Join us for the Smart Buildings Exchange 2026!

Smart Buildings Center

Energy Efficiency Innovation Center, Tool Library & Data Visualization

Happening This Week at SBC – Partner McKinstry and Seattle Colleges Transform Campuses 

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This week, we are excited to share a case study of how Smart Buildings Center partner McKinstry and Seattle Colleges are working together to maximize efficiency on campus while complying with Washington’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard.
“For more than a decade, Seattle Colleges has stood at the forefront of sustainability, proving higher education can lead the way in creating a cleaner, more efficient future. In partnership with McKinstry, the Colleges have transformed campuses into models of energy stewardship, demonstrating that bold leadership and smart planning can deliver benefits far beyond compliance.” Click here to read the case study and watch the partnership video below!

HB1543 rulemaking update: CR-102 filed

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Commerce filed the CR-102 for the HB1543 rulemaking on April 09, 2026. The proposed rules and the CR-102 form are available on the Clean Buildings webpage. The form includes:

  • Agency contact information
  • Intended adoption date
  • Public hearing details

Small Business Economic Impact Statement.

Public hearing: Thursday, May 28, 2026, 10 a.m.

The public hearing and end of the comment period for HB1543 rulemaking is scheduled for May 28, 2026. This is your opportunity to give a testimony on the proposed rules and to participate in the rulemaking process.

Register to participate

You can submit written comments can be submitted through the stakeholder comment form. The deadline for written comments is May 28, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.

Happening this week at the Smart Buildings Center – Celebrating Earth Day! 

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On Earth Day and every day, the work of Building Potential and the Smart Buildings Center plays a critical role in supporting the long‑term sustainability of our planet. Buildings are one of the largest contributors to energy use and emissions, and empowering the people who operate them is one of the most effective ways to drive meaningful change. Whether it be through events like the Building Operator Certification training and Smart Buildings Exchange, advocating for environmentally responsible policy, or practical resources like the Tool Lending Library and providing spaces for the industry to convene, our programs help facilities and energy industry professionals reduce energy use, lower emissions, and create healthier, more efficient buildings. By investing in people, skills, and smarter building operations, we are helping to protect natural resources, strengthen communities, and move toward a more sustainable future for Earth.

ICYMI This Week at the Smart Buildings Center & Building Potential

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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/

Smart Buildings Center and Building Potential Quarterly Snapshot

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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

SBX 2026 Sponsorship Opportunities

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Sponsorship Opportunities for Smart Buildings Exchange (SBX) 2026 are now available! Please view our 2026 Sponsor Prospectus for full details on sponsorship levels and benefits.

SBX 2026 focuses on a defining challenge for our industry: how to capitalize on innovation and accelerate smart buildings adoption in a rapidly changing environment. In a world of rising costs, AI, evolving expectations, connected building systems, and growing building and cybersecurity concerns, the need for smarter, more resilient, and more scalable solutions has never been clearer. SBX 2026 will bring together leaders from across the built environment to examine what is driving progress, what is holding it back, and what it will take to move from promising innovation to widespread implementation.

The 2026 conference theme, “Accelerating Performance at the Speed of Innovation,” reflects both the urgency of the moment and the opportunity in front of us. As technologies advance and pressures on the built environment intensify, buildings are being asked to do more: reduce costs, improve resilience, respond to grid needs, support occupant outcomes, and deliver stronger performance in an increasingly complex operating environment. SBX 2026 will create space not just for inspiration, but for debate, problem-solving, and clearer pathways to action.

For more information, please see the 2026 Sponsor Prospectus and contact [email protected] with any questions or to become a sponsor.

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