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Smart Buildings Center

Energy Efficiency Innovation Center, Tool Library & Data Visualization

Smart Buildings Center Statement on Racial Justice

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In response to the recent and ongoing public outcry for racial justice, the Board and Staff of the Smart Buildings Center is issuing a statement recognizing the urgency of this crisis and our commitment to support these important efforts particularly as they relate to the work of the SBC. To aid us in these efforts, we are pleased to announce the formation of an Advisory Committee comprised of racially and gender diverse industry and technical experts. Over the next several months, we will work with the SBC staff to recruit this group, which will help define the programming of the SBC with a lens toward diversity and inclusion in our programs and will also serve as a sounding board for technical inquiries and content development.

The cry for racial justice is not a moment in time and achieving the goals of justice requires each of us. At the Smart Buildings Center, we are committed to achieving a more just and equitable environment, especially as it relates to the buildings in which we all live and work.

Virtual Smart Buildings Week Replaces In-Person SBX2020 Conference

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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 24th & 25th, 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 14th-17th, 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 14th, 15th and 16th is now open and details for a fourth session on September 17th 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 14th, 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 15th, 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 16th, 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!

Smart Buildings Center Announces Current Reopening Plans

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The Smart Buildings Center is designed as a place to serve those in the energy efficiency and smart buildings industries, providing a resource for these communities to convene, exchange ideas, and improve the building stock in the Pacific Northwest. While the current public health situation required limited operations in recent months, we are excited to announce our current plans to reopen our space and Tool Lending Library with the health and wellbeing of our stakeholders and staff front of mind.

In adhering to the COVID-19 response policy issued by Washington Governor Jay Inslee, the Smart Buildings Center is operating with recommended precautions in place.

General Guidance:

  • Appropriate masks, covering nose and mouth, are required in the Smart Buildings Center and Pacific Tower and masks are not available on site. Please bring your own mask/face covering.
  • To limit crowding at entries and exits, the Pacific Tower is limiting entry to the building from the south side of the building; exit is to the north side of the building.

Guidelines for use of Smart Buildings Center’s meeting spaces:

The SBC is reopening our Training and Event Space and Large Conference Room with the following protocols:

  1. Masks are required in all areas of the Smart Buildings Center and the Pacific Tower.
  2. Training and Event Space will hold no more than 15 individuals and the Large Conference Room can hold up to 6 people. This capacity is set to ensure adequate physical distancing of 6 feet between occupants.
  3. Reservations must be submitted within 7 calendar days of the requested event date.
  4. To ensure adequate time for cleaning of spaces, both rooms are only available for use on Mondays & Thursdays.
  5. Staff of the SBC continue to work remotely as recommended by local health guidelines. Check ins and check outs will be conducted by phone and virtual tech support is available.
  6. All parties will be responsible for properly sanitizing the environment before and after event. The SBC will provide cleaning supplies.
  7. Organizations using our space are asked to sign a waiver releasing the Smart Buildings Center of liability.

If you have questions, please email [email protected].


Guidelines for use of Smart Buildings Center’s Tool Lending Library:

The Tool Lending Library is open for reservations and we are excited to serve our stakeholders with this service.

Tools may be picked up or dropped off at the Smart Buildings Center by appointment only, generally within the following hours (other arrangements on a case-by-case basis):

Tuesdays 9-11 am
Thursdays 2-4 pm

When making your reservation, please note your desired appointment time and wait for an email or phone response to confirm. If you would like the tool(s) shipped, please indicate the shipping address when making your reservation, and allow extra time for us to process the shipment.

Appropriate masks covering nose and mouth are required. Entry to the Pacific Tower is from the south side of the building; exit is to the north side of the building. There are several free 30-min. parking spaces near the south entrance of the building. (Note: parking time limits are heavily enforced.)

We are taking care to sanitize tool surfaces before and after use. We appreciate your efforts to do the same before returning tools you have borrowed. Additionally, tools will be quarantined for at least 3 days between loans. Our on-site library staff resources are currently limited. Please help us by being patient with the extra time it may take to process tool loans.

If you have questions, please email [email protected].

 

Upcoming Remote Learning Events & On-Demand Recordings

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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 16th: 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

WA State Clean Buildings Standard Survey

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Washington State University Energy Program (WSU) is requesting your input on a short online survey about the upcoming Washington State Clean Building Energy Performance Standard. The intention of the survey is to help WSU create an effective support program for those involved with complying with the law, such as building owners, facility and energy managers, energy service providers, and utilities.

The standard is undergoing rule-making by the Washington State Department of Commerce (Commerce) and will be established November 1, 2020, per the Clean Buildings bill (HB 1257). In short, the performance standard requires all commercial buildings (both public and private) over 50,000 square feet to lower their energy consumption by complying with a specific energy use target. Please refer to Commerce’s Clean Buildings website for more information.

Click here to take the survey. July 20 is the last day to take the survey.

For more information, contact WSU Clean Buildings Support Team at [email protected].

Join OSE’s Campaign to Support Racial Justice

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The following is a letter from the City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE).

Dear Colleagues,

There is no environmental justice without racial justice. We at Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment stand in solidary with the Black community and support the goals of Black Lives Matter. Like many, we are doubling down on our commitment to advancing racial justice and dismantling anti-Blackness.

We are City employees, but we are also individuals. In honor of Juneteenth, we’re challenging OSE staff, colleagues, partners, families, and friends to raise $3,000 by July 3, 2020 to support racial justice.

Join the OSE Challenge. Please consider a donation to benefit two featured racial justice organizations. Organizations were selected via crowdsourcing and input from OSE’s Race & Social Justice Change Team.

  1. Nurturing Roots is farm nestled on a plot of land in Beacon Hill beside the Black Power Epicenter. Founder and urban farmer Nyema Clark works with her team and partners to provide affordable, sustainable alternatives to high-end grocery markets for families living in her community. Nurturing Roots works with organizations including Highline College, Roots of All Roads, Africa Town Clean Greens, and the Rainier Beach Action Coalition to expand the reach of Nurturing Roots’ harvests.
  2. Wa Na Wari creates space for Black ownership, possibility, and belonging through art, historic preservation, and connection. The organization is a center for Black art and culture in Seattle’s historically redlined Central District neighborhood. Sited in a 5th-generation Black-owned home, Wa Na Wari:
  • Hosts rotating exhibits by local and regional Black artists
  • Provides a space for workshops, performances, and lectures
  • Convenes changemakers, elders, youth, neighbors, and artists for collaboration, innovation, and community organizing.
  • Operates an oral history studio for gathering and sharing the stories of Seattle’s historically Black Central District

Donate today. To keep it simple and maximize benefit to organizations, you can send donations to OSE Deputy Director Michelle Caulfield through Venmo @Michelle-Caulfield or PayPal.Me/caulfieldm. Michelle will pool contributions, share results, and make a one-time donation to each organization at the end of the campaign (July 3). If you’d rather donate directly, feel free to do so but please let Michelle know at [email protected] so your contribution can count toward the OSE campaign.

Spread the word. Please share this email with colleagues, family, and friends. We encourage them to join in! Collectively we can make a difference.

This campaign is voluntary. We know many are giving and supporting change in various ways. Thank you for your contributions!

Contact Us

Smart Buildings Center
Pacific Tower
1200 12th Ave. S., Suite 110
Seattle, WA 98144

206-538-0832

[email protected]

Smart Buildings Center is a project collaboration with Building Potential