In this episode of The Climate Gap: Quick Cuts, Ben Muwoki interviews Omar Tabba, Chief Product Officer at BrainBox AI, to explore what true building autonomy looks like, and why most smart buildings still aren’t there.

Omar’s view is that the industry doesn’t have a data problem; it has a control problem. Dashboards keep multiplying, but systems still can’t act safely, measure value, or scale without human intervention.

We dig into:

• The minimum viable data layer — Why 95% of building systems don’t know their own energy price, and how to integrate tariffs, weather, and grid emissions data for real optimisation.
• Guardrails for trust — How BrainBox’s “referee” algorithm keeps closed-loop control safe and auditable across different mechanical systems.
• The talent gap — With 110,000 U.S. technicians missing, autonomy should give people time back, not take jobs away.
• Payback under pressure — Why savings must be proven with standards, and reported alongside emissions reductions.
• Outcomes, not screens — The fastest route to measurable value in one budget cycle.

About Omar Tabba

Omar is the Chief Product Officer at BrainBox AI, where he leads product development across HVAC, lighting, and building automation powered by AI. With over 20 years in the industry, he’s focused on closing the gap between intelligence and action in the built environment.

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