Category: Maintenance and Operations

This Winter, Protect Your Facilities from an Influx of Pests

The start of a new year brings new resolutions—but for pests, the goal remains the same: finding warmth, shelter, and food inside homes and other buildings. With colder weather in full swing, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) is urging homeowners and businesses to prepare for an influx of rodents, cockroaches, and overwintering pests seeking […]

IFMA Names New President and CEO

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA), the world’s largest FM organization, has appointed Michael V. Geary, CAE, its new president and CEO, effective Feb. 10. The announcement comes after Don Gilpin revealed plans to step down from the role last year. Geary has over 30 years of distinguished leadership in the association and nonprofit sectors. Most […]

Survey: Cleaning Pros Face More Burnout, Embrace Green Products

CloroxPro released its 2024 Clean Index report, detailing the perceptions, needs, and challenges of more than 1,500 cleaning professionals and consumers from the past year. The findings highlight increasing adoption of eco-conscious cleaners, as well as ongoing burnout faced by staff as a result of constrained resources. Responses from the study show that eco-conscious cleaner […]

DOE Launches Tax Deduction Tools for Energy-Efficient Commercial Building Upgrades

Thinking about making energy upgrades at your facility? Try cashing in on tax deductions! The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released the 179D Portal, which hosts two free tools to estimate potential federal tax deductions for installing eligible energy-efficient technologies in commercial buildings. Intended for commercial building owners, as well as designers of energy-efficient upgrades for […]

Energy-Hungry Data Center Market to Surge in 2025, Thanks to AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications are rapidly expanding across industries, and the global data center industry plays a critical role in AI adoption and advancement. To meet the exponential data center demand, the sector is expected to grow at a “phenomenal pace” in 2025. That’s according to JLL’s 2025 Global Data Center Outlook, which explores how AI is […]

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School Custodian of the Year Contest Seeks Nominations

School custodians play a vital role in creating a successful learning environment—inside and outside the classroom. However, their extensive schedules and strenuous duties often go unnoticed. To honor exceptional school custodians, Cintas Corp.  has launched its 12th annual Custodian of the Year contest and is seeking nominations from the public through Feb. 7. “Beyond cleaning and maintenance, […]

Leveraging Data for ESG Success: Critical Steps Toward Net-Zero Emissions

In 2022, the Biden administration announced the first Federal Building Performance Standard, a set of steps aimed at reducing energy consumption and electrifying equipment and appliances in federal buildings by 2030. While this plan represents significant strides toward sustainability, the path to carbon neutrality remains less defined. As climate change drives devastating global risks, including […]

Maryland School District Touts LEED Green Building Certification

Calvert County Public Schools in Maryland announced that its new Beach Elementary School building has been awarded LEED Silver status in recognition of the sustainable practices used during construction. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is among the most widely used green building […]

Mitigating the Impact of AI-Driven Power Demand on Commercial Energy Bills

The power demands of artificial intelligence (AI) are growing exponentially, with no signs of slowing down. The International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that by 2026, power consumption related to AI, cryptocurrency, and the data centers necessary to power our increasingly automated world could double. AI-driven demand is only one cause of rising energy prices. Power […]

How AI Agents Can Transform Facilities Management into a Data-Driven Process

Like many industries, facilities management has traditionally relied on labor-intensive tasks, where reactive responses to issues make up the bulk of the work. When it comes to managing maintenance schedules or tracking equipment performance, various inefficiencies and downtime can occur, which is where artificial intelligence (AI) agents can be impactful. Recently, a survey from Forbes […]