Education & Training - Smart Buildings Center

Registration Now Open for Qualified Energy Manager Certification

May 21, 2025 By SBC staff

Commerce and the Smart Building Center are offering a free virtual and in-person Qualified Energy Manager Certification course in June. Space is limited. A free and on-demand course will be available in the future.

The Qualified Energy Management (QEM) course is designed to equip building professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to comply with the Tier 2 requirements of the Washington State’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS). This comprehensive training is ideal for building operators, energy managers, and facility staff.

In accordance with the CBPS, a QEM must have two years of experience, including educational and/or professional experience, with commercial building operations and/or building energy management in addition to successful completion of this training. Upon completion of the Qualified Energy Management (QEM) course, you will be able to:

Establish the energy use intensity target (EUIt) according to Section 7.
Calculate the building’s measured energy use intensity (EUI) by completing Form C according to Section 5.2.
Submit forms as specified in Normative Annex Y documenting compliance.
State in writing on Form A that the Energy Management plan and Operations and Maintenance program requirements have been developed, implemented and maintained.
Submit and sign Form A.

QEM Virtual Training

📅Part 1: Wednesday, June 11|⏰8:30 AM-12:30 PM
📅Part 2: Monday, June 16|⏰8:30 AM-12:30 PM
💻 Fully Online • Live Sessions
Register Here

QEM Virtual Training

📅Part 1: Wednesday, June 27|⏰8:30 AM-12:30 PM
📅Part 2: Monday, June 30|⏰8:30 AM-12:30 PM
💻 Fully Online • Live Sessions
Register Here

QEM In-Person Training – Seattle

📍Smart Buildings Center
📅Friday, June 13|⏰8:00 AM-4:00 PM
🏢 Full-Day • In-Person Sessions
Register Here

QEM In-Person Training – Spokane

📍Scott-Morris Center
📅Wednesday, June 25|⏰8:00 AM-4:00 PM
🏢 Full-Day • In-Person Sessions
Register Here

Registration Open for Smart Buildings Exchange (SBX) 2025!

May 12, 2025 By SBC staff

Early-bird registration for SBX 2025 is now open at sbxconference.org/register

The Smart Buildings Center is excited to host the 5^th annual Smart Buildings Exchange (SBX) in 2025! This year’s event builds on a successful history of exploring smart and efficient building operations—but it’s not just more of the same.

SBX 2025 invites attendees to think bigger. This year’s focus is on how smart building strategies can solve today’s real-world challenges—like cutting operational costs, reducing peak energy use, and retrofitting fossil fuel-based equipment with heat pumps. For those navigating the evolving demands of building ownership, operations, and energy management, SBX 2025 offers a space to explore practical solutions while also engaging with the bold ideas shaping the future.

The fall conference theme, “Smart Buildings in Action: Leading the Future of Building Performance,” reflects our region’s growing leadership in reimagining the role of buildings—not just as energy users, but as dynamic assets that influence everything from grid interaction and occupant well-being to cost management, security, and building resilience.

SBX 2025 features both a virtual webinar series and an in-person event:

The webinar series, held in the months leading up to the conference, dives into practical applications and real-world examples of smart building technologies and solutions.

Register for the webinar series!

The in-person conference, to be held on November 5^th in downtown Seattle, will bring together regional and national leaders for thought-provoking discussions on the big ideas—exploring where we’re headed, what’s needed to accelerate progress, and how the Pacific Northwest fits into the national and global landscape.

Register for the in-person conference!

Sponsorship Opportunities
If you’re interested in learning about sponsorship opportunities, please view our Sponsor Prospectus and contact [email protected].

SBX Technical Webinar Series – 4/16 Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Building Controls & Security

March 26, 2025 By SBC staff

The SBX Technical Webinar series is in full swing as we prepare for the April 16th topic, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Building Controls & Security. See below for the full schedule and register now for recordings of the previous sessions and the rest of this years’ worth of content!

Here’s the brief for April:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming building automation systems (BAS) and smart buildings by enhancing efficiency, security, and occupant comfort. This webinar will explore some of the potential benefits, challenges, and technical considerations for utilizing AI in BAS.

Smart Buildings Exchange 2025 & Beyond!

March 10, 2025 By SBC staff

Since 2020, the Smart Buildings Exchange (SBX) has united industry leaders through a mix of virtual and in-person programming. Originally launched in 2018 as the Why Smart Buildings Executive Forum, SBX has continually evolved to meet the needs of the industry.

Now we’re taking the next step. This year marks the beginning of a new era—a year-round Smart Buildings Exchange experience with ongoing virtual live webinars recorded throughout the year and an in-person conference experience each fall in Seattle.

2025 will be a transition year as we reimagine the future of our virtual programming. In the meantime, our Smart Buildings Center (SBC) Technical Webinar Series will keep you engaged throughout the year. Register here: https://cvent.me/LEWGoD

We’re also thrilled to gather in person on November 5^th for a half-day conference and happy hour in downtown Seattle—mark your calendar.

What’s new for SBX in 2025?

SBX Fall Conference
November 5, 2025 | 1:00 – 6:00 PM
Bell Harbor Conference Center, Downtown Seattle
Includes a networking happy hour to connect with industry peers.
More information and registration coming soon at www.sbxconference.org

SBC Technical Webinar Series
6 Virtual Webinars occurring throughout the year
Join live or watch the live recording
Stay engaged all year with expert-led discussions.
Register now at https://cvent.me/LEWGoD

Cost
To ensure a high-quality experience, this year will be the first time we are charging for attendance, but we are working hard to keep those costs low!

Get Involved with SBX 2025
Register now for our technical webinars: https://cvent.me/LEWGoD
Stay tuned for more info on our Fall Conference: www.sbxconference.org
Sponsorship Opportunities: please contact [email protected] for more information

SBX 2026
Looking ahead to 2026, we’ll expand further with a multi-day Smart Buildings Exchange conference in Seattle each November!

We’re excited to bring you even more opportunities to engage, learn, and connect. See you online and in Seattle this fall!

Lighting Design Lab: It Takes a Village: Learn How Some of Our Partners Can Advance Your Knowledge and Get Your Projects on the Right Track

February 27, 2025 By SBC staff

Lighting Design Lab has partnered with Smart Buildings Center to offer a new webinar. Check out the description below or click here to see the full details or register today!

Building technologies are evolving, codes are getting tighter, customer values include more than just the bottom line, and the workforce needs to catch up–and stay caught up. The Lab has great education and resources for you, but no one entity can do it all. Luckily, Building Potential’s Smart Buildings Center, UW’s Integrated Design Lab, and BPA’s Comfort Ready Home offer unique education and services that complement what the Lab delivers. We’re excited to have them come share how they can help meet your needs.

Seattle’s Smart Buildings Center is home to a huge tool lending library of diagnostic and monitoring tools, educational programming, and rentable room space for trainings and meetings. Melissa will present details about the Smart Buildings Center’s mission and more on their offerings, including the Building Operator Certification program and the helpdesks available for WA Clean Buildings and Seattle Benchmarking compliance.

The Integrated Design Lab, part of the Center for Integrated Design within the Department of Architecture in the College of Built Environments at UW, provides regional design teams access to the best building-performance knowledge available, project-by-project support, and education and training on how to design, construct and operate the healthiest, most productive and energy efficient buildings in North America. Chris Meek will share details about how they deliver this mission and highlight a new partnership with Pacific Northwest Building Training and Assessment Center.

Bonneville Power Administration’s Comfort Ready Home Program links residential contractors and utility program staff with education (including hands-on opportunities), marketing toolkits, customized support, and a ton of readily available resources in English and Spanish. Cyrus Collins, Program Manager Comfort Ready Home, will provide an overview of the program, how it can benefit both new and experienced workforce, and how to access marketing materials and in-person support.

SCL Partnering with PSE and City of Seattle OSE for No-Cost Group Training!

February 27, 2025 By SBC staff

Seattle City Light is partnering with Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and the City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) to offer two different no-cost group training and technical support programs starting in March:

PSE Clean Buildings Accelerator: For commercial and multifamily buildings over 20,000 sq. ft. outside Seattle city limits preparing for the Washington Clean Buildings Performance Standard (WA CBPS), register for an upcoming PSE Clean Buildings Accelerator Information Sessions.
Seattle Clean Buildings Accelerator: For commercial and multifamily buildings over 20,000 sq. ft. in Seattle preparing for both Seattle Building Emissions Performance Standard (Seattle BEPS) and WA CBPS, register for an upcoming Seattle Clean Buildings Accelerator Information Sessions.

These programs provide tools, guidance, and technical support to help buildings improve energy efficiency and prepare for compliance with these standards.

Questions? Email: [email protected]

Early-bird registration for SBX 2025 is now open at sbxconference.org/register

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