Building Automation Training Program in New York City

New York City has nearly one million buildings. Every one of them runs on mechanical and electrical systems — HVAC, lighting, air quality, fire safety — and those systems are increasingly managed by building automation. The city’s push toward carbon neutrality by 2050, enforced by Local Law 97, means every large building in New York needs to perform better. That takes people who know how to make building systems work.

There aren’t enough of those people. Not close.

Why Building Automation in NYC Right Now

Local Law 97 is not optional. Buildings over 25,000 square feet face steep fines if they don’t cut carbon emissions on an aggressive timeline. Building owners across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx are scrambling to upgrade their systems — and they need qualified technicians to do it.

Meanwhile, the existing BAS workforce in New York City is aging out. Experienced controls technicians are retiring faster than new ones are entering the field. Employers who would normally require years of experience are now willing to train the right person from scratch because there is no other option.

Entry-level BAS technicians in New York City start at $28–$32 per hour — roughly $58,000 to $66,000 a year. Mid-level technicians with two to four years of experience earn $35–$50 per hour. Senior technicians and commissioning specialists in the NYC market reach $50–$70+ per hour. These numbers reflect the reality that building automation is a high-skill, high-demand field in the most competitive real estate market in the country.

The Stacks+Joules Program in New York City

Stacks+Joules runs a 14-week building automation training program on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, based at the Henry Street Settlement. The program is free. It’s designed for New Yorkers ages 18–24 with no prior experience required.

The curriculum covers the core skills NYC employers actually hire for: Python programming for building systems, lighting controls with LCA EE101 certification, HVAC and air handling systems, Niagara N4 integration, low-voltage wiring, networking basics, EPA 608 refrigerant certification, and professional development.

Training happens on real equipment — actual controllers, sensors, dampers, and building management systems. Students troubleshoot live systems at the Henry Street Settlement building, which serves as a working lab with real sensors and real building infrastructure.

What Happens After Training

After completing the program, graduates are placed in paid internships with BAS employers operating across New York City. Employer partners include TEC Systems, Climatec/Bosch, Automated Logic, DB Engineering, Durst Corporation, RXR Realty, and McKenney’s.

The internship is how you go from graduate to working technician. You’re on real job sites across New York City, working alongside experienced engineers and technicians on actual building systems.

After the internship, Stacks+Joules provides job placement support. 92% of graduates are still with their employer one year after starting. That’s not a marketing number — it reflects a training model built around employment outcomes, not credential accumulation.

Who This Is For

You live in New York City. You’re between 18 and 24. You don’t need a college degree. You don’t need prior technical experience. You need to be serious about learning a skilled trade that pays well and has structural demand behind it.

The program runs in person at Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side. It’s not online. It’s not self-paced. It’s 14 weeks of intensive, hands-on technical training with real equipment, real instructors, and a direct path to a real job in New York City.

Apply

Applications open for the next cohort. The program is free.

Apply at henrystreet.org/bast