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3 min read

SBA 379: Lessons Learned From Running A Training Business

By Phil Zito on Nov 7, 2022 1:49:00 PM

5 years ago we founded Smart Buildings Academy with the hopes of gaining 1,000 students by 2025. Today we are the largest vendor-agnostic provider of building automation training programs.

In the beginning of this journey it was just me and my co-founder, who happens to be my wife.

Along the way we've created 30+ training programs with over 2,000 hours of training lessons, 370+ Podcast episodes, thousands of blog articles, and we proved that online delivery is an effective delivery model for BAS training.

It wasn't an easy journey, along the way we've made mistakes, had people blatantly copy our training programs, and we've had to develop processes from scratch for delivering training.

In today's episode I am sharing the lessons learned from running a rapidly growing training business. In our traditional style, I'll share the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My hopes is that you all can learn from us and take away processes and strategies you can bring into your business.

Topics: Podcasts
2 min read

SBA 378: BACnet MS/TP Troubleshooting

By Phil Zito on Nov 4, 2022 2:38:06 PM

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we will be discussing troubleshooting BACnet MS/TP.

Topics: Podcasts
2 min read

SBA 377: BAS Input and Output Selection

By Phil Zito on Nov 2, 2022 2:58:11 PM

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we are going to discuss how to properly select inputs and outputs for your BAS projects.

Topics: Podcasts
2 min read

SBA 376: Server Virtualization Fundamentals

By Phil Zito on Oct 31, 2022 2:26:47 PM

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we discuss server virtualization.

Topics: Podcasts
2 min read

SBA 375: How Security Certificates Work

By Phil Zito on Oct 28, 2022 2:39:37 PM

Security Certificates can protect your communications, ensure that rogue devices are not on your network, and verify the authenticity of the devices that do connect to your network.

But do you know what certificates are, how they work, and how to deploy them?

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we are going to do a deep dive on security certificates.

Topics: Podcasts
2 min read

SBA 374: 10 BAS Project Management Tips

By Phil Zito on Oct 26, 2022 2:49:15 PM

Your backlog is full. You find yourself taking calls from GC's asking where your technicians are every, single, day!

You're expected to execute 10,000 man hours of labor with only 5,000 manhours of techs.

Welcome to the world of BAS project management, and the bad news is it's only getting more intense. Material shortages, labor challenges, and inflationary cost pressures make effective project management seem impossible.

The good news is there is a way to succeed as a project manager.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we discuss 10 tips to increase your project management effectiveness right now!

Topics: Podcasts
2 min read

SBA 373: Selling Planned Service Agreements

By Phil Zito on Oct 24, 2022 2:37:26 PM

Things tend to fall apart after they are built, buildings are no exception.

Yet every day I'm seeing new construction projects completed with NO post occupancy maintenance strategy.

Do customers need agreements for planned service? If so what should these agreements include?

And most importantly how can you convince your customers to buy a planned service agreement.

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we are going to explore the scoping, selling, and execution of planned service agreements.

Topics: Podcasts
2 min read

SBA 372: Wireless Fundamentals for BAS Professionals

By Phil Zito on Oct 21, 2022 3:01:46 PM

What is one of the biggest costs in a retrofit project.. wiring!

I remember back when wireless first hit the market. It was clunky, unreliable, and quite frankly a headache!

Not anymore!

Wireless systems are robust, fast, and effective.

But how do we use them? How do they work?

And how do we fix them when something goes wrong?

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we will explore the fundamentals of wireless systems!

Topics: Podcasts
2 min read

SBA 371: Metering Strategies for Buildings

By Phil Zito on Oct 19, 2022 2:46:15 PM

Did you know that having a meter in the wrong place is sometimes worse than not having a meter at all?

In order to meet the increased demand for net-zero and energy efficiency we first must understand our energy use profile. In order to accomplish this we need to have meters!

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we discuss the different types of meters, where to place meters, how to tie meters into your BAS, and how to interpret metering data.

 

Topics: Podcasts
2 min read

SBA 370: Energy Audits for BAS Professionals

By Phil Zito on Oct 17, 2022 2:44:10 PM

Did you know that the Inflation Reduction Act changes 179D to allow for a tax deduction of up to $5/sq foot for energy efficiency retrofits?

But this is dependent on your energy baseline!

In this episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast we are going to look at how to perform a energy audit so that we can establish a baseline and identify potential retrofit solutions.

Topics: Podcasts

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