2025 Smart Buildings Exchange Recap

Smart Buildings Center

Energy Efficiency Innovation Center, Tool Library & Data Visualization

Smart Buildings Center Quarterly Look Ahead 2026

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Welcome to the Smart Buildings Center’s first Quarterly Look Ahead of 2026. Here’s the learning experiences you can look forward to this year:

SBX Plus

As part of our annual conference, SBX Plus aims to keep you connected to everything you can expect from the big show this November through a series of educational webinars. You won’t want to miss the topics below so register today!

SBX

And of course SBX will be held later this year in November on the 9 -10 in Seattle at the Bell Harbor Conference Center for the second year in a row! We had an amazing time last year with speakers, presentations, panel discussions and much more. We hope you will join us for SBX 2026 when registration opens later this year, in the meanwhile though, you can keep your finger on the pulse for all things SBX at sbxconference.org

The BOC Courses

theBOC.info is your one-stop shop to learn about upcoming courses and register for a Fundamentals, Level I, Level II or Multifamily course. It’s never been a better time to start your journey to becoming a certified Building Operator. Find out more about The Essential Credential and find a course starting in your region at www.theboc.info/find-training

NEEA Webinars

Our friends at NEEA are hosting several webinars in the coming months with a wide range of topics. You can find all the details for these webinars (and their recordings) at info.NEEA.org and register for these FREE one-hour sessions today!

Smart Buildings Exchange 2026 Update

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Please save the date for the Smart Buildings Exchange (SBX) 2026 in-person Fall Conference on November 9-10, 2026 in downtown Seattle! Registration, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, and a call for session topics and speakers will open soon, but for now we’d like to call your attention to the year-round virtual component of the event, the SBX Plus Virtual Series.

We invite you to register for the first SBX Plus Virtual Session on Wednesday, February 18th from 11am-12pm Pacific Time on Thermal Energy Networks as a Driver for Building Decarbonization. Experts from McKinstry and the Building Decarbonization Coalition will share insights on how thermal energy networks enable efficient heating and cooling while significantly reducing building-related carbon emissions. Register at the link below to learn how these systems integrate with electrification strategies and support long-term decarbonization goals for campuses, districts, and portfolios.

Register for the Feb 18th SBX Plus virtual session here!

Important note: Full SBX Conference registration is not yet open. If you register for the February SBX Plus Virtual Session, the $79 registration fee will be credited toward a full SBX Conference pass (including access to the in-person and entire virtual series).

To ensure you get the discount, please select the single webinar option for February 18 and enter “SBX” in the discount code field at checkout. We’ll follow up with details on how to get your discount when the full registration becomes available.

Bellevue Clean Buildings Incentive Program

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The City of Bellevue is helping large buildings (20,000+ sf) to reduce energy use, save on costs, and comply with WA State Clean Buildings Law. Clean Buildings Incentive Program is re-launching its interest list for free building energy services including energy benchmarking, scoping assessments, incentive navigation, and compliance reporting support – an estimated $18,000 value. 

Free Training Webinars: WA Clean Buildings Law Compliance

Friday, January 29th, 11AM to 12PM: Clean Buildings 101: Intro to Clean Buildings Law, Incentives, and Support

Tuesday, February 10th, 11AM to 12PM: Clean Buildings 102: Benchmarking , Energy Management Plans, and Operations & Maintenance Programs

Wednesday, February 11th, 11AM to 12PM: Clean Buildings 101: Intro to Law, Incentives, & Support for Multi-Family Properties

January Lighting Design Lab Webinars

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We’ve got the latest from the Lighting Design Labs workshops to share with you! Check out the links below to register for these January webinars.
Small Commercial Buildings – Controls and Other Helpful Tools from DOE
January 15, 2026 | 10:00 – 11:30 am | Online | Free
Join this webinar to learn how to harness the power of smart thermostats and better building controls to optimize your building’s performance, reduce energy and maintenance costs, and enhance occupant comfort. Discover the ‘stairway to better buildings,’ learn about the various rooftop unit control capabilities available for small to medium-sized buildings, and gain insights from case study examples of smart thermostat implementation.
Today’s Heat Pump Water Heaters: Installation, Capabilities & Business Growth Opportunities — Part 2!
January 28, 2026 | 7:30 – 10:00 am | Online | Free
Hear from ENERGY STAR® Manufacturer’s Action Council (ESMAC) and leading HPWH Manufacturers themselves. Learn about City Light HPWH midstream incentives and upcoming marketing campaign to grow your business

City of Bellevue – Clean Buildings Webinars Next Week!

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Clean Buildings Incentive Program

The City of Bellevue is helping large buildings (20,000+ sf) to reduce energy use, save on costs, and comply with WA State Clean Buildings Law. Clean Buildings Incentive Program is re-launching its interest list for free building energy services including energy benchmarking, scoping assessments, incentive navigation, and compliance reporting support – an estimated $18,000 value. 

The webinars provide an overview of the WA Clean Buildings Law, introduce Bellevue’s Clean Buildings Incentive Program, and walk participants through important steps along the path to compliance with Washington’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard. They will be explaining the benchmarking process, energy management plans (EMP), operations and maintenance programs (O&MP), and more.

Free Training Webinars: WA Clean Buildings Law Compliance

Program contact:

Brady Adams

Buildings & Energy Fellow

City of Bellevue, Washington

[email protected]

Oregon’s new Oregon Legislature Building Performance Standards (BPS)

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Oregon Building Performance Standard (BPS) was established in 2023, by the Oregon Legislature, establishing mandatory Building Performance Standards for large commercial buildings. The Oregon BPS goal is to reduce energy consumption and emissions across the state and apply to Tier 1 and Tier 2 buildings based on their size and type for buildings larger than 20,000 square feet. Compliance deadlines begin in 2028, with compliance requirements for Tier 1 buildings and include requirements for benchmarking, Energy Use Intensity (EUI) calculations, and operational improvements.

A Level II Building Operator Certification (BOC) TCOC is recognized as a credential for a Qualified Person under Oregon’s BPS. Individuals with this credential can support building owners with benchmarking, EUI calculations, development of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) programs, and implementation of Energy Management Plans (EMP), aligning with compliance pathways for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 buildings.

Oregon’s BOC licensed provider is Northwest Water Energy & Education Institute (NWEEI).

Class Location & Schedule

BOC is currently only online. We have been able to serve a wider population for operators by being virtual. We are confident that we can continue to provide you with the same quality content and instruction that participants have come to know.

The class price is $2495. This will increase in January 2026 and so does the Energy Trust of Oregon’s incentive ($1800). Energy Trust will allow participants to take the Levels back to back. A change that is in response to the new BPS described above.

Please refer to the BOC main website for eligibility for both Level I and Level II. There is other information on their website that is useful to know and refer to. Like the maintenance of your certification and additional certifications. Check it out!!! https://www.theboc.info/certifications/

Upon completion of the program classes, you may be eligible for the incentive from Energy Trust of Oregon. Please refer to the updated information at Energy Trust. https://energytrust.org/commercial/tools-resources/

So get started and sign up for the classes that are coming in 2026. A Level II will start in January and a Level I in May. Additional Level I & II will occur in the summer of 2026 as demand increases. Seats will go fast. More information and registration can be found here. For questions please contact Brenda at [email protected] or Roger at [email protected].

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