Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
As the Atlantic hurricane season looms, businesses must take proactive measures to protect their facilities from the potentially devastating impact of severe storms. With experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting a range of 12 to 17 named storms in 2023—with five to nine of them being hurricanes, including one to four Category […]
Organizations wanting to go green typically install rooftop or ground-mounted solar projects or buy renewable energy credits. But a water utility in New Jersey has embraced a novel approach, installing North America’s largest floating solar project. Consisting of 16,510 solar panels, the 8.9-megawatt (MW) solar array covers 17 acres of the Canoe Brook reservoir in […]
Virtually every business has a carbon footprint, and with that the responsibility to understand its effect on the environment and all the entities with which it interacts. While climate action is often associated with the largest corporations, the fact is that small to midsize businesses (SMBs) make up almost 90% of global enterprises. Their individual […]
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality announced a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with major utility Xcel Energy. Under the MOU, the parties will work toward powering federal facilities in Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin with 100% carbon-pollution-free electricity (CFE) by 2030. The deal is in […]
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the commercial real estate and building management sectors have had the opportunity to adapt and capitalize on new opportunities. Among the various sectors comprising the industry, the U.S. engineering and construction segment has demonstrated impressive growth, with a notable 8% increase in construction spending during the beginning of […]
Facilities managers should understand the importance of meeting current building codes, both when constructing and when maintaining safe and sustainable facilities. This infographic offers key reasons why building codes matter, courtesy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). To read more about building codes and how they are updated, be sure to check out “Back […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering more funding to help school districts across the country make the switch to alternative fuel bus fleets. In late April, the agency launched a $400 million round of grants under its Clean School Bus Program, with applications due by Aug. 22. The funding is made possible by […]
The Great Resignation and the high number of workers retiring over the last several years have led to labor shortages at many workplaces across the country. While some of those positions will be filled, it’s likely those replacements won’t have the same depth of knowledge as their predecessors. To help solve this problem, facilities managers […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $45 million in available funding under the Renew America’s Nonprofits grant program, which will support projects to reduce energy use in buildings owned and operated by 501(c)(3) nonprofits. There are approximately 1.5 million 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the United States, including diverse organizations such as libraries, worship facilities, community centers, […]
The sprawling campus of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is dotted with buildings dedicated to the many sciences needed to power the country’s push toward clean energy. Researchers inside one building explore the dynamics of harnessing the sun for energy. Those in another are determining the best ways to convert […]