Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Most facilities professionals have heard the term “net zero buildings” before but perhaps don’t know exactly what it means or why they should convert their facilities to net zero. Commercial, educational, industrial, and nonprofit facilities should […]
Smart buildings are modern structures engineered to automate various functions, rendering daily operations more efficient, safe, and cost-effective. This shift towards intelligent infrastructure is particularly noticeable in the corporate sector, offering a blend of architectural intelligence, energy conservation, and streamlined operational management. This article explores the various advantages that smart buildings bring to the corporate […]
With the growing adoption of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and bioenergy, many industrial and commercial facilities managers are looking to add renewables to offset fossil fuel use, reduce energy costs, and meet sustainability goals. However, choosing the right renewable energy system requires careful evaluation of a facility’s unique energy needs, siting, costs, and […]
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey completed the installation of energy-efficient LED lights throughout One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the United States. The project began in April 2022. Such lighting projects directly support BuildSmart 2025, a statewide energy efficiency program administered by NYPA […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program is celebrating over 25 years of achievements in lighting efficiency. The celebration comes as the ENERGY STAR label for most lighting is poised to sunset after a long, successful run and the recently enacted federal sales ban on incandescent bulbs. Since the ENERGY STAR label for […]
In October, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) received three prestigious awards: the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Community Leader Award for the South Central Region and two Love Your City Awards from LifeCity. With 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space under one roof, NOENMCC is among the largest convention centers in the U.S. These new awards celebrate […]
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a groundbreaking, innovative technology that profoundly transforms facilities management. Running a facility encompasses a wide range of day-to-day tasks, ranging from asset management to security and access control, and IoT is pivotal in making those tasks and duties more manageable and autonomous. IoT in Facilities Management IoT technology is […]
In early October, a major bird-collision event occurred in Chicago. While there were other collisions across the city, one building, McCormick Place, killed nearly 1,000 migrating birds in a single night. Although weather patterns played a role, McCormick’s reflective glass walls and bright lighting are known to be the problem. Collisions with glass result in […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is opening enrollment for the Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) Campaign, which will help public building owners pay for today’s building upgrades with tomorrow’s guaranteed energy savings. The ESPC Campaign is a voluntary initiative that engages and supports state and local governments, universities and colleges, school districts, hospitals, and other market stakeholders […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published the “2023 Better Buildings Initiative Progress Report,” which summarizes the achievements of the DOE’s Better Buildings public- and private-sector partners since the initiative’s inception in 2011. The report shows that partnering entities, including more than 900 businesses, state and local governments, utilities, housing authorities, and other organizations, […]