About Controls Hero
Welcome! I’m Gastón, and I’m excited to have you on my Website and blog. With more than 15 years of experience in the controls industry, my journey has been fueled by a passion for Building Automation Systems (BAS) and a dedication to helping others by sharing knowledge.
My mission? To make You the Controls Hero!
I’m dedicated to providing easy-to-follow BAS content to you. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, my aim is to demystify complex concepts so you can master controls with confidence.
So invite you to join me on this journey as we explore the secrets of Building Automation Systems together. Thank you for stopping by, and I look forward to see you here.
Warm regards,
Gastón Portugal
CEO, Controls Hero LLC
Who is Gastón Portugal?
My Story
I would like to introduce myself and share with you a little bit of my story. I was born in Mexico and grew up there until I was about 17 years old. During that time, in middle school and high school, I was allowed to choose a technical subject; so I picked Electronics. That’s where my interest in this field started.
After finishing high school, I had the opportunity to move to the United States, and I quickly enrolled in a community college. I was so interested in pursuing a path in the digital arts such as graphic design, 3D animation, and even filmmaking. At a young age, I was able to get myself a video camera where I worked on my first side hustle: Filming Quinceañeras and wedding videos. But not sure what career path to follow, I went with the default: Engineering, since I already had some background in Electronics, so my insecure self picked that, the known.
After taking a couple of ESL classes (English as a Second Language), Calculus, Chemistry, and even music appreciation, I was accepted at San Diego State University where I earned my Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering. How did I get it? I don’t know! I wasn’t a great student, or maybe the teachers weren’t good at teaching? One thing I know is that I persevered, put in the work, and made many sacrifices, and I did it! Just in time for the 2008 crash!
My Controls Journey
When I graduated from SDSU, the economy wasn’t well at all, I did not have good social skills, I was very introverted, and my English was still bad. This was the perfect formula to not find an Engineering job. And the funny thing, I never did.
Maybe this was a lucky failure? After many months looking for a job, a company found my resume on monster.com, a popular website to find a job. So I had my interview with them, and they liked my educational background. The role for the job was for a technician in building automation. When they mentioned the word HVAC, I had no idea what they were talking about. All I knew about BAS was what a wall thermostat was. During this interview, they told me I had to go to another place for a final interview. I later learned that this was a recruiting company.
I had my second interview at a small controls company in Poway, CA that years later became Albireo Energy. Since I had an engineering background, it was easier for me to understand the technical work required in this field; I was quickly hired as a Systems Programmer. However, during my first years, I wasn’t very happy, knowing that I wasn’t working as an Engineer.
Now, after 15 years working in Controls, I can see that all the fortunate and unfortunate events that happened have led me to this exciting field that I enjoy working on and sharing everything I can.
Why This Website and Blog?
I like to help others in every way I can, it is part of who I am. So I’ve decided to start this journey because over the years I saw a lack of resources and information about Building Automation Systems and Controls. I became passionate about this amazing and ever-evolving industry that I’ve decided to create this space to share my technical experience, my struggles, and everything I have learned over the past years.
Nowadays, there is more information out there, but a lot of it is complex and hard to understand. One thing that I love to do is to break things into easy pieces and show people the way I wish I was taught in school. Plus, I love graphic design and filmmaking, so why not make my content creative and visually pleasant as well!
Thanks for taking the time to learn about my journey. My hope is that through this website and blog, you find posts, tutorials, tricks, and valuable insights about the BAS world. Thank you.
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