ICYMI This Week at the Smart Buildings Center & Building Potential

April 16, 2026 By SBC staff

This week we hosted our third session in our SBX Plus webinar series, How to Utilize Diagnostic Tools to Identify Energy Savings. The presentation showcased how modern diagnostic tools uncover hidden inefficiencies in building systems and pinpoint actionable energy-saving opportunities. You can catch this recording, register for future sessions, and find more information and registration opportunities for Smart Buildings Exchange webinars and in person conference here.

Jorge Melendez, Senior Specialist of Conservation and Efficiency Programs at Southern California Edison, Robby Martin, Building Analytics Business Development Lead at ATS Automation and Britton Rife, Senior Project Manager at the SBC and Building Potential covered practical approaches to utilizing specific diagnostic tools, analyzing data, prioritizing improvements, and validating results. Many regions have access to commercial tool lending libraries, check them out here:

Washington & Oregon

Smart Buildings Center – https://www.smartbuildingscenter.org/tool-library/

Idaho

University of Idaho – Integrated Design Lab – http://idlboise.com/about-erl

California

Pacific Gas & Electric – www.pge.com/tools

Sonoma County – http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/General-Services/Energy-and-Sustainability/Tool-Lending-Library/

Southern California Edison – https://www.sce.com/business/consulting-services/energy-education-centers

San Diego Gas & Electric – https://www.sdge.com/energy-innovation-center/tool-and-book-lending-library

New York

CUNY Building Performance Lab – https://nycenergytools.com/

2030 Districts Energy Week

April 16, 2026 By SBC staff

Our partners at the Bellevue 2030 District and Seattle 2030 District are excited to share the line-up of events for Energy Week 2026! We hope you can join us at these energy-focused events highlighting energy efficiency in the built environment:

Monday, May 11 – Seattle City Light: Conversations to Power Your Clean Energy Future
Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985773775819?aff=oddtdtcreator

Monday, May 11 – Fire Station 10 Tour – City of Bellevue
Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1987349702458?aff=oddtdtcreator

Tuesday, May 12 – Good Grid Citizens: Buildings, Utilities, & the Future of Demand Flexibility
Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985454016410?aff=oddtdtcreator

Wednesday, May 13 – Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS) Coffee Panel
Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1986246418506?aff=oddtdtcreator

Wednesday, May 13 – The Metropole Tour & Happy Hour
Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985455375475?aff=oddtdtcreator

Thursday, May 14 – DCI Engineers Office Tour
Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1986231102696?aff=oddtdtcreator

Thursday, May 14 – Energy Insights Showcase, Expo & Happy Hour
Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985455447691?aff=oddtdtcreator

Friday, May 15 – Overlake Medical Center Tour
Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1986272284873?aff=oddtdtcreator

To learn more about Energy Week and how you can get involved, visit: https://2030districts.org/bellevue/energy-week/

Smart Buildings Center and Building Potential Quarterly Snapshot

April 14, 2026 By SBC staff

Q1 Quarterly Recap

SBX ‘26

SBX Registration is OPEN – Smart Buildings Exchange Nov 9-10 2026 register today and use this link to direct your colleagues to the registration site

SBX+, our webinar series leading up to the 2 day in-person event, will be happening virtually from February to October. You can get access to both the webinar series and the in-person event for a bundled rate. Recordings are available.

Next up: April 15 – How to Utilize Diagnostic Tools to Identify Energy Savings

The BOC

We’re always launching new BOC courses and are excited to announce that Level I and Fundamentals are happening right now! New courses are starting soon and we have the schedule lined up well into the Summer and Fall. Register today or share the word with our website at: theboc.info

Tool Lending Library

The TLL continues to offer a wide array of tools to service professionals in Washington and Oregon. You can always find an updated list of tools here along with instructions on how to request a tool and videos and guides for tool use and care.

Have Con Will Travel!

We’re on the road and spreading the word at conferences around the region and beyond! Recently we visited EdCon and AEE West, sharing the news about SBX, The BOC and our advocacy work as Building Potential to lines of attendees at our booths. Will we see you at the next one? We keep a list of conferences we promote and attend at theBOC.info – Trade Shows

OBEP Fellowship Case Studies Series, McMinnville Community Center

March 30, 2026 By SBC staff

Over the next 3 weeks we’ll be sharing 3 case studies from our OBEP Fellow detailing buildings around McMinnville, OR starting today with the Community Center!

What is OBEP?

The Oregon Building Energy and Performance project (OBEP) is a collaborative initiative led by the Smart Buildings Center, Strategic Energy Innovations, San Timoteo Energy Associates, in coordination with the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE). This partnership supports under-resourced building owners in meeting the requirements of Oregon’s Building Performance Standards (OR BPS). As part of the initiative, the OBEP Fellow receives training in areas such as the Green Building Practicum, Building Operator Certification, and Oregon BPS compliance.

View or download the first case study here as a .pdf

Are you interested in the services provided by the OBEP Fellowship? Fill out the interest form here.

Celebrating the First Cohort of BEACON Fellows

March 26, 2026 By SBC staff

The Smart Buildings Center is a proud partner of the BEACON project and is celebrating the successes of the first cohort, we’re happy to join with Commerce in celebrating this historic moment.

On Friday, March 13, BEACON fellows, Climate Corps fellows, and BEACON and Climate Corps partners gathered in Bellevue to celebrate the end of the first cohort of BEACON fellows. Thank you to PSE for hosting this incredible group.

BEACON fellows presented on the highlights, successes, and lessons learned from their 10-month fellowships. They reflected on the technical support they provided to building owners, the sustainability projects they supported at their host sites, the relationships they built with utility providers, and the presentations they gave to local community groups.

Over the past 10 months, BEACON fellows conducted outreach to almost 200 unique entities and served 130 building owners and more than 400 buildings across 17 counties. Services included providing CBPS education, Clean Buildings Portal support, energy benchmarking services, energy management planning, operations and maintenance program support, and exemption and incentive application assistance.

BEACON fellows officially end their fellowships on March 31. With this date just on the horizon, project partners also shared words of encouragement for what’s next as fellows start their own job search.

As a reminder, BEACON Project partners are currently working to secure funding to stand up a second cohort of BEACON fellows, and there will be a gap in services between the first and second cohort. An announcement will be made when no-cost BEACON support resumes with a second cohort of fellows.

Meantime, you can receive ongoing no-cost CBPS support through the Commerce Clean Buildings Team and Smart Buildings Center Clean Buildings Help Desk.

Facilities Expos in April!

March 25, 2026 By SBC staff

APRIL 8-9, 2026 | Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim CA

APRIL 29-30, 2026 | Oregon Convention Center, Portland OR
Swing by the BOC booth at the Oregon Expo!!

What is the Facilities Expo?

The Facilities Expo is a premier destination for facility managers, maintenance managers, and energy managers seeking innovative solutions, industry insights, and networking opportunities to optimize facility operations, enhance sustainability, and drive business success. As the leading regional event in the facilities management industry, the Facilities Expo offers a comprehensive platform for professionals to discover the latest trends, connect with industry experts, and access cutting-edge products and services that empower them to excel in their roles and achieve their organizational goals.

Register Now!