ABOUT SBA

Does this sound familiar?

You spend thousands to send yourself or your employees to manufacturer training. After spending upwards of $5,000 to travel to and attend the training, you leave feeling like your or your employee’s skill set level is the same.

 

Why is that?

 

It’s because manufacturer training teaches you how to work with the manufacturer’s software. At the end of the day, the skills you and your team really need are the things not being taught:

How do you understand HVAC (without spending years in the field as a mechanic)? 

How do you create designs (without going to engineering school)?

How do you program BAS (without following a step-by-step workbook)?

How do you work with IT (without spending thousands attending “IT boot camps”)?

And on...

We recognized this problem and started one of the fastest growing Building Automation training companies in the world. 

 

At Smart Buildings Academy (SBA), we are dedicated to enhancing the profitability and efficiency of organizations through comprehensive, online building automation training. Our mission is to equip both individuals and teams with the essential skills required to excel in the building automation industry. Recognizing the limitations of traditional manufacturer training, which focuses on their specific software, we focus on a whole approach that encompasses HVAC understanding, design creation, BAS programming, IT collaboration, and more.

 

Our training is built upon 3 core principles:

1. Vendor-Agnostic Instruction: We prioritize teaching fundamental principles over rote memorization, ensuring that our content is applicable across various platforms and systems.
2. Core Skill Development: Our curriculum is designed to impart the critical skills necessary for BAS professionals to perform their roles effectively.
3. Profitability Focus: We concentrate on methodologies that promote efficient and profitable execution of tasks, avoiding extraneous topics that do not directly contribute to professional growth or business success.

Understanding the challenges faced by BAS professionals, such as the exhaustion from demanding work environments and the complexities of team development, we offer learning solutions tailored to these realities. Our extensive learning library includes 90% of our content accessible at no cost, such as our popular podcast, guides, and mini courses.

Our online training courses provide the flexibility to learn without the need for travel or time away from work, with each course offering one-year access for ongoing reference. This format allows us to continually update our material, ensuring alignment with the latest technological advancements.

Our 11-week Workforce Development Program is the only virtual instructor-led program designed to develop new BAS professionals on-demand that are 80% billable by week 4 and are able to independently install and start up BAS projects in less than 11 weeks.

At SBA, we are committed to fostering the success and growth of professionals in the building automation field, enabling them to advance their careers without compromising personal well-being. We invite you to join us in this educational journey and become part of the BAS learning revolution.

 

Click the button below to browse our programs and get started.

SBA's History

 

Smart Buildings Academy (SBA) began in 2012 as a simple blog called Building Automation Monthly (BAM). Our founder, Phil Zito, started writing articles to help building automation system (BAS) professionals better understand the complex field of building automation. Over the next five years, this passion project evolved from a blog to a book, a podcast, and, ultimately, a collection of video courses.

 

In November 2017, Phil decided to take SBA full-time. The company name was re-branded to Smart Buildings Academy, a name that more accurately reflected the comprehensive training solutions he planned to offer to the industry. SBA was profitable from the start, highlighting both the quality of the training and the pressing need for foundational skills in the trades. 

 

In 2021, we developed the first and only BAS skills assessment, which has since been taken by over 24,000+ individuals as of November 2024. By 2022, we had crossed 10,000 students and expanded our reach with custom training solutions for major OEMs. In that same year, SBA pioneered an 11-week training program that equips technicians to be 80% job-chargeable by week four, producing field-ready professionals faster than ever. 

 

Our course offerings now encompass BAS fundamentals, sales, design, project management, troubleshooting, building operations, and more - addressing the needs of a wide spectrum of BAS roles. All SBA content is developed in-house by our dedicated training team, continuously refined based on student and customer feedback - setting us apart in our ability to produce high-quality, relevant content quickly and effectively.

 

Looking ahead, we are committed to expanding our training and development team to deliver the best solutions in the BAS market. We also plan to broaden our scope by 2030 to include other skilled trades - creating quick, effective training solutions for a wider audience.