Testimonials

After 14 years in the automation industry the courses I've studied with SBA have been the most relevant to what we do as automation workers. Highly recommend!

Phil does a great job in breaking down the lessons and making it easy for anybody to understand! It has given me the confidence to confront an issue that can come up in my role as a BAS Technician. Thank you!

It is honestly a ton of work doing all the workbook questions and exercises for this class. I was not expecting to learn as much as I did for a "learn at your pace" online class. Well worth the money. Gave me the ability for me to immediately communicate and interact fluidly with our controls department.

The course introduced me to various concepts that I am now applying to my job as a field engineer. Its nice to have a basic understanding of something and allows me to be more effective, even with the little experience I have in the industry

As somebody who had to hit the ground running in this field let me tell you, this course is very informative. It even taught me some hvac sequences and im a former HVAC mechanic. I look foward to taking more courses from here.

Being new to the BAS field, I had no clue what the acronyms and buzz words my colleagues were using meant. Within a short amount of time in this course I was able to understand and participate in what was being discussed.

Basically, I have working with BAS's since March of 2020. I was familiar with certain concepts and how some systems work, but when I came into this class Phil definitely helped me understand these things better now. I took a bunch of notes from the course material and I'll always have it to use as reference.

I am a Project Manager, with an engineering background and just starting into the BAS field. This is a valuable course for anyone entering the BAS field. Highly recommend this course for anyone just starting out. Thank you!!

I started this course when my company started a project that involved replacing 30 water-source heat pumps. Also adding all units into a new BAS. While going through the course I was able to understand and help set up the new system and have zero issues adding all units into the BAS.

This course definitely helped fill in a lot of blanks I had as I begin my career in BAS. If you've ever played Grand Theft Auto, you would be familiar with the map system in which unexplored areas are blacked out until you travel through them. I would say before this course, my "BAS map" was splotchy, at best. This course has helped me connect the dots and begin to unveil and expand my horizon, without a doubt. "Traveling" through these modules has given me a glimpse at the bigger picture and the seemingly limitless possibilities this career path has in store.

Working as a Project Manager for Federal Contracts all of the facilities under my purview had a BAS installed. After taking this course I have a better understanding on what is is and how it works. I am now better able to interface with the technicians responsible for the system.

I entered the building automation industry without a clue as to how it worked or what it was to be perfectly honest. I heard a lot of words, terms, phrases get thrown around in my first couple of weeks, but I didn't understand what any of it meant or how it all went together. The BAS100 Fundamentals course took all my scattered puzzle pieces, put them together, and even colored a few of them in.

As a HVAC service tech that has been in the field for a couple decade without controls training. The fundamentals course has allowed me to advance my understanding and ability to talk with the controls guys that I work with. Both with troubleshooting and common knowledge to be able to achieve the goal of satisfying the customer in a timely fashion. Great Course.

We extensively use EcoStruxure (Schneider Electric platform previously known as StruxureWare). It extensively uses Visio drawings and BAS (gui) graphics that look a lot like the drawings and schematics used in this course. I gained a lot of comfort with my work from Control Sequence Fundamentals (BAS 200).

Transferring from the HVAC service industry into the BAS industry this course has definitely helped me receive exposure to systems I never had the opportunity of working on before. I believe this will get a great resource moving into the field.

This course helped me better understand general control sequences for common HVAC equipment seen on most job sites. This allows me to figure out what I need to provide for these projects for everything to work correctly.

This course has given me more confidence on the job and a better understanding of HVAC control sequences. The course has taught me a lot of new things i can further build on in the future. This course is not only beneficial to technicians and engineers in the BAS/BMS field but also electrical and mechanical technicians working in the commercial HVAC space.

This course has further expanded my operational knowledge and added further abilities to troubleshoot issues while performing my job as a BAS Operator.

Since I'm new to the field and still being trained in the field and by you. I can definitely say that things have come up in the field like a heat wheel, or AHUs just two weeks ago and I understood what my co worker was talking about when he was trying to teach me about them.

I've been monitoring equipment for over 5 years, and how some of this equipment worked and how the various devices differed had been a mystery to me until now. I can now look at the remotely and advise the technician on what fault might be generating a specific alarm.

I've been in the HVAC controls field for just over two years coming from zero previous experience. It's been a process learning on the job and I can happily say this course provided me information that gave me a jump in confidence to go out and handle the job without reservations. I now feel I know enough to tackle the programming training course which is really exciting.

I’ve recently started sub contracting to a company that has installed BMS cables and field devices for years to gain some more hands on experience, the other day I was teaching him more about the principals behind the sequencing that I alone have picked up from this course and it felt great. It’s one thing to know how to do it and another to know why you do it in that way. Thanks Phil. It felt really good to pass that last test and teach others about what I have learnt.

I was recently thrust into a very complicated project, very late in the project, for which I was a vastly underqualified. Some of the concepts for which this course improved my understanding that I encountered are decouplers, integration, and various smaller concepts within the airside and waterside sequences. Thank you, again.

I really enjoyed the course! Modules and lessons were laid out in a logical progression that made them easy to understand, and lessons were presented clearly and concisely. I immediately noticed improved discussions with coworkers after each module and could more clearly communicate my ideas and understand theirs. Highly recommend the course for anyone new to HVAC or BAS and trying to get a jump start on the various elements of building systems.

I have been a controls engineer for 6 years and this course was a nice way to fill in the knowledge gaps that I was unable to learn on the job. I would highly recommend everyone in the HVAC industry take this course if they are working on the commercial side of things.

I feel like this course has advanced me through my career to a level of mastery that would have taken a few years in a little over 6 months at an easy pace.

As a tech transitioning from the mechanic side to the controls side this was invaluable information that I could have even used during my time as an hvac mechanic.

A Tech called in and wanted to know about a AHU, he was dispatched on. I was able to explain to him what the AHU was and were it was. He already knew, Just didn't know it as a AHU.

This course walks you through all of setting up a BAS from installing devices in the field to programming and end user graphic development. It puts all the pieces together for a comprehensive understanding.

This course hits on all of the things one may encounter from the beginning to the end of a controls project

This course definitely opened my eyes to useful, systematic methods of ensuring my projects are profitable and within budget.

This class came at the right time for me. We are undergoing a major BAS retrofit at the buildings I work in and this course has helped me to understand the process.

These modules have helped me to piece together what I've learned and apply the understand at job sites. I feel it has helped me understand the troubleshooting process a lot easier.

I wish I had this course exactly after a year into my career after working on a 3 or 4 projects! I learned the hard way by picking up bits and pieces of the big picture and process along the way. If I had this course I would have performed so much better and progressed through my career faster.

I purchased a $1500 industrial automation online course from a Community College and spent over a year to complete the entire thing due to the confusion throughout the lessons. Within 2 months of the BASSAC course through Smart Buildings Academy, I’ve never felt more confident & more intrigued with the BAS industry than any other point in my life. I’m now confident in my ability to understand basic fundamentals of BAS & I truly believe I’m able to be lined up at a job site and know what the lead technician is talking about. Thank you for everything Phil.

I found this course to be comprehensive in its scope and content, and the principle-based approach enables and encourages a great depth of understanding and confidence. I would highly recommend this course to beginners and intermediate level building automation system professionals, as well as to those who, like myself, are looking to move into this area from other engineering disciplines and backgrounds. Phil Zito's vast depth and breadth of knowledge and engaging, principle-based 'Big Picture' approach enables not only an understanding of the technical principles and techniques, but also contextualises this within the broader vision of the whole project. This provides a valuable insight into the significance of our role and of the potential to contribute to, or potentially detract from, the success of the project as a whole. His advice, if followed, will not only increase knowledge, understanding and the ability to ensure the success of building automation projects large or small, but also enable the individual to excel and progress swiftly within this rapidly expanding field. Quite possibly the most comprehensive and valuable training course that I have ever studied - truly excellent!

A lot of this was a refresh course for me, of which the roles were a bit different but the course was very informative. Very happy that there is a bonus video for the Niagara network!

This program gives an in depth rundown on what it takes to write programs. I was able to grasp concepts in a functioning BMS system that I operate daily I never could have without taking this course. Highly Recommended.

This course makes me become more comfortable when I go into a clients building to navigate their programming on the BAS.

The SBA courses have become a value part of our training program; they allow us to accelerate the training of apprentices and also to upskill our journeyman.

Really helped with troubleshooting programming by helping to understand all that goes in to the programming process.

This course has helped immensely when it comes to upgrading old control panels from the time it takes me to program and to learn how each programming block functions.

Programming sounds hard but if you've never been exposed to programming and would like to, take this course. Phil does an amazing job in explaining the programming process from beginning to end.

I’m a master electrician trying to learn programming. I now have a new found confidence for my troubleshooting and programming abilities through this program. Thanks Phil!

recommend this course for new or existing service techs on the mechanical side thinking about getting into the control side. This is a solid foundation to get you off the ground.

I really have enjoyed watching and following along at my own pace. Being able to see the step-by-step process of programming has been very helpful. I feel that I learned more about the actual process of programming than I did in my Niagara N4 certification class.

I learned lots on how to read and write programs more effectively. I learned how to break down each piece of the process and how to mix programs together.

I came into this course with ZERO coding experience. I feel that I have learned a lot and this course has absolutely set me down a good path for continuing a programming career.

I came into this course having taught myself programming using PLCs and having had some limited experience with producing graphics and very simple Tridium programs, so the guided self-learning method was great for me. The course provides a great balance between theory and practical elements, requiring you to really learn how to think deeply for yourself. I have now been able to write three complete practical programs that basically work, and with some minor improvements could actually be used, but more importantly, I now feel that I understand the whole process and the techniques involved so much better. I now feel confident to tackle 'real world' projects and am excited to get started, thanks to this excellent training course.

Coming from construction background and zero prior experience of BMS, I can now comfortably write complex HVAC programming codes

Coming from a several year vet of the industry, I wish my first few weeks would have been to taking a class such as this. While, I've learned all of the lessons in this course, I'd recommend this to anyone coming into the field that wants a jump start.

Before this course, I did not fully understand the value of design patterns and segmenting my programming into chunks. Using these methods I was able to program and commission a Multi-zone Rooftop Unit and a Unit ventilator.

Before taking this course I never really knew where to start. Now after learning about the programming process, I at least have an idea of where to start even if I am not entirely sure how to program a sequence.

As a service technician I normally troubleshoot sections of program. This course helped me dissect a sequence of operations to help write code from scratch.

Am currently working on a project that has multiple controls manufactures integrated through Tridium and this helped me be able to follow the program troubleshooting.

Learned so much about BACnet. This course really cleared some things up for me. Definitely worth it. I will be taking more courses with SBA!

Going in on a site that has communication issues now you are prepared for what to look for, productive steps to actually check what's working and what is causing the issues

BACnet Bootcamp has given clear explanation of many facets of BACnet that were unclear to me. I work with BACnet systems every week but had clear gaps in my knowledge of why aspects of BACnet protocol was built the way it was. Many of these items were cleared up in this course.

Valuable course. I am a building services mechanical commissioning engineer. I join the course to understand what is beyond the Cx of the BAS system. The knowledge I get will help me with some details during the design review of the BAS system, developing Cx documents and while witnessing commissioning activities.

This program helped me to better understand the needs of my stakeholders and employer through the various processes that my documents and I must take through the design process.

This is a very good course that includes not only theoretical but real-life experience training, which makes it invaluable. I enjoyed the course. Thanks!

This course served as a great introduction to Building Automation Design. Coming from an IT background I could see some parallels with IT system design and this did make the course a little easier. Phil Zito's presentation style is relaxed and informal but his knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject is clear.

I'm no longer in the BAS world per se, but after taking this course I have a much better idea of what I should expect as a good submittal package from a controls contractor and I know what I can do as a Mechanical Engineer to make things easier for the controls design engineer to do his job.

I enjoyed this course. In an industry where a project can take years, it is great to have a seasoned veteran share his observations and lessons learned.

As someone on the sales/project management side of the business, this course familiarized me with the nuances of BAS design that are good to be aware of in order to avoid scope gaps, design flaws, and/or pricing misses. I feel much more comfortable in conversations with consulting engineers and contracting teams when acting as the sole controls person in the room.

SBA is an excellent place to learn for anyone starting out in the BAS industry or even someone such as myself who has worked in the field for 14 years. The DES200 course firmed up a lot of my on the job knowledge as well as taught me some things.

I work for a commercial GC. As projects become more complex, the personnel with the technical knowledge to see some of these scopes through isn't there. I have searched the last few years looking for what SBA provides, and I am very glad I found them!

This greatly helped me to understand the differences between the protocols and what makes them different. Also helped me to understand the fundamentals of how BACnet works, and exactly how it transmits its data.

This course will definitely assist me in my career. The better understanding of Modbus and Lon will help with the occasional integration and the BACnet knowledge will help with the day to day.

It brought peace of mind through building confidence in my knowledge of the protocols.

As someone coming from the field into design, I think this is a great way to help understand the whole design process. I have seen many installations that the engineering fell short on, I think what is being recommended here would definitely prevent that from happening.

Great course. Very interesting, informative and provides a foundational knowledge in the controls field. Highly recommend this course and program.

It is great to have Phil pull me out of the deep end of the pool for a few minutes to give me the background and big-picture perspective of how all the pieces of the project fit together. Phil provided example tools and instructions on how to use them, to successfully lead a project.

I thought that as someone who is familiar with in the field technical implementation of controls systems, this was a great Segway into understanding project management.

This course was very informational, easy to follow and understand. I am a construction Project Manager with no controls or programing background and this course has helped me understand how a system operates after the installation of equipment and controls.

Understanding the IP subnets /24 etc has made a big difference. I've looked like an idiot previously in front of IT when they use this terminology and I then proceed to ask them what the subnet mask is, so this will help me greatly in the future.

This course was awesome! I learned so much from Phil. He is super knowledgeable and explains the information in a clear format. Would recommend to anyone in the BAS field.

This Course was able to provide me with a different look at common problems faced with regards to IT and how to deal with them. Have the different discussions was very helpful.

This course is an excellent resource for those trying to interact with IT in a BAS world that is increasingly required to do so. I can think of at least a few projects that would have gone so much faster if I had known then what I've learned.

This course has not only aided me in better understand the concepts that others are talking about, but it has aided me in talking with IT, explaining to customers and teaching other techs. It has also big time helped me to provide solutions to problems.

The additional knowledge on IT helps drastically when speaking with customer IT. Specifically in regards to Firewalls and remote access both for us and the customers.

Phil did provide a wealth of knowledge to help HVAC and BAS technicians to speak with the customers and their IT better.

Its helped me with the language to be able to talk to IT more competent and confidently explaining what I need from them. Also, a good game plan as far as having the information they need ready for them before the ask.

I would definitely recommend Smart Building Academy for any level of Building Automation System to advance in knowledge and career. It has really taken my career to the next level.

I thought it was a great course packed full of great information. I highly recommend this course to anybody wanting to get in to the BAS Field.

I really learned a lot and consider this course to be one of the most informative I have ever taken. I felt both victorious and disappointed when I got to the end.

I feel this course was a good starting point for diving into the deeper complexities of IT. There were many good ideas presented in open ended formats that allow for experience to fill in the gaps.

I am so much more prepared to handle IT objections, to understand how to interface with other devices with different subnets. It's also made me aware of the security measures my employer's devices have implemented already.

After taking this course I can now effectively speak with IT personnel and talk the same language. I am able to understand the needs for my systems which will increase the productivity of projects I am involved with. Thank you Phil!

This was a great course. I'm out in the field now being trained and my co-worker didn't understand why certain units were going down and controllers and I was able to pop up my notes and explain to him this is what Phil says could be the issue. And it was!

This course has provided a flurry of knowledge that i can now apply to any future troubleshooting process on any system.

This course has given me more confidence going into calls in every aspect of the BAS whether it be from an actuator to a communication problem I feel that I have the tools to figure it out.

I've taken half a dozen courses from SBA. All of the classes have helped in one way or another, even the basics. Just having a greater familiarity with concepts and terminology help me talk about what needs to be done.

Hey Phil you did awesome job and I got a raise from this!

Course was very helpful in understanding BAS. I do recommend for new techs to have some field experience before taking this course as it makes it easier visual and understand.

As a software developer in this filed it is very hard to find the proper training to provide reasoning for what you are developing programs for. This course addressed that and really improved my knowledge and career prospects.

A section of AHU controllers was going offline according to our BAS. The contractor said no problem with system. Based on information learned in this course, discovered QoS table put BAS at bottom of the priority list.

I've been doing controls for over 25 years and going thru this course helped streamline my own templates. The spreadsheets Phil gives us are worth the price of admission.

This course was directly related to the current project I was working on. When I finished the course I was able to complete the project more efficiently and even found a couple things I would have otherwise missed.

This is a great course for someone new to the industry. It teaches you the whole sales process for our specific market and industry, and goes through each step in depth, from the scoping, to estimating, to closing the deal.

Well simply put I've been in the BAS Field for 10 years and wanted to move into higher role which the next open opportunity was an BAS Estimator. Took this course and landed an interview and was given the position as what I learned in this course had given me the skills to start working in the position right away.

I started this course as I was learning controls for the very first time this year. It made it easy for me while being out in the field as well coming home and attending to the modules. I will say those first 6 months I did feel like there was no chance for me to understand any of this but by sticking to the path and keeping yourself refreshed with learnings like these definitely helped me feel more confident.

Phil not only provided pricing strategies but also how to combat those pricing strategies if they are used on me. That is a very valuable tool I'll take with me from the course.

As a (12) year operations side employee my exposure to sales has been change orders and helping out sales people. It is nice to see a common sense approach that reinforces many of the things and details I was usually starving for on my end. Even after all this time, this course made me excited to develop and review scopes!