About Us
Stacks+Joules is a 501c3 nonprofit (EIN 82-2358571) building automation training program based in New York City. Our free, 14-week curriculum takes young people with zero prior experience and trains them for real jobs in building automation systems, the technology that controls HVAC, lighting, and energy in commercial buildings across the city.
Who We Serve
New York City has a shortage of qualified building automation technicians and a large population of young people who have the ability to fill those jobs but have never had a clear path in. We serve New Yorkers ages 18–24, including people without college degrees, career changers, and individuals from communities underrepresented in the skilled trades. Our program demonstrates that with the right training and the right support, these candidates don't just enter the field. They excel in it.
FUTURE-PROOF: BUILDING AUTOMATION + CLEAN ENERGY CAREERS
Getting a Head Start on JOB=READINESS
Stacks+Joules graduates earn EPA 608 refrigerant certification and LCA EE101 lighting controls certification during the program, credentials employers look for and that signal real, job-ready competency.
Building automation is the infrastructure layer of commercial real estate, the systems that make large buildings run efficiently. Every major office tower, hospital, school, and hotel in New York City depends on skilled technicians to keep those systems operating. As NYC's mandatory carbon reduction law (Local Law 97) pushes building owners to improve performance, demand for qualified BAS technicians is growing faster than the industry can fill positions. Young people with real BAS training are entering a field with structural demand. Not a trend, not a speculative career path.
Careers in Build Automation + Energy Management Systems
In our program, students gain hands-on competency in HVAC controls, lighting systems, low-voltage wiring, networking, and Niagara N4, the dominant platform in commercial building management. Training takes place at Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side, using real building systems as a live lab.
The arc from training to full-time employment is typically under a year. Stacks+Joules provides ongoing career support: internship placement, job placement, and mentorship from working professionals in the field.
Building Automation + Energy Management At a Glance
Entry-level BAS technician salaries in NYC start at $28–$32/hour ($58,000–$66,000/year)
Senior and commissioning technicians earn $50–$70+/hour in high-cost markets like New York
80% of BAS employers report difficulty finding qualified candidates; demand consistently outpaces supply
Local Law 97 requires large NYC buildings to cut carbon emissions significantly, creating sustained long-term demand for skilled technicians
+ a Huge, life-long Environmental Benefit
Building automation jobs don't just provide career pathways. They put the people most affected by urban pollution in direct control of the systems that generate it. New York City's buildings account for roughly 70% of the city's carbon emissions. Making those buildings perform better isn't an abstract environmental goal. It's a technical challenge that trained people can solve, building by building.
The potential impact is staggering. A significant proportion of large commercial buildings operate below their designed efficiency, wasting energy heating and cooling unoccupied spaces, running ventilation on fixed schedules instead of demand, keeping lights on when no one is there. Misconfiguration, not broken equipment.
Skilled BAS technicians fix that. Local Law 97 has put compliance pressure on building owners across the city, creating a direct line between the work our graduates do and measurable reductions in carbon output.
The systems and the technology are already in place. The only thing missing is the human element.
Our students are all that, and more.
Learn More
What Is Building Automation — and How Do You Learn It?
Controls Technician Salary and Training Path
Can You Get a BAS Job With No Experience?
How to Get Into Building Automation in NYC