Blogs

There’s no doubt retail Facility and Energy Managers are upping the bar with respect to how they operate their facilities efficiently. But how do they find ways to operate their facilities smarter? In the past, temperature and lighting controls were held...

The National Science and Technology Council released a report in October calling for the "fine-grained" and "real-time" measurement of energy in buildings — recognizing submetering as a key enabler for improved performance for...

If you are considering making improvements to a commercial building, there are various tax strategies that may apply to your particular situation. One of these is abandonment, which allows the taxpayer to reduce the tax burden when replacing assets that...

Business and building owners often face a dilemma when considering replacing or updating their HVAC system. Although operating an energy efficient HVAC system saves money for business and building owners in the long run, many are concerned by significant...

In case you forgot to make a New Year’s Resolution, here are some retroactive resolutions to consider: Get more exercise. Save more money for retirement. Expand your network across the organization. Good ideas, right? And what better way to start...

As of late Fall, upwards of 30 well-established, well-funded utility rate-payer based rebate programs have exhausted their commercial and industrial-targeted funds for the current program year. From Michigan to Texas and Nevada to Pennsylvania programs...

Businesses (and homeowners) in Illinois will be prohibited from sending old electronic equipment to landfills. While there is currently a law in effect that requires some of that electronic material to be recycled, the new regulation adds more equipment...

When it comes to facilities, there are plenty of opportunities to complain — it’s too hot, it’s too cold, this is leaking, that isn’t working. But if you ever start thinking that no one notices the good things about facilities...

No one really wants to say this out loud, but the fact is that a LEED design alone won’t give you an energy-efficient building. Architects don’t want to say it because it sounds like they’re not doing their jobs when they design LEED...

In clicking on the blog keyword tag "Maintenance", I seen the last relative post was almost a year ago in December. Clicking on blog Keyword tag "Maintenance Management" was even further back in 2009! It was Technician Recruitment...

This weekend I attended a school fair. For preschools. To my dismay, in Chicago selecting a preschool is much more traumatic than my own college admission process ever was. One new preschool touting itself as a "green" school caught my attention...

Facility managers get handed so many problems that it’s no wonder some adopt a sort of fullback mentality. Take the ball, put your head down and try to plow ahead. That works, up to a point, but you take a lot of pounding along the way — from...

Visit the Vista Films Blog at its new location for insightful ideas on increasing energy efficiency in YOUR building. Recent posts include: How much window film energy savings will you receive? Low E window film explained in under 2 minutes

What I want to ask all of you, of course, is, “Well, what do you think?” We’ve spent months working to improve Building Operating Management , and now, ta-da, here it is. I imagine you feel much the same way when you renovate a building...

When we developed the FMXcellence program, we decided that we would recognize facility departments rather than individual facility managers. It’s easy to understand why. Achievements in facility management take hard work by a lot of people. Strong...

To fully protect a building from outside elements, it’s vital to consider the total building envelope consisting of the roof, walls, windows, doors and foundation. If not sealed properly, the envelope can be one of the largest drains of energy and...

Helping a building that’s naturally hot to cool down in the summer can consume an incredible amount of energy. Fortunately, implementing one or more of these five energy-efficient solutions can reduce the energy consumption of a building’s...

The commercial real estate industry was recently reminded of several solid corporate resources that help reduce costs, increase energy efficiency, and attract tenants. Because of their strong commitments to sustainability, the companies listed below are...

This isn’t good. Two years in a row I’ve gone to visit a college campus with my son. Both times I’ve come back with disasters on my mind. This year it was shooters. The most attention-grabbing part of the orientation program for parents...

Technology-based security measures, such as surveillance cameras, keypads and card-readers, are often enough to deter thieves. Yet such measures are no guarantee against violent behavior, nor can they prevent damage from severe storms. Fortunately, there...

In the 13 years since the US Green Building Council developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, the pursuit of LEED points has become an escalating priority for many facilities managers. Many in the field are already familiar...

Long before there was LEED , long before Energy Star , there was CBECS . The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, as CBECS is formally known, provides a statistical baseline for the energy consumption of U.S. buildings. Never heard of CBECS...

“Free energy” (in the form of sunlight) is right outside the window of every commercial building. The question for building owners and facility managers, however, is whether utilizing that sunlight within the building creates a net gain or...

Here’s a reminder to writers of manufacturer’s product specification sheets: specs are more than a reference – they are a promise. They represent the manufacturer’s assurance that a product will perform as described. An architect...

From door locks to badge readers to security guards, facility managers take many precautions to protect occupants and assets of commercial buildings. Today’s successful manager understands that tenants and employees, as well as furnishings and floorings...