The smart grid is coming and in that future era buildings will be interacting even more with the electric utilities. The communication will be in both directions, with the utility working to balance the grid supply and demand through methods such as signaling requests for demand response measures, real-time price adjustments, etc. This is a new and evolving field and, while there are some differences in the need for and how a smart grid might function in the various regions of the world, there are some common factors as well. This seminar provides an overview of the smart grid particularly as it relates to buildings and their systems.