Infographic: 5 Reasons to Be Thankful for Facilities Managers
This Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to appreciate facilities managers! Here are five reasons to be grateful for the unsung heroes.
Category: Heating and Cooling
A Metric that Matters: Modern Building Standards Start with Airtightness
A building can feature every visible marker of sustainability—efficient HVAC, LED lighting, smart appliances and controls, even solar panels—and still fall short. How is this possible? The answer is often hidden just out of sight: Lurking in cracks and gaps throughout a building’s envelope and HVAC system, uncontrolled air leakage is silently undermining nearly every […]
Toronto Child Care Facility Becomes City’s First Net-Zero Building
Toronto, Canada, is one facility closer to meeting its ambitious sustainability goals. Officials have celebrated the launch of Toronto’s largest city-run child care center and first net-zero building. At 19,000 square feet, the Mount Dennis Early Learning and Child Care Center provides space for 98 children, including two infant rooms, three toddler rooms, and three […]
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 […]
With Cold Weather Approaching, Retail Facilities May Face Heating Challenges
Just as the autumn air turns chilly and colder temperatures become the norm, the ramp-up of the holiday shopping season brings ever-larger crowds of people into shopping centers and outlet malls. For facilities managers, ensuring consistent comfort across high-traffic areas is a top priority. In some cases, it can also be a major challenge. While […]
Vermont Health Department Recognizes ‘Asthma-Friendly’ Schools
Vermont schools are working to create asthma-friendly learning environments by improving indoor air quality, reducing asthma triggers, and training staff to help students manage their symptoms. “Asthma can cause missed school days, make it difficult to concentrate, limit play and sports, and just make it harder for kids to learn and enjoy their time at […]
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 […]
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; […]
Back to Basics: Cooling Tower Maintenance to Reduce Legionella Risks
Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. The recent outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City led to dozens of hospitalizations and multiple fatalities. This incident is part of a concerning trend. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of […]