Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the ranking of its annual Top 10 States for LEED, with Illinois once again topping the list and demonstrating leadership in green building. Illinois certified 3.16 square feet of building space per person under LEED in 2021. LEED is the world’s most widely used green building program and was created by […]
By covering their roofs with solar panels, America’s big-box retail and grocery stores could generate enough clean electricity to power more than 7.9 million U.S. homes, according to a new report from Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group. The report, titled “Solar on Superstores: Big Roofs, Big Potential for Renewable Energy” also shows that […]
The COVID-19 era has been a challenging time for facilities management staff as they focus on extensive cleaning and indoor air quality issues. However, there are several other large issues that have impacted their profession, including The Great Resignation, supply chain shortages, lead time and building commissioning, inflation, environmental sensitivity, and networking. Facilities Management Compliance […]
Companies seem to be experiencing a sustainability shortfall, despite an uptick in the number of properties seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, and similar accreditations. Although most corporate leaders agree that sustainability merits support, many organizations still don’t have formal sustainability measures in place. However, closing that gap may land squarely in the lap […]
The green building materials market is expected to skyrocket in the next five years, catalyzed by an urgent need to build structures that can respond to more intense weather patterns and offer lower carbon footprints. However, there have been few ways to compare basic materials and understand the impact of using them. Now, Northwestern University […]
President Joseph Biden Jr. signed Executive Order (EO) 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability, on December 8, 2021. This EO directs the federal government to decarbonize by 2050 and orders it to “lead by example” and use its “scale and procurement power” to achieve five ambitious goals: 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2030, […]
Building operations account for a whopping 35% of U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and renovating them is a key strategy for combating climate change, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). However, less than 1% of buildings are retrofitted each year, partly stemming from the high cost of identifying what retrofits a building―or especially […]
The future of construction revolves around sustainability and long-lasting materials. This prevents waste and allows for the reuse of materials. In general, construction is extremely damaging to the environment, with the construction industry contributing to over 50% of landfill waste. It is important to work with your climate to build a sustainable facility that features […]
Distributed energy resources (DER), including electric vehicle (EV) chargers, rooftop solar PV, and battery energy storage, are rapidly expanding in commercial buildings, according to a report from Guidehouse Insights. The report forecasts global spending on DER in commercial buildings to reach $17.6 billionin 2021, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.1% to […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released the Fall 2021 Better Buildings, Better Plants progress update. The report highlights more than 250 manufacturers and water utilities that have introduced energy efficiency and decarbonization measures, cumulatively saving $9.3 billion in energy costs and 1.9 quadrillion British thermal units (Btus)—more energy than the state of Wisconsin consumes […]