendor?

Vendor lock-in increases costs, slows down repairs, and limits flexibility. But there's a clear way to reduce risk: internal capability.

This episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast walks through how to shift control back to your team through targeted training and planning.

Key topics include:

• Common signs and causes of vendor lock-in

• Financial and operational impacts of relying on one provider

• How training restores technical and strategic leverage

• Steps to build and maintain in-house capability

• When to use vendors and when to manage tasks internally

If you want more control and less cost, this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we are going to answer the listener questions we have gathered over the past several months. We will also be taking live questions from any of our listener/viewers as well.

Estimating building automation work can be very difficult.

You have so many moving parts and pieces that can affect your project cost.

In this Smart Buildings Academy Podcast series, we are going to dive deep into the topic of estimating.

This multipart series will discuss:

• Estimating Techniques
• Takeoffs
• Bill of Material Generation
• Cost category identification

If you're looking to learn how to estimate I encourage you to watch/listen to this new series.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy, we are going to discuss how to identify energy and sustainability centered buyers.

It should be no surprise that building owners are focused on sustainability and energy.

Between regulations, incentives, and utility costs organizations are increasingly establishing energy and carbon guidelines for their facilities.

This presents a great opportunity for solution minded organizations to pursue these opportunities. In this episode we will discuss a framework to identify these customers and opportunities.

This will involve a live screenshare where we target specific customers and research these opportunities.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we continue our multipart series on cyber security. 

In today's episode we are going to dive deeper into reconnaissance, which is the first phase of a cyber security attack.

Here we will be looking deeper into techniques and tools that are used to actively and passively gather information on potential targets. 

We will explore how to protect your building automation system and your BAS employees from this initial phase of attack. 

As always please ask any questions you have. 

Cyber Security is not that hard.

Over the next several episodes we are going to be exploring cyber security concepts and tying them to building automation.

My hope is that by the end of this series you will have an understanding of cyber security theory and processes.

This is meant to be an interactive episode so be sure to tune in and ask questions as we explore this topic.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we interview Saheel Chandrani with ABB.

I'm really excited for two reasons.

One, ABB is discussing my favorite topic, workforce! You can have the best technology but without a clear plan to develop and support the workforce nothing else you do matters.

The other reason I'm excited is because you, our audience, and I get to be on the front row seat of a new building automation solution release.

I think you will find Saheel to be very down to earth and transparent.

Nick Sanchez is the next generation of BAS technicians. 

The traditional strategy of hiring someone else's employees has failed. This strategy simply cannot produce the amount of talented employees you need to run your building automation business.

But where do you find folks like Nick? 

And how do you train folks like Nick?

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast I chat with Nick about how he got into the BAS industry, his experience with BAS training, and how he went from knowing nothing about this industry to a BAS tech in less than 3 months.

So you have a customer who might be interested in a retrofit, what next? 

One of the most common ways to start the retrofit sales process is to perform a site audit. To be clear, this is not a ASHRAE energy audit or a IPMVP pre-audit.

This audit exists to ensure you have an accurate understanding of what needs to be done in order to perform a site retrofit.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we discuss:

• What a retrofit site audit is
• How to perform a retrofit site audit
• The exact steps you need to do on every site audit

Resources: Podcast Link

We are entering a retrofit market.

Those of you who have built your entire business around capital projects and construction work need to prepare.

There is a lot of opportunity in the market that will potentially be missed by people who are not prepared for it.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we discuss:

• What a retrofit market is
• Why I believe we will see a major retrofit market
• How you can be prepared to address this market and win more work

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Podcast we are going to explore Measurement and Verification together.

We are going to look at:

• Different types of energy audits and how to do them
• The different measurement and verification methods and how to do them
• General strategies for incorporating M&V and Audits into existing and new construction.

The industry is shifting and BACnet Secure Connect (BACnet SC) is becoming the new standard for protecting BAS networks from cyber threats. This episode walks you through what it is, why it matters, and how to prepare for the transition while keeping operations running smoothly.

We'll explore:
• How BACnet SC strengthens cybersecurity for BAS networks
• The key differences from BACnet over IP
• Practical considerations before implementation
• Real-world migration strategies and lessons learned
• The future of BACnet SC in smart buildings

Discover how BACnet SC can help secure your BAS network and set the foundation for future-ready building operations.

In this episode we will be discussing Smart Buildings Academy's plans for 2023 and beyond.

As you all well know we are big into transparency and collaboration.

One of the best ways to develop ideas and products rapidly is to place the concepts out into the market and test them.

Today we will be discussing the ideas we are exploring as a business both ideas that are 100% going to happen and things we are currently exploring.

In this episode, we're going to be talking with my good friend Donny Walker, of Newcomb and Boyd.

Donny, and I met back when I still worked at Johnson Controls was part of their analytics and system integration group. And even then I knew that Donny was a unique individual.

You see, I'd met a lot of consultants, I've met a lot of commissioning agents, I've met a lot of engineering firms. And I was like, this is interesting. I'm talking to a guy who gets it. He's not just about the spec. He's not just about only what the owner wants, he is about the system that delivers results.

In this episode we will dive deep into how to build out monitoring based commissioning programs that deliver results.

In this episode we discuss the talent management lifecycle with Lewis Martin of Charlton Morris. 

Lewis lays out a step-by-step planning for discovering, hiring, developing, and retaining talent within the smart buildings industry.

Resources:

https://podcast.smartbuildingsacademy.com/397

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we speak with Glen Spry on the topic of wireless energy management. 

Glen is going to take us on a journey looking at how energy management can be achieved with a wireless system. Beyond that Glen will help us to understand the impact of energy management on the grid and how to utilize energy data to better manage our facilities.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we speak with Drew DePriest. 

Drew has an extensive background in the building automation space and has the unique experience of being a BAS technician, proptech professional, working as an OT professional for the CRE space, and working for a managed service provider as an owner's rep.

My hope is that you will get multiple looks at several career pathways during this podcast and you will leave with a better understanding of the possibilities within the smart buildings space.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast Bayron Lopez helps us to unpack the world of IT from a customer's point of view.

So often we are busy thinking "How can I respond to this spec?" 

Or 

"How can I be compliant with XYZ requirement?"

But how often do we stop to think about the operational side of the systems we install?

In this episode Bayron helps us to understand the customer's point of view. Join us as Bayron gives us a behind the scenes look at how IT decisions are made and how we can avoid that dreaded not-qualified decision from IT. 

Are you tired of the same old team meetings?

Scrambling to find a topic and hoping that your team retains what you covered?

In this episode the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we are wrapping up our series on 52 game changing strategies that will grow and improve your BAS team in 2023!

How does the building envelope effect a buildings performance?

What role does acoustics have on occupant comfort?

What can we learn from the design philosophies of the residential and light commercial sectors?

In today's episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we unpack all this and more with Barry Cope, Group Managing Director of the Building Compliance Testers Association.

I hope you enjoy this episode!

Do you want to make your building automation team more productive and profitable in 2023? 

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we will continue to lay out strategies that you can implement into your team meetings that will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your BAS team.

Are your weekly smart buildings team meetings boring?

Do you find yourself struggling to develop topics that will improve your team, increase the profitability of your business, and grow your customer base?

In this 3-part series we will layout 52 strategies that you can discuss with your team in 2023.

That's one strategy for each weekly team meeting!

If you're responsible for training your building automation team and not seeing the results you need, this episode will challenge how you're approaching it. Most internal training programs fail because they miss the mark on what actually drives job performance. This episode will help you refocus on what matters.

We unpack what makes a training program succeed, where most fail, and how to build one that aligns with real work in the field. This is a direct, practical look at solving workforce gaps through focused upskilling.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• The common breakdowns that weaken internal BAS training
• Core elements that lead to long-term skill retention
• A step-by-step method for designing a results-driven program
• How to measure training impact and know if it's working
• The tools worth using and the ones to avoid

If you want your techs producing real outcomes on the job, this episode will give you the clarity to move forward.

Are you struggling to find talent for your building automation team?

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we discuss the exact strategies we are using right now to help leading organizations develop a robust pipeline of talent.

In this episode you will discover how to find and develop billable talent to execute backlog right now!

Resources: https://podcast.smartbuildingsacademy.com/389

Have you been struggling to find talent for your building automation business? 

If so you're not alone. In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast I interview Michael Conway of Stacks + Joules. 

Michael is relentlessly focused on delivering quality training to underserved communities in New York and Boston. What makes Stacks + Joules unique is their ability to rapidly train folks on complex topics even though their students start with little to no technical background.

My hope is that after hearing the podcast you will choose to partner with Stacks + Joules on this giving Tuesday.

Resources: https://podcast.smartbuildingsacademy.com/388

Donate at : https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=C33YEHX667HFC

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast I interview Bill Spohn of TruTech Tools. Bill has a tremendous level of experience in the Smart Buildings Space.

We discuss:

• New technologies that can be used for takeoff and measurement.
• How developments in the residential space can translate to the commercial space
• How the future of building techniques will translate to the commercial sector.
• And Much More.

Resources

https://podcast.smartbuildingsacademy.com/387

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast I will answer any questions you have live. I will also be asking past questions asked by our listeners.

In today's episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we are going to review the ASHRAE 55 standard.

ASHRAE 55 Thermal Conditions for Human Comfort is a fascinating standard.

In this standard we will learn:

• How space type and utilization factor into comfort design
• How to identify setpoints and conditions based on space load
• How to comply with the ASHRAE 55 standard
• And much more

With people begrudgingly returning to the office how can you increase the attractiveness and suitability of the work environment?

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Podcast we discuss how to increase the efficiency of space utilization and planning with Akira Jones of HH Angus. In this Podcast we discuss:

How is space utilization and efficiency planning different in the modern built environment? 

How do you know if you need space utilization and efficiency planning?

What are the silos, that tend to keep the built environment from modernizing their space utilization and efficiency planning? 

Framework for space utilization and efficiency planning
What framework do you use? 

What are the inputs for use case development?

How do you differentiate between inferred data and actual data?

How do you plug inputs into the framework? 

What should come out of the framework?

Resources: https://podcast.smartbuildingsacademy.com/384

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we will be exploring the ASHRAE 62.1 standard.

ASHRAE 62.1 is a key standard that is tied to indoor air quality in buildings.

But how does ASHRAE 62.1 work?

We will be exploring:

• How the standard is structured.

• How to determine the required indoor air quality (IAQ)

• The different methods for achieving the 62.1 standard

Resources: https://podcast.smartbuildingsacademy.com/383

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we will be exploring the ASHRAE 90.1 standard.

ASHRAE 90.1 is a key standard that is tied to multiple upcoming utility regulations and initiatives.

But how does ASHRAE 90.1 work?

We will be exploring:

• How the standard is structured.

• The two implementation methods; Performance and Prescriptive.

• How modeling works with ASHRAE 90.1.

• How 90.1 ties into potential energy conservation measures.

Resources:

https://podcast.smartbuildingsacademy.com/382

How do you actual succeed with analytics? This is a question I get asked often. 

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, Devan Tracy of Lockheed Martin discusses how she built a successful analytics platform from the ground up.

If you've found yourself thinking, "Analytics seem like a good idea but I'm not sure they'll work for me" or "Where would I even get started on an analytics journey" this podcast is for you!

Resources: 

https://podcast.smartbuildingsacademy.com/381

©️ 2022 Lockheed Martin Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Are you struggling to find technical talent?

Are you unable to execute backlog due to labor shortages?

If so you're not alone. In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we unpack how to develop talent right now.

For as long as I can remember the prevailing belief has been that it takes years to train a building automation technician.

In this episode we are going to unpack how we built a 11-week training program that has trained postal workers, hotel lobby clerks, and gas station attendants to become profitable BAS technicians in 11 weeks.

We will discuss lessons learned, how you can implement a similar program in your business, and how to find talent to place into a program of this type.

We will also discuss our plans for future Workforce Development Solutions.

Resources: 

https://www.smartbuildingsacademy.com/wfd-info_employers

What makes a facility truly "smart"? This episode of the Smart Buildings Academy podcast challenges a common misconception: that automation alone guarantees intelligent facility management. If you've ever invested in advanced building automation systems (BAS) only to find them underutilized or misconfigured, this conversation will hit home.

We walk through the often-overlooked human and organizational factors that determine whether your smart building is actually delivering on its promise. This episode is a must-listen for facility managers, technicians, engineers, and IT professionals working in the building automation industry.

Explore the hidden pitfalls and practical insights around:

• The illusion of intelligence in building automation systems 
• Knowledge gaps that sabotage smart facility operations
• Real-world consequences of poor system understanding
• Training and communication strategies to close performance gaps
• Preparing your teams for future tech like AI and machine learning

If your BAS looks great but underperforms, or if your team struggles to keep up with evolving technologies, this episode provides the perspective needed to take meaningful action.

Listen now and start reclaiming the true potential of your smart facility.

5 years ago we founded Smart Buildings Academy with the hopes of gaining 1,000 students by 2025. Today we are the largest vendor-agnostic provider of building automation training programs.

In the beginning of this journey it was just me and my co-founder, who happens to be my wife.

Along the way we've created 30+ training programs with over 2,000 hours of training lessons, 370+ Podcast episodes, thousands of blog articles, and we proved that online delivery is an effective delivery model for BAS training.

It wasn't an easy journey, along the way we've made mistakes, had people blatantly copy our training programs, and we've had to develop processes from scratch for delivering training.

In today's episode I am sharing the lessons learned from running a rapidly growing training business. In our traditional style, I'll share the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My hopes is that you all can learn from us and take away processes and strategies you can bring into your business.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we will be discussing troubleshooting BACnet MS/TP.

You will learn:

• Common BACnet failures
• The signs of each failure type
• How to troubleshoot each BACnet failure type

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we are going to discuss how to properly select inputs and outputs for your BAS projects.

You will learn:

• How to look at a specification and select input/output devices
• How to decide between multiple different devices
• How to properly size and select inputs and outputs for your BAS project