Hey friends,

During each week of our 6-week Foundations course, we host a live workshop where we explore the key concepts of each of our six modules.

Last week, we explored the business case for smart building technology. One of our breakout room discussions was focused on the ways that the business case is rapidly evolving.

Can you guess how many ways the students came up with?

Twenty.

Crazy, right?

If you're feeling like the industry is moving extra fast right now, you're not alone.

Here's those twenty ways the business case for smart building tech is changing before our eyes:

Cybersecurity - e.g. the ROI of not paying a ransom
Space as a service
ESG
Sustainability has an inherent value to the public now
Leveraging an aging and dwindling workforce & lack of resources "on the ground"
Social justice
Growing number of case studies and success stories
Health and safety as a service
Regulation, e.g. NYC's Local Law 97
Getting paid for grid flexibility
Tons of VC money flowing
VCs and others providing project financing
Green bonds
Procurement and financing processes are more standardized
Risk of getting left behind
Umm, COVID
Natural disaster and resilience
Cheaper sensors and devices
Innovative leasing to remove split incentives
Privacy and its sinister opposite: snooping!

What are we missing? Which are rocking your world right now?

Hit reply and let us know.

—James

P.S. That's not the only module in our course undergoing rapid change. Get a spot on the course waitlist and we'll tell you all about the course and let you know when Cohort 4 registration opens.

✖ At the Nexus

Here’s everything we published this week:

★ PODCAST: 🎧 #073: Michael Grant on the latest trends in occupancy data, IAQ, APIs, and Overlay Software—We talked about the Metrikus platform, the latest trends in the industry related to overlay software and sensor hardware stacks. Finally, why Metrikus is releasing a new platform called Helix. Hint, it's all about flexibility. Then we talked about AirRated and how it's different from other certifications and rating systems out there.

"APIs are like toothbrushes: everybody's got one but nobody wants to use anyone else's."

---

★ SME WORKSHOP: John Walsh of Credit Suisse on "Smart Buildings Under a Financial Lens" (Pro members only)—Wall street expert and Nexus Pro member John Walsh provided a great lecture and hosted Q&A and on how investors view the Big 4 and other public smart buildings firms.

👉 We host subject matter expert workshops like this one for Nexus Pro members every month. Not a member? Join now to get access to the whole archive and future invitations.

🔎 Signal vs. Noise

Only the best smart building resources we consumed this week…

---

★ DECARBONIZATION: BVIN Webinar: Meet Aeroseal on Vimeo—Building Ventures' Jesse and Travis interview the CEO of Aeroseal on the massive decarbonization and comfort opportunity in sealing HVAC ducts and building envelopes. Fast forward to 21:00 to get to the product details.

---

★ CARBON TRACING: How to trace back the origin of electricity—Nice blog post that uses smoothie-making as an analogy for how to trace back the carbon-intensity of electricity. Hint: it's complicated. But computing and math can help.

"Electricity can be generated in many different ways, each with their own environmental footprint. As a concerned citizen (or as a responsible company), I might be interested in knowing to which extent I was powered by renewable energy. Furthermore, I might be interested in knowing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions I’m responsible for when I consumed that electricity."

---

★ TENANT APPS: Tenant experience takes priority in CRE—A few big acquisitions in the tenant app technology space as orgs look to lure office workers back to the office: VTS is buying Lane and HqO is buying Office App.

"Workers use the apps to help navigate the intricacies of office life, from booking conference rooms, ordering food and getting through security to interacting with nearby restaurants, entertainment venues and other local businesses."

👉 Go deeper: Jacinda Lofland & James discuss success with Tenant Engagement apps

---

★ NEW-TO-ME: New startups sliding across my desk this week...

Tomorrow—EU-based startup organizing the world's electricity data to drive the transition towards a truly decarbonized electricity system.
The EnergyTag Initiative—An independent, non-profit, industry-led initiative to define and build a market for hourly electricity certificates that enables energy users to verify the source of their electricity and carbon emissions in real time.