The Smart Buildings Academy Podcast | Teaching You Building Automation, Systems Integration, and Information Technology

BAM 140: BAM's First Year Recap

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Building Automation Monthly just celebrated its first year in business. In this episode, I look back at the lessons I've learned in building the world...

BAM 139: 3 Steps for Designing an IP Network

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do you design IP networks?  What questions should you ask?  In this episode, we look at the three-step process for designing IP networks. Along ...

BAM 138: How Building Automation Controls Work

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered how building automation systems work?  What does each piece of the building automation system do and why does each piece matte...

BAM 137: 3 Sales Strategies to Create Renewable Revenue

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do you continue to grow your building automation business after the building is built?  In this episode, we discuss three sales strategies to hel...

BAM 136: 5 Steps to Organize Your BAS Team for Success

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do you organize your building automation business for success? The reality is many building automation businesses fail not because they can't find...

BAM 135: The 6 Ah Ha's of Subnets

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Subnets, IP addressing, default gateways. All of these things can seem overwhelming at first glance. And the bad news is all of this "IT" stuff isn't ...

BAM 134: The 4 Gothcas of Power

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wired up your controls but nothing worked? Power can keep the most creative design from actually working. In this episode, we tackle the...

BAM 133: 5 Steps for Effective BAS Takeoffs

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do you perform a takeoff? How do you ensure that you have the most competitive proposal when bid day comes? In this episode, we tackle the topic o...

BAM 132: 5 Keys to Interviewing a BAS Candidate

17 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do you interview a building automation candidate? Do you simply stick them in a room and hope you make the right choice?  What if there was a way...

BAM 131: Creating your own building automation learning plan

10 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever tried to teach yourself something? It can seem overwhelming.  Where do you begin? How do you find resources for your training? How do y...

BAM 130: Why doing your time is dumb (and what to do instead)

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever been told you just need to do your time? Rome wasn't built overnight after all, right? Well, that kind of thinking is dumb. In this epis...

BAM 129: BAS for Owners Part 4

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Can you use a building automation system to optimize the performance of your facility?  And if so, what does optimization even mean?  In this episod...

BAM 128: BAS for Owners Part 3

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We reached out to over a dozen facility owners of small and large facilities. The reason for doing this was to understand how they use their BAS and m...

BAM 127: BAS for Owners Part 2

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Utilizing a building automation system to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a facility team can seem like a daunting challenge. Where do yo...

BAM 126: BAS for Owners Part 1

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Do you feel like you've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a building automation system and only use 10% of its capabilities? If so you're not ...

BAM 125: The in's and out's of upgrading a BAS

30 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you considered upgrading a building automation system but aren't sure where to start?  Do you struggle to explain why the "new" features of your...

BAM 124: Wireless Communication for Building Automation

23 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do wireless networks work with building automation systems?  If you've found yourself asking this question then you're not alone.  Wireless tech...

BAM 123: Pros and Cons of IP BAS Controls

16 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are you struggling to make sense of IP controls? Do all the different options just seem to blend together?  In this week's episode of the Building Au...

BAM 122: IT Networking for BAS Pros – Part 4

09 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why is your building automation server not communicating with your supervisory devices? It could be that your network is down or it could be something...

BAM 121: IT Networking for BAS Pros - Part 3

02 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever had to explain yourself to IT? It seemed like the IT folks, were blocking you at every turn. Why do you need IP addresses? Why do you ne...

BAM 120: IT Networking for BAS Pros - Part 2

25 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What are switches used for?  Why do subnets matter?  How do your BAS devices communicate with one another? If you've found yourself wondering these ...

BAM 119: IT Networking for BAS Pros - Part 1

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between an application port and a switch port? How do you avoid bandwidth constraints and dropped BAS packets? If you are planni...

BAM 118: How BACnet integrations really work part 3

11 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How would you setup 1,000 BACnet/IP devices? Would you know what to ask IT? Would you know how to troubleshoot these devices if something went wrong? ...

BAM 117: How BACnet integrations really work part 2

04 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wired up a BACnet MS/TP trunk and it just wouldn't work? Or for whatever reason, the MS/TP trunk was crazy slow, and the customer was ge...

BAM 116: How BACnet integrations really work part 1

28 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

BACnet is a protocol that confuses many new BAS professionals. Heck, if we're honest with one another it confuses many senior BAS professionals as wel...

BAM 115: Building Automation Optimization Strategies Part 2

21 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is optimization some complex secret hidden throughout the ages and handed down to a select few "experts"? Or is optimization something we all can lear...

BAM 114: Building Automation Optimization Strategies Part 1

14 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Depending on what "expert" you talk to there are over 60% of the buildings within the United States that are not "optimized". But what does that even ...

BAM 113: How to program a BAS part 2

07 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Learning logic blocks? How do you do it? Why should you do it? And why should you even care?  Good questions! If you want to be more than just someon...

BAM 112: How to program a BAS part 1

30 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wanted to learn how to program a BAS? In the latest episode of the Building Automation Monthly Podcast we discuss how BAS programming wo...

BAM 111: Understanding BAS control sequences part 3

16 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered how you control central utility plants? Or how to sequence multiple chillers in a decoupled loop? If complex central utility p...

BAM 110: Understanding BAS control sequences part 2

09 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Do you work with VAV boxes? Have you ever wondered why you can't maintain a space's temperature setpoint even when all the "controls" seem to be worki...

BAM 109: Understanding BAS control sequences part 1

02 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Does reading a building automation control sequence feel like deciphering hieroglyphics? Having a solid understanding of building automation control s...

BAM 108: What is systems integration P3

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do you "do" systems integration. In the final part of this three part series I talk through how to "do" systems integration. I take you step-by-st...

BAM 107: What is systems integration P2

19 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever had a BAS integration project that just seemed to linger on forever? No matter what you did to close out the project the punch list just...

BAM 106: What is systems integration- Part 1

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you needed to tie to different building automation systems into a new front-end how would you do it?  Now don't just give me the answer of I would...

BAM 105: Control Sequences Tips and Tricks

05 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Over the years I've seen some crazy control sequences. And during this time I've picked up some good tips and tricks to help me deal with these scenar...

BAM 104: What are control sequences

26 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever stopped and thought about why we control systems the way we do? Folks often ask me, "Phil, what is the number one thing a BAS profession...

BAM 103: 6 reasons why you need a BAS

19 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Every day millions of buildings are operated. But not via a BAS.  No, these buildings are operated manually via timeclocks, hand/off/autos, and 2x4's...

BAM 102: Building Automation 101

12 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered what makes a building automation system work? In this episode I lay out the key principles that you need to know in order to ha...

BAM 101: Using IP networks for BAS controls

05 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I talk with Ryan Hughson of Optigo networks about the major changes that are happening in BAS networking. Ryan and I discuss: ► What...

BAM 100: The ultimate podcast summary episode

29 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I recap what BAM is about, how the podcast got started, and I look at some of the most listened to episodes in the first 100 episodes...

BAM 099: A walkthrough of installing BAS controls

15 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do you go about scoping, designing, installing, and programming controls?  This is the most common question I receive, every day. And rightfully ...

BAM 098: Can an old building use analytics?

08 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Can you learn new things from an old building? In episode 98 of the Building Automation Monthly Podcast, Andy Marsh (Build Pulse) and Phil Zito (Build...

BAM 097: My goals for 2018

01 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Goals! It's that time of the year again. The time when millions of people around the world are creating goals to change their businesses and their liv...

BAM 096: 7 tips for improving as a BAS Professional

25 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Would you like to know the exact steps to take your building automation career to the next level? In this episode, I lay out 7 tips that you can imme...

BAM 095: 9 Steps To BAS Career Success

18 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most important parts of having a successful building automation career is having a career plan.  As the old saying goes, if you don't know...

BAM 94: 10 Energy Efficiency Strategies for Your BAS

04 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When you read the words energy efficiency what do you think of?  If you're like most people you may think of long drawn out energy projects, trying t...

BAM 093: Preventive maintenance strategies for BAS? Part 2

27 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Preventative maintenance is the core of good facility management.  Most facility professionals and service technicians can easily name off half a doz...

BAM 092: Preventive maintenance strategies for BAS?

20 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Preventative Maintenance. What comes to mind when you think of those two words? Do you think about filter change outs and fan belt replacements?  The...

BAM 91: What is OT?

13 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

There's been a phrase floating around for the past couple years now but I've been hearing it pop up a lot more frequently lately. That phrase is OT vs...

BAM 090: How to determine your ideal role

07 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest struggles that any person faces is what career path to go down. This is even more true in building automation. You see, building au...

BAM 089: The 4 step process for dealing with old BAS controls

30 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Depending on what studies you read, 40% to 60% of the Building Automation Systems installed are more than 20 years old. On the surface, this wouldn't ...

BAM 088: The 7 outputs of the BAS design process

23 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of the day, you are judged by the outputs from your designs. In this episode, I walk you through the 7 design outputs you should focus on w...

BAM 087: The four step BAS design lifecycle

25 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

I've been the victim of some really bad designs and if I'm honest with you, I've also created a few really bad designs... The thing is, no one really ...

BAM 086: The In and outs of a BAS Design

18 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever stopped and thought about what is required to create a good BAS design... and then once that design is created, what deliverables should...

BAM 085: 7 tips for troubleshooting IP Controls Networks

11 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

You've got an IP controls network and you're in a world of hurt because it's not working. You search Google looking for ideas, tech support puts you o...

BAM 084: The step-by-step process to design an IP Controls system

28 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In my last podcast episode, I explained what IP BAS controls are.  In this episode, I'm going to be diving even deeper down the rabbit hole and explo...

BAM 083: 7 Things About IP Controls Your Customer Wants To Know

21 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

IP controls are one of the hottest trends in the building automation world right now. Yet for many folks in the BAS profession, IP controls are a myst...

BAM 82: 7 tips to mastering networks

14 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

You can master networking...  But you need to start now! In this episode, I give you 7 tips that have been immensely helpful to me over my career in...

BAM 81: Building Automation Servers 101

07 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

What is a building automation server?  What does it do?  Should I cloud host my server? Should I use a desktop or server class platform? If you've e...

BAM 080: The How to Guide to BAS Careers Part II

04 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In last weeks podcast episode, I talked through how you can enter the building automation field. But what if you are already in the field? More spec...

BAM 079: The How to Guide to BAS Careers

24 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do you want to have a career in building automation systems? Does it seem like every job interview ends in a salary that is too low or you being told ...

BAM 078: How to Disaster Proof Your BAS

17 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

I recently went through a 3-day power outage. It was utterly debilitating. Our well pump wouldn't run leaving us without water and we ended up loosing...

BAM 077: The Most Common IT Questions I'm Asked

10 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Man, I am so stoked for this episode. I've got to say out of all the episodes I've recorded I think this is the most value packed episode of them all...

BAM 76: A deep-dive into BAS Networks

03 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

I've gotten a lot of questions from my subscribers about BAS networks lately. I actually find this interesting as there is a definite uptick.  I get ...

BAM 075: What's in a name a look at BAS naming Standards

30 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Naming standards. As you know I'm a bit of a standard fanatic. The reality is most of the BAS problems I have experienced have come from when people w...

BAM 074: How to create the ultimate project training plan

28 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Most BAS training at the end of the project is terrible.  I know you've been there. You bring in 2 dozen donuts and a jug of coffee and hope and pra...

BAM 073: Wrangling in out of control alarming

26 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Alarms, they can make or break your BAS. Yet so many building owners seem to just accept that having a crappy alarm design is just par for the course....

BAM 072: Redlines vs As-Builts are they the same

23 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When I say redlines and as builts what do you think of?  Do you think of how much redlines and as builts can impact the success of your project? Do ...

BAM 071: An overview of CSI MasterFormat

21 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

CSI MasterFormat is the defacto standard for specification formatting. But how does it work? What are the gotchas you need to be aware of? By the time...

BAM 070: What are MEP Plans

19 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) plans. So many BAS professionals think they know what these documents are.  But do you really know what th...

BAM 069: My 4 Step Process for Getting Remote Access From IT and An Overview of Analytics

14 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

One of the greatest challenges faced by BAS professionals is getting remote access to their BAS.  In this episode, I teach you my four-step process t...

BAM 068: Tagging, Data Models, and Data Normalization

10 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Lately, there have been a ton of questions about data tagging and data normalization. But what does that actually mean? This is a super important topi...

BAM 67: What does Zigbee have to do with a BAS?

02 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

There's a lot of noise and miscommunication out there about IT technologies lately so when BAM Nation member Jim e-mailed me asking about Zigbee I was...

BAM 66: Mixing Controllers and Troubleshooting Trunks

31 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

There's been a lot of chatter across the Facebook group recently about Comm trunks and Mixing and matching different vendors controllers. There seems ...

BAM 65: 3 steps to troubleshooting integrations

26 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

You just finished your first integration project! Your all excited you finally stepped into the world of systems integration. But then it happens!  Y...

BAM 64: The 3 steps for successful BAS integration

24 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

For a lot of folks, systems integration is the hardest thing they will ever do in their BAS career. And I get that, some of my biggest screw ups in my...

BAM 63: Explaining PI Control

19 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In the world of Building Automation, there are only a select few things you need to know in order to be awesome at your job.  One of these things is ...

BAM 062: 5 steps for securing your BAS

17 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Can you feel it! Something in our industry is changing. We are the edge of a new revolution in the BAS world the likes of which haven't been seen sinc...

BAM 61: The different types of service for BAS

12 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

I started my BAS career in service and I'm thankful I did because I learned so much from servicing BAS. But, there's a dark side of service.  You see...

BAM 60: You've got a job in BAS now what?

10 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The day has come, you've finally landed a job in the world of building automation systems, now what?  If your experience is anything like mine, you p...

BAM 59: Can you use occupancy counting for demand ventilation?

05 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I discuss the feasibility of occupancy counting to control outdoor air ventilation.  Man, who would have thought that we would be ha...

BAM 58: How to interview people for BAS roles

03 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Most interviewers suck. They focus too much on appearances and gut feelings and make stupid hiring choices that they regret later. You don't have to e...

BAM 58: How to interview people for BAS roles

03 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Most interviewers suck. They focus too much on appearances and gut feelings and make stupid hiring choices that they regret later. You don't have to e...

BAM 57: Learn how an API works

28 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Application Programming Interfaces, also known as API's are the solution to every integration problem you have.  And if your BAS has an open an API t...

BAM 56: 7 tips to pass your BAS interview

26 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Interviewing sucks... After you spend all your time getting through the HR screening and the "virtual colonoscopy" of pre-interview questions you find...

BAM 55: The skinny on sensors

21 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered how a temperature sensor really works?  What does the RTD mean and why is 1,000 ohms resistance so important.  In this week's...

BAM 54: Can you have a career in BAS?

19 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Lately, several folks have asked me, "Phil how did you get into the world of BAS?". While it's always fun to talk about myself, what I think folks are...

FFA 001: How do I know the hardware specifications for my BAS device?

14 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the new podcast series called "Friday Fan Answers or FFA). Each Friday I will be answering a question from the BAM nation. This week I am a...

BAM 53: 7 tips every BAS person should know about

12 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout my career, I've learned a lot of tips. Most of the time these tips came from the school of hard knocks but sometimes I was lucky enough to ...

BAM 052: A deep-dive into BACnet

29 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Protocols define how pieces of technology communicate amongst one another. But how much do you really know about the protocols that govern the "rules"...

BAM 051: The 7 most asked questions about IT

22 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

For many in the BAS world information technology is a foreign topic. A lot of us who have entered the BAS profession have backgrounds in HVAC and elec...

BAM 050: The foolproof plan for working with IT

01 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How many times have you walked onto a project and wondered… Hmm where do I start with this IT thing… What do I need to do? Do you go after remote ...

BAM 049: Cyber security isn't as complicated as it seems

22 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Cyber security... Those two words strike fear into the heart of many a BAS professional. No one wants to be the technician trying to convince the secu...

BAM 048: Everything You Need to Know About Servers and Databases

16 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Episode 48 of the Building Automation Monthly Podcast.  This is the 2nd episode in the 3-part series on IT. In this episode, I will be tea...

BAM 047: What is IT and a look at IT networking

08 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I take you with me on a journey into the world of information technology. One of the most requested topics is information technology ...

BAM 046: C02 control and other BAS concepts

01 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I answer a question I got from a BAM nation subscriber around C02 control. I then proceed to dive deep into the core concepts around ...

BAM 045: A primer on Hydronic systems for BAS Pros

25 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hydronic systems, also known as waterside systems, are critical to the performance of a building.  In this episode, I will be discussing hydronic sys...

BAM 044: A deepdive into airside systems

18 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Airside systems can be confusing to folks who don't work on them every day. In this episode, I dive deep into what airside systems are and explore wha...

BAM 043: My plans for BAM In 2017

10 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

2016 flew by and as I move into 2017 I've got a ton of ideas. But where do I start? What should I work on first. Add to the fact that I have very limi...