One of us installs dashboards and builds ESG reports off digital signals.
The other replaces filters, checks trap seals, and walks the roof every Friday with a coffee and a clipboard.
Both of us are being told:
“The building is smart now.”
But we know something different:
A sensor that isn’t calibrated is just a quiet lie.
And software without site data?
That’s just storytelling.
The ESG side asks:
“What’s our IAQ trend this quarter?”
“Are we compliant with WELL metrics?”
“Why is our EUI drifting upward?”
The site lead replies:
“The air return grille’s blocked.”
“No one’s logged last week’s vent bypass.”
“There’s condensation forming behind Suite 207.”
What the dashboard calls data…
The field calls context.
| What the Dashboard Sees | What’s Actually Happening |
|---|---|
| CO₂ level flat | Sensor battery died last month |
| Temp spike | Door propped open by vendor unloading |
| Low moisture | Leak sensor never re-armed after remodel |
| IAQ “normal” | Occupants still complaining of odor |
If we don’t sync up, bad data becomes ESG evidence.
And no one wants to report from a system that isn’t real.
If you're the field tech:
“Flag me when data looks off. I’ll check the unit and tell you what’s real.”
If you're the ESG analyst:
“Tell me what readings you trust — and where the system fakes it. I’ll log around it.”
This is how accuracy grows from humility.
Smart buildings aren’t smart because of sensors.
They’re smart because someone feeds them truth.
And when the person reading the dashboard and the person reading the room start talking,
ESG stops being estimated — and starts being earned.