Category: Energy Management and Lighting

7 Ways AI Can Optimize a Retail Facility’s Maintenance Strategy

Retail facilities depend on reliable building systems to keep stores safe and efficient. Maintaining heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, refrigeration units, lighting, and other critical assets is essential for minimizing disruptions, controlling operating costs, and creating a positive customer experience. Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping facilities managers take a more proactive approach by analyzing […]

What 9 Million Service Requests Say About Facilities Management

Some building owners and tenants view facilities managers as people who handle unexpected problems. But in many cases, the problems FMs face are predictable. The evidence: an analysis of 9 million service requests from 2024 and 2025, which revealed common patterns across geographies, building classes, and building types—patterns that may remove the element of surprise and […]

Making Electrification Projects Work: Lessons from Large-Scale Retrofits

In a city like Chicago, electrification rarely happens in isolation. Large retrofit projects are almost always delivered in occupied buildings, alongside active operations, and under pressure to modernize multiple systems at once. The projects that succeed understand this from the start. Electrification works best when treated as core infrastructure—the backbone that supports building automation, electric […]

How HVLS Fans Improve Workplace Comfort and Reduce Facility Costs

Employee discomfort, rising energy bills, and an HVAC system that’s constantly working overtime are common challenges in large facilities, with poor air circulation being the leading factor. Facilities that incorporate HVLS (high-volume, low-speed) fans can balance temperatures, improve occupant comfort, and reduce operating costs without requiring infrastructure alterations. The HVAC Is Running, and the Space […]

5 Questions Facilities Managers Should Ask Before Trusting AI with HVAC Optimization

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.  Artificial intelligence (AI) is showing up in more conversations about HVAC energy savings. That is not surprising. Heating and cooling are expensive, controls data is increasingly available, and many buildings still have room for […]

FMA Shorts: What Are Some Top AI Uses for Facilities Management?

On this latest episode of FMA Shorts, James Waddell, an AI expert from Cognitive Corp., discusses common ways the futuristic tech can help improve facilities management. This clip was taken from a webinar titled “AI-Powered FM: Unlocking Tangible Results.” The full session is available for FREE on-demand here.

AI‑Powered HVAC: The First Step Toward Future‑Ready Buildings

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.  HVAC is fundamental to keeping commercial spaces safe, comfortable, and productive. Yet with soaring energy bills, increasingly erratic weather patterns, and much tougher building performance benchmarks, facilities managers must balance strict temperature and air-quality […]

5 Ways Manual Data Mapping Is Holding Facilities Teams Back

The built environment is entering a machine-first era: According to a recent report by Johnson Controls, 67% of facilities managers are already using AI to improve the operation, utilization, and maintenance of their buildings, while 61% say they plan to implement or expand the use of AI in 2026. With this widespread adoption of AI […]

The $150 Billion Energy Waste Problem Buildings Are Ignoring

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.  The residential and commercial building sector is the leading energy consumer in the U.S. economy, accounting for approximately 40% of the nation’s entire energy consumption and 35% of U.S. carbon emissions. What’s worse? The […]

Under Construction: Top Facility Projects of April 2026

Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. Fully Electric Hospital To boost sustainability and energy savings, modern facilities are increasingly going fully electric. In Oregon, major healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente has broken ground on a new, all-electric hospital tower to replace its Sunnyside Medical Center, which […]