Join us for the Smart Buildings Exchange 2026!

Smart Buildings Center

Energy Efficiency Innovation Center, Tool Library & Data Visualization

Upcoming Lighting Design Lab Classes

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The Networked Lighting Controls Value Proposition
Thu, Apr 14 | 10am-noon | FREE

The real opportunity brought forth by NLC systems revolve around reducing maintenance efforts, increasing productivity, and serving as the infrastructure to concepts such as Space Utilization, Asset Tracking, Horticultural Lighting and Automation, LiFi, Tunable White or Circadian Lighting, integration to the Smart Building Ecosystem, and a plethora of IoT applications. This value proposition is forward looking and is not adopted as a mainstream plan of action – how do we get there? In this webinar we will discuss some of these non-energy benefits, how to get a foot in the door, and how to navigate the conversation with different types of stakeholders with diverse agendas.

Register here

Networked Lighting Controls Fundamentals – Day 1
Thu, Apr 21 | 10am-noon | FREE

DAY 1 OF 2. Part one of this comprehensive online class will introduce you to modern lighting control strategies and equipment. Part two will offer guidance on successful implementation and programming approaches for these systems. System concepts, design, installation, sequence of operations, and startup will all be discussed over the course of the class.

Register here

Networked Lighting Controls Fundamentals – Day 2
Thu, Apr 28 | 10am-noon | FREE

DAY 2 OF 2. Part one of this comprehensive online class will introduce you to modern lighting control strategies and equipment. Part two will offer guidance on successful implementation and programming approaches for these systems. System concepts, design, installation, sequence of operations, and startup will all be discussed over the course of the class.

Register here


Energy & Alterations: Meeting the Alterations Requirements of the Energy Code
Thu, May 05 | 10am-noon | FREE

This 2-hour webinar will summarize the “alterations” requirements of the Seattle and Washington state energy codes and offer suggestions for potential design solutions. It will provide an overview of the alterations provisions of Chapter 5, with a special focus on replacing existing gas or electric resistance space heating and water heating systems with heat pump systems. Alterations to envelope, lighting, electrical, metering, and HVAC systems will also be covered, as will Seattle’s “substantial alterations” rules in addition to “additions.” The webinar will conclude with a substantial Q&A period for discussion of specific applications.

Register here

Networked Lighting Controls for Healthcare
Thu, May 12 | 10am-noon | FREE

This class will build on the foundation of our one- and two-day Networked Lighting Controls classes by examining controls that may be effectively applied to areas of specific interest to the healthcare environment including clinics, patient rooms, procedure areas, and related spaces. We will consider how networked lighting controls may help to improve patient and staff perception, productivity, and patient outcomes. We will specifically discuss how lighting controls implementation may relate to current research regarding light and health, circadian entrainment, and shift workers.

Register here

Online Open House about Building Performance Standards Policy Development – April 5th  

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The Office of Sustainability and Environment is conducting stakeholder and community engagement on creating draft legislation for new City of Seattle regulations for commercial and multifamily buildings 20,000 square feet and larger that would reduce climate-polluting emissions and transition towards cleaner, healthier places to live and work. Called ‘Building Performance Standards,’ these carbon emissions targets would become gradually stronger over time towards a goal of cleaner, healthier, ‘net-zero’ carbon emissions buildings by 2050, while improving the quality of life for residents and creating local, well-paying jobs. OSE will present about the potential regulations and the links between buildings, climate pollution, equity, and health. The meeting will include listening sessions to hear participant’s ideas and concerns. OSE is planning another online open house for late spring in the evening (date TBD). Presentations and meeting summaries will be posted online after the events.

Learn about Building Controls On-Demand

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Building controls can drive big energy savings – if you can master them. Slipstream is here to help. We partnered with energy experts to guide you at every step of your controls learning journey – from the fundamentals to advanced building controls. From design to implementation. Including how your daily facility operation and energy management strategy will benefit when building controls work for you.

Visit our free on-demand library for:

  • 17 short sessions for energy managers
  • 20 in-depth sessions for building operators and facility engineers
  • Up to 18.5 hours of continuing education credits

Learn more

Slipstream was awarded a grant by the Department of Defense (DoD) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) to develop this comprehensive training library on building controls for you. These courses cover everything from the fundamentals of building HVAC systems and controls to advanced control strategies for intelligent building operations and more.

Courses are grouped by topic. You can follow the recommended learning flow from simple to more complicated topics. Sign up for free today to access these courses and watch them on-demand.

Learn more about these training courses or sign up today!

Registration Open for Smart Buildings Exchange, Aug 22-24!

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The Smart Buildings Center is excited to announce that registration for Smart Buildings Exchange 2022 is now open! The free, three-day virtual event to be held August 22-24 will explore the role of smarter buildings in a changing energy landscape through interactive conference sessions focused on topics including:

  • Building electrification & decarbonization
  • System integration & cybersecurity
  • Smart technology’s role in improving ESG reporting
  • IT/OT network design & interoperability
  • Indoor air quality and occupant health & wellness
  • The evolving buildings operation & maintenance workforce
  • Optimizing buildings for hybrid work environments

Call for Speakers & Content
Do you have a suggestion for a dynamic speaker or topic with demonstrated application of smart technologies in buildings that should be considered for the SBX2022 agenda? If so, please send your ideas to Britton Rife. Any suggestions are appreciated!

In-Person Networking Events
In addition to the virtual conference sessions, regional in-person networking events featuring a livestreamed keynote address are being planned. If you are interested in hosting an in-person SBX networking event in your region, please contact Britton Rife to coordinate. Stay tuned for more details as plans are developed!

Sponsorship Opportunities
For more information about ways your organization or business can participate in the conference, please download our Sponsorship Prospectus or contact Stan Price for customized sponsorship/partnership opportunities.

Register for free today!

 

Building Electrification & Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Executive Forum Recordings

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Thanks to all who joined us for our recent two-part ‘Why Smart Buildings?’ Executive Forum on Building Electrification & Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings. The recordings for the sessions are now available on the SBC YouTube channel at the links below.

Part 1 of this series brings together expertise from the policy, regulatory, ratemaking, and utility industries to discuss their view on what must change from current practice to ignite a robust market for Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings (GEBs). Speakers include: John Gibson – Avista Corporation, Ryan Hledik – Brattle Group, and Sangeeta Ranade – AlphaStruxure.

Part 1 Recording

Part 2 of this series features a panel drawn from the communities of building owner/manager, developer, service provider and research institutions to discuss the market side of this equation. Speakers include: Brett Bridgeland – RMI, Salone Habibuddin – Urban Visions, Mary Ann Piette – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Hendrik Van Hemert – Edo.

Part 2 Recording

Don’t Miss ‘Why Smart Buildings?’ Executive Forum, Feb 17th & 24th

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Building Electrification & Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

Thursday, February 17th & 24th
12:00 – 1:15 pm PT
Register Here!

Certainly, increasing building electrification (BE) is a critical step toward decarbonization of the built environment. The specific steps to achieve BE are somewhat less certain. Replacing carbon-emitting fossil fuel appliances with clean electric sources is the easy answer, but as usual there are lots of complexities in making this happen in both commercial and residential buildings – new and existing. During the Smart Buildings Exchange (SBX) 2021 virtual conference, two technical sessions on grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs) highlighted the potential values of deploying dynamic two-way communication capacity in buildings to both the electric utility system and building owners and managers. This two-way communication can automate load shifting, shedding, and modulating and improve a utility’s capacity, resiliency, and cost. Building on the SBX 2021 conversations, this two-part Executive Forum discussion will link the efforts around BE to successful widespread deployment of GEBs.

Part 1 of this series will bring together expertise from the policy, regulatory, ratemaking, and utility industries to discuss their view on what must change from current practice to ignite a robust market for GEBs. Like most SBC events, this Executive Forum will be structured as an extemporaneous discussion between panelists (with a twist – see note on format below). Sure to be a dynamic and engaging discussion, this panel will tackle issues such as:

  • Building electrification – the role that GEBs need to play to allow for optimizing utility capacity management/coincident peak management (the context being, can building electrification succeed without some form of GEBs)
  • Grid modernization – everyone agrees that it needs to happen and that it will be expensive. Do GEBs offer a least cost approach to modernization that will enhance reliability/resilience?
  • Are GEBs a complement to the Northwest’s emerging energy imbalance market – are the two compatible?
  • Why aren’t GEBs evaluated as a resource in the 8th Power Plan?
  • Are GEBs more realistic/helpful to the utility system in the residential or the C/I sector?
  • What scale is necessary for GEBs to be a real solution?
  • What rate reforms are needed to make GEBs work?
  • What policy/regulatory reforms are needed to make GEBs work?

Part 2 of this series will feature a panel drawn from the communities of building owner/manager, developer, service provider and research institutions to discuss the market side of this equation. Of course, there has to be a market-based value proposition for the BE-GEBs solution to decarbonization and this group will take that question head-on. Again, expect a dynamic conversation amongst the panel addressing core issues, such as:

  • Who is responsible for triggering market adoption – utility-customer-third party-government/regulator?
  • Will dynamic rate structures be sufficient to move the market or are some types of financial incentives also needed?
  • Are GEBs only realistic for new construction?
  • If the future of commercial buildings is variable occupancy does this help or hurt GEBs deployment?
  • How critical is the inevitability of EV charging to GEBs?

This FREE two-part virtual series is targeted to building owners/managers, developers, utilities, service providers as well as those with interest in or responsibilities for policy and regulatory changes related to decarbonization.

Ever been frustrated that your question didn’t get addressed by a panel because they ran out of time? Submit your questions ahead of time during registration and we will tailor the conversation to match your information needs!

Register Here!

 

 

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