Tag: building envelope

Building Envelope Upgrade: Can Metal Panels Breathe New Life into Aging Buildings?

By Emily Newton, Contributing Writer Nov 12, 2024 Design and Construction

Updated: Nov 14, 2024

When upgrading a building’s envelope, facilities managers and designers should use materials created to protect aging structures while modernizing their visual aesthetics. The building enclosure separates the interior from the environment, shielding it from external elements. Most aging structures were created with outdated materials, decreasing their thermal efficiency and providing less protection. Metal panels may […]

Expert Q&A: What Will It Take to Make Net-Zero Buildings a Reality?

By Joe Bebon, Editor May 20, 2024 Building Controls

Updated: May 23, 2024

Did you know buildings account for a whopping 37% of all carbon emissions in the world? In order to combat climate change, countries have set a global goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and in order to help save money and the planet, corporations and other organizations have set sustainability targets of their own. […]

Study: Geothermal Heat Pumps Represent Major Opportunity for U.S. Building Decarbonization

By Joe Bebon, Editor Jan 29, 2024 Design and Construction

Updated: Jan 29, 2024

A new analysis from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that, coupled with building envelope improvements, installing geothermal heat pumps in around 70% of U.S. buildings could save as much as 593 terawatt-hours of electricity generation annually and avoid seven gigatons of carbon-equivalent emissions by 2050. “To put that in context, 593 terawatt-hours is about 15% […]

University of Connecticut’s Director of Major Projects Talks Campus Sustainability

By Corey Sipe, Associate Editor Jan 4, 2024 Building Controls

Updated: Jan 4, 2024

While sports fans know that the University of Connecticut (UConn) is known as the “Basketball Capital of the World,” the university has recently been recognized on the national level for its ongoing commitment to sustainability by being ranked as one of the top 25 schools on The Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Colleges list for […]

Back to Basics: 6 Commercial HVAC Maintenance Tips for Winter

By Corey Sipe, Associate Editor Dec 27, 2023 Back to Basics

Updated: Dec 27, 2023

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Before Jack Frost comes knocking on their doors, facilities managers should ensure their commercial facility’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are in tip-top shape. A failed HVAC system can not only lead to discomfort […]