Category: Heating and Cooling

Facilities Managers in the Era of AI: Welcoming Innovation for a Smarter, Greener Future

For decades, facilities managers (FMs) have been the unsung heroes of commercial and retail buildings, ensuring comfort, safety, and operational continuity behind the scenes. However, as the built environment faces the mounting pressures of rising energy costs, ambitious sustainability goals, and the challenge of “doing more with less,” the FM role is undergoing a deep […]

No Retrofit Needed: Modernizing Buildings with AI

Industry-wide demand is mounting to rethink how we create energy-efficient, comfortable, and smart buildings. More facilities managers are turning to technology to help create smart building systems that use real-time data to adjust temperature and lighting, monitor air quality, and other maintenance controls. The market for Internet of Things (IoT) platforms is expected to hit […]

Are Digital Twins the Future of Smart Facilities?

With growing infrastructure demands and tighter budgets, traditional reactive strategies in facilities management often result in unplanned downtime and expensive breakdowns. A Deloitte study found that predictive maintenance—which includes strategies that anticipate problems before they occur, reducing costs and increasing efficiency—can result in up to 15% reduction in downtime and up to 20% improvement in […]

The Financial Case for Energy Tracking in Facilities

Some media are reporting a widespread backlash against ESG and carbon-reduction initiatives. That may be welcome news for facilities managers who view energy tracking as a financial and administrative burden. But the reality is that energy tracking and reporting can lead to significant cost savings for facilities. A glance at data from commercial and industrial […]

energy efficiency

Building Energy Efficiency: Don’t Take Your Foot Off the Gas

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. Building owners and operators have spent the last decade overwhelmed by an array of challenges ranging from tighter building codes and building performance standards to high interest rates, inflation, and, of course, a global […]

USGBC: New Budget Law Undermines Green Building Policy

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. It wasn’t long ago that Republicans and Democrats in Congress overwhelmingly supported tax incentives and other economic carrots encouraging investment in homegrown energy industries to boost energy security and affordability. That bipartisan tradition ended […]

For Thermal Heating Upgrades, Don’t Wait Until Winter

For facilities managers, the systems used to generate and store heat tend to be all-important—at least amidst plunging temperatures and bleak winter elements. As soon as outside conditions turn warm, thermal heating systems are more easily placed out of sight and out of mind. The sunny days of spring and early summer are no time […]

ASHRAE Guideline 36 and Advanced Tech Propel Industrial HVAC Decarbonization

American industries are facing growing pressure to modernize production methods and improve energy efficiency without compromising the bottom line. Now more than ever, it is important to drive research, development, and pilot-scale demonstrations within industrial projects, with plans to bolster confidence in the buildings space for further adoption of net-zero practices. When combined with standards […]

Can Replacing Battery-Powered IoT with RF Technology Help Boost ESG Goals?

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. As the U.S. smart building market reached $24.66 billion in 2024, the demand for Internet of Things (IoT)-driven automation continues to rise. From environmental sensors to access control systems, smart buildings rely heavily on […]

Integrating HVAC UV-C Disinfection Monitoring with Building Automation

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a central focus for commercial tenants, facilities managers, building owners, leasing agents, and property owners. One technology option for airstream and HVAC surface disinfection in this regard is ultraviolet energy in the C-band or germicidal wavelength (UV‑C). When incorporated into HVAC air handlers, UV‑C systems help inactivate airborne pathogens, […]