Category: Sustainability/Business Continuity

Decarbonizing Buildings: The Big Rethink

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. Buildings represent more than 40% of U.S. carbon emissions, and natural-gas-fired HVAC, water heating, cooking, and other systems represent the largest fraction. With a growing profile of electric products entering the market, […]

EPA Awards 2023 ‘Safer Choice’ Partners for Cleaning, Other Chemical Products

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 30 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners across 15 states and the District of Columbia, recognizing their achievements in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of cleaners, detergents, and other products with safer chemicals. The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers of facilities, such as […]

Which U.S. Cities Are Leading the Uptick in Office Conversions?

Office conversions in the U.S. are on pace to more than double their recent annual average this year, with momentum picking up due to increased incentives and other support from state and local governments, according to new insight from CBRE. CBRE analyzed the number of office conversions in major U.S. cities since 2016 and found nearly 100 projects […]

Incorporating a Biophilic Design into Your Facilities

As more employees return to the office in a hybrid or fully in-office setting, it’s important for facilities professionals to work with building management on de-stressing the workplace by implementing biophilic design principles, which involves the use of nature in facility designs. During Facilities Management Advisor’s Healthy Buildings Week 2023, guest speaker Kelly Walowski, global […]

Top Trends Facilities Managers Need to Consider When Hiring in 2024

As buildings become more modern and complex, a facilities manager’s responsibilities and hiring needs continue to change rapidly. Already, smart buildings are a big talking point within the industry, with research estimating that the market will grow to $408.21 billion in 2030, up from $96.96 billion in 2023. The rise in smart buildings, among other […]

What We Learned From… FM NOW: Emergency Preparedness

Held on Sept. 26-27, our FM NOW: Emergency Preparedness virtual summit featured information about how crucial it is to plan for various types of hazards, including natural disasters, fires, power outages, and even active shooters. If you missed any of the webinars, here’s a rundown with key takeaways and links to FREE on-demand recordings. Opening […]

U.S. Green Building Council Launches Draft Version of New LEED Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduced a draft of its LEED v5 Operations and Maintenance (O+M) rating system for existing buildings. Buildings are responsible for around 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions, with 28% stemming from operational emissions, which include energy needed to heat, cool, and power them. LEED v5 is the newest version of LEED (Leadership in Energy and […]

How Facilities Can Improve Their Air Quality

As facilities managers continue to improve their buildings’ indoor air quality (IAQ), they should learn about the new American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 241; the different types of air-cleaning technologies and their costs; and their occupants’ needs. Facilities Management Advisor had an educational session on August 17 as part of […]

The State of Facility Maintenance Amid the Return-to-Office Surge

With the Labor Day holiday officially in the books, not only is back-to-school season in full swing, but the return-to-office (RTO) is underway, as well. Over the past few years, the late summer and early autumn have marked a rallying point for companies’ RTO efforts. While Zoom’s recently revamped RTO policies have been grabbing the […]

DOE Offering $400M for States to Update Building Energy Codes

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released program guidance and opened applications for $400 million in formula funding to states and territories for adopting and implementing building energy codes that reduce utility bills, increase efficiency, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and make buildings more resilient to climate disasters. “A transition to a clean energy economy […]