Author: Joe Bebon, Editor

Biden Admin Finalizes National Definition for Zero-Emissions Buildings

After receiving public input, the Biden administration has revealed the highly anticipated, finalized version of its National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the standardized definition will help advance industry efforts to decarbonize the buildings sector, which is responsible for more than one-third of total U.S. greenhouse gas […]

Report: Physical Security Leaders Believe the Future Is in the Cloud

Over 90% of security leaders agree the future of physical security lies in cloud-based solutions, which will enable organizations to implement greater scalability, real-time alerting, and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. That’s according to the 2024 State of Cloud Physical Security report from Verkada, for which The Harris Poll surveyed over 1,500 security professionals across various sectors in […]

What Are Your Safety Signs Trying to Tell You?

June is National Safety Month, making this the perfect time for facilities managers to better understand safety signs. We’re talking about those signs, also known as “warning” or “hazard” signs, placed on floors to warn people to be careful that there may be a hazard ahead. These signs are typically placed when floor maintenance is […]

Fortifying Facilities Against Growing Wildfire Threats

It’s no secret that we’re experiencing a global uptick in extreme weather and natural disasters as a direct result of climate change. In fact, a study supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found climate change to be the main driver of the increase in fire weather in the western U.S., pointing to […]

AI Empowering FM: Conquering Challenges with Innovation and Collaboration

Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI (GenAI), is quickly and quietly revolutionizing facilities management. More and more, facilities managers are harnessing AI for rapid, informed building operations decisions and leveraging GenAI to boost operational efficiency. Rooted in automation, AI’s potential to save thousands of working hours across an entire workforce has mass appeal, helping to […]

Under Construction: Top Facility Projects of May 2024

Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. Biden-Backed Data Center Companies like Amazon and Google recently announced major data center projects. Perhaps most notably, though, President Joe Biden touted a $3.3 billion data center investment in Racine County, Wis., from Microsoft. The project will […]

Faces of Facilities: Maria Ruiz from UNICEF USA

“Always learn, practice, and apply. Find experts and ask them everything. Never be afraid to not know. Face the fear of not knowing and ask anyway.” Those are the wise, humble words of Maria Ruiz, a life-long learner who serves as the facilities and operations manager at UNICEF USA. Headquartered in New York City’s Financial […]

What’s Ahead for the 2024 Hurricane Season?

Hurricanes can cause major property damage and interrupt business operations. So, how many of these potentially dangerous storms should facilities managers expect (and prepare for) this year? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced its outlook for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30. The agency predicts a high […]

Why Manufacturers Should Consider Diversifying Their Energy Supply 

Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. Even those who aren’t regular consumers of energy industry news have likely come across a news report focused on how (and why) the American power grid is evolving. In the U.S., we have a […]

energy efficiency

EPA Reveals Top Cities for ENERGY STAR-Certified Buildings

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed its annual “Top Cities” list, spotlighting the cities with the greatest number of ENERGY STAR-certified commercial and multifamily buildings in 2023. Los Angeles leads the pack, with 876 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings. In second place is Washington, D.C., with 631 buildings, followed by New York in third place (390 […]