Category: Energy Management and Lighting

Why the Smartest Supermarkets Are Rethinking Refrigeration First

Refrigeration is the lifeline of every supermarket, underpinning food safety, product shelf life, and regulatory compliance. However, it’s also one of the costliest line items, often causing the largest share of a store’s energy use. Behind every chilled aisle and frozen display case lies a constant, energy-intensive effort to keep perishable products safe, fresh, and […]

With Future of Sustainability Incentives Uncertain, EaaS Emerges as Potential Lifeline

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. National power consumption is projected to set new records in both 2025 and 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), surpassing an all-time high reached just last year. At the same time, […]

How Heat Pump RTU Upgrades Can Drive Smarter Energy Use in Commercial Facilities

Amid rising electricity costs and a volatile macroeconomic environment, facilities managers and commercial building owners across the United States are seeking reliable, energy-efficient solutions that consistently support both employees and customers. One increasingly popular strategy is the installation of high-efficiency heat pump rooftop units (RTUs) to reduce energy consumption and improve overall building performance. Heat […]

FMA Shorts: What Constitutes a Smart Building?

On this latest episode of FMA Shorts, Melissa Sokolowsky, a senior project manager at the Smart Buildings Center, discusses the elements that make up a smart building. This clip was taken from a webinar titled, “From Brick to Click: The Rise of Smart Building Tech in FM.” The full session is available for FREE on-demand […]

Metropolitan Museum of Art Launches $25M Energy-Efficient Lighting Project

The beauty of smart building upgrades will be on full display at one of the world’s largest and most famous art museums. Officials from the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), the New York Power Authority (NYPA), and The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) announced a nearly $25 million energy efficiency […]

Solar Power Opportunities for Midsize Facilities

Aging infrastructure, increased demand from AI data centers and building electrification, and ongoing shifts in global energy markets are putting America’s energy supply under serious strain. Demand for electricity is projected to grow 16% over the next five years—that’s triple the rate of growth over the past two decades! As electricity demand grows and pressure […]

Rebuilding After Natural Disasters: Why All-Electric Solutions Are the Path Forward

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. Last year, wildfires tore through vast areas of Los Angeles, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to introduce a waiver to exempt rebuilt structures and residences from the city’s all-electric building provision, citing the need to […]

What if Buildings Could Repair Themselves?

Facilities managers juggle a lot of priorities every day as they balance reactive work orders with preventive maintenance, all while keeping downtime low and facilities running at peak efficiency. With constantly shifting priorities and rising stakeholder expectations, the pressure is on to keep buildings performing without burning out the facilities team. Smart buildings leverage integrated […]

How AI Is Creating New Roles for Facilities Managers

A facilities manager (FM) is expected to wear a lot of hats, from operations manager to strategic planner and technical expert to human resources leader. With so many spinning plates, it’s unsurprising that a recent study found that some FMs and staff have left or considered leaving their jobs. This isn’t just about hard work; […]

AI

2025: The Year AI Goes to Work in Facilities Management

After years of promise, 2025 is poised to be the year artificial intelligence (AI) finally delivers real, measurable impact in facilities management. Now that AI is becoming more common, building supervisors can utilize it as a practical and essential tool to manage buildings more efficiently, sustainably, and intelligently. Facilities leaders today face intensifying pressure: rising […]