Tag: energy efficiency

The $150 Billion Energy Waste Problem Buildings Are Ignoring

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.  The residential and commercial building sector is the leading energy consumer in the U.S. economy, accounting for approximately 40% of the nation’s entire energy consumption and 35% of U.S. carbon emissions. What’s worse? The […]

Why Efficiency Must Lead the Response to AI’s Surging Energy and Water Demand

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 artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates the construction of data centers, utilities are rapidly investing in energy infrastructure, including new power generation, transmission lines, and grid upgrades, to keep pace with the surge in energy […]

Earth Day Tips for Making Facilities More Sustainable

Earth Day is a good reminder that facilities managers play an important role in managing environmental impact. Daily operational decisions can shape how sustainable a building is. Managers can use this holiday to develop a clear and practical plan to improve energy efficiency and support long-term environmental goals. Conduct a Facility-Wide Energy Audit An energy […]

Green Building Groups Launch Coalition for Sustainable AI Data Centers

On Earth Day, nine of the world’s major built environment and sustainable finance organizations launched the Greening AI Data Centers Coalition (GADCC)—a new global initiative to set clear, credible standards for sustainable data center development as artificial intelligence (AI)-driven demand for computing power accelerates worldwide. According to the groups, the GADCC will develop transparent benchmarks […]

District Energy and Data Centers: A Strategic Partnership for the Future

Hyperscale data center growth is running headlong into real-world constraints—interconnection queues, transformer lead times, water stress, community scrutiny, and tightening climate policy. At the same time, the thermal profile of the data center sector is shifting decisively from air to liquid cooling, concentrating heat into a form far more useful than a plume of hot […]

Springtime Facilities Management: Top Resources for Success

It’s here! It’s finally here! After brutal temps pummeled much of the country during winter, March 20th marks the first official day of spring. For facilities managers, the warmer weather provides opportunities to tackle tasks delayed during the cold and to give everything a nice refresh. However, the new season also poses some challenges like […]

Back to Basics: The True Cost of Water Pump Downtime in Facilities

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Water pumps are among the most critical (and most underestimated) assets in modern facilities. They quietly support HVAC systems, boiler feed operations, domestic water supply, wastewater handling, cooling towers, irrigation, fire protection, and sanitation. When pumps operate […]

Under Construction: Top Facility Projects of February 2026

Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. World Trade Center Office Tower Financial services giant American Express has revealed plans to build a new state-of-the-art global headquarters at 2 World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan—marking the final office tower to be built at the World […]

Awards Honor Green School Leaders of 2026

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Green Schools National Network (GSNN) have announced the recipients of the 2026 Best of Green Schools Awards. The awards recognize 11 U.S. schools, districts, organizations, or individuals for advancing environmental stewardship, creating healthy learning environments, and promoting education for a sustainable future. “America’s students deserve […]

The Optimization Playbook: Lessons from the Central Plant

Behind every high-performing building lies an unsung hero: the central plant. These mechanical nerve centers—clusters of chillers, boilers, pumps, and cooling towers—quietly provide heating and cooling to hospitals, airports, campuses, and other complex facilities. When everything hums along, hardly anyone gives them a second thought. But when a pump fails or a chiller trips, the […]