Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced $288 million in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding to construct sustainable buildings at the DHS St. Elizabeths headquarters campus in southeast Washington, D.C. The announcement came a day after the one-year anniversary of the IRA, the largest climate investment in U.S. history. The […]
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and Texas-based developer Vesper Energy have cut the ribbon on the Gaucho Solar project. Built on 68 acres near Pittsburgh International Airport, the 20 megawatt project features about 55,000 panels and is one of the largest solar arrays in Western Pennsylvania. Through a power purchase agreement with Vesper Energy, the […]
To help meet the building tech company’s sustainability goals, Johnson Controls has entered an agreement with energy firm Constellation to support the development of two new solar projects and match the power needs of four major Johnson Controls facilities in Pennsylvania. Specifically, Constellation’s Offsite Renewables Plus (CORe+) retail power product is supporting the development of two […]
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded funding to help make airports across the country more sustainable. As part of nearly $268 million in grants, about $92 million will go to 21 airports for solar panels, electric buses, charging stations, and electrification studies. The funding is part of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Supplemental Grant Program. It […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the first round of selectees for the Renew America’s Schools grant program, a competitive award that will support the implementation of energy improvements in public K-12 schools across the country. Following “unprecedented” demand for the funding, the DOE chose 24 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in 22 states to share […]
Rutgers University has selected DSD Renewables to install 16 solar carport canopies, totaling 14.5 MW, in parking lots across the New Jersey university’s multiple campuses. This is the first major sustainability initiative to roll out since University President Jonathan Holloway announced Rutgers’ commitment to a Climate Action Plan in September 2021. The project, expected to […]
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 […]
Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. Tesla in Texas There’s no denying Elon Musk is a brilliant businessman, but he’s also a talented showman. Nearly everything he does is flashy and intriguing, including space rockets, flamethrowers, Twitter takeovers, and a host of product […]
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 […]
Covering the roofs of America’s warehouses and distribution centers with solar panels could generate enough clean energy to power nearly 20 million homes, according to a new report from the Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group. “If we want to create a clean energy future, we should look first to the already-built […]