Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a $2 billion investment for more than 150 construction projects that use cleaner construction materials, known as “low-embodied carbon” (LEC) materials, as part of the Biden administration’s Investing in America agenda. The funding will support projects at federal facilities across 39 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of […]
In October, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) received three prestigious awards: the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Community Leader Award for the South Central Region and two Love Your City Awards from LifeCity. With 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space under one roof, NOENMCC is among the largest convention centers in the U.S. These new awards celebrate […]
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a groundbreaking, innovative technology that profoundly transforms facilities management. Running a facility encompasses a wide range of day-to-day tasks, ranging from asset management to security and access control, and IoT is pivotal in making those tasks and duties more manageable and autonomous. IoT in Facilities Management IoT technology is […]
It’s important for facilities to maintain quality drinking water and stormwater not only to protect public health, but also to follow local, state, and federal regulations. Brian Davis, director of enterprise accounts of water quality testing for AQUALIS, gave a presentation titled “Understanding Water Quality Testing for Drinking Water & Stormwater” during Facilities Management Advisor’s […]
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released a new guide focusing on the critical role of grid interactivity in the decarbonization process. The Grid-Interactive Buildings for Decarbonization: Design and Operation Resource Guide is the second in a series of guides developed by the ASHRAE Task Force For Building Decarbonization (TFBD) and provides information on […]
Technology seems to advance at an hourly pace these days, with generative artificial intelligence (AI) seeing a significant uptick in use this year. Free and open tools such as ChatGPT and Google Bard have shown how generative AI can be used for learning, content generation, coding, and other tasks. This has prompted many industries and […]
In early October, a major bird-collision event occurred in Chicago. While there were other collisions across the city, one building, McCormick Place, killed nearly 1,000 migrating birds in a single night. Although weather patterns played a role, McCormick’s reflective glass walls and bright lighting are known to be the problem. Collisions with glass result in […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is opening enrollment for the Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) Campaign, which will help public building owners pay for today’s building upgrades with tomorrow’s guaranteed energy savings. The ESPC Campaign is a voluntary initiative that engages and supports state and local governments, universities and colleges, school districts, hospitals, and other market stakeholders […]
In recent years, our world has become increasingly interconnected as technology plays a role in almost everything we do. This interconnectedness has given rise to smart buildings, enhancing productivity and promoting sustainability. However, it has also exposed vulnerabilities of a building’s critical infrastructure. With October being Cybersecurity Awareness Month, there’s more attention on the importance […]
Chicago continues its first-place run in the rat race in the U.S., topping Orkin’s Top 50 Rattiest Cities List for the ninth year in a row. Los Angeles moved up to the No. 2 ranking while New York rounds out the top 3 spots. Jumping up 10 spots this year is Houston to No. 20, and Greensboro, N.C., moves up 17 spots to […]