Blogs

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 buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council doesn’t...

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

For the past two years, Building Operating Management has sponsored the FMXcellence recognition program for facility departments. FMXcellence aims to do two things. One is to honor FM departments that are adding value to their organizations. The other is to spread the word about successful programs,...

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 biggest sources of sun and water damage for a building...

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 air conditioning system while keeping occupants more...

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 a sampling of those who were invited to exhibit...

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 with the program’s basic structure. LEED...

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? You’re not alone. But that doesn’t mean...

“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 loss from an energy standpoint. After all, more sunlight...

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 or specifying engineer has the right to believe...

Check out my post on some of the politics surrounding President Obama's Better Buildings Initiative to cut energy use in existing buildings.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg School District’s strategic plan is to reduce all utility consumption by 20%, solid waste by 5%, and pollutants by 20% by the year 2014 and to hit those goals on a cost neutral basis. Click here to find out how facility strategies are playing a key role in achieving those...

The Hayes Consolidated Independent School District has held electric consumption flat even as the building square feet jumped 75 percent. Click here to learn what steps Hays took and how the district is reinvesting the money that would have gone to pay for electricity. Click here for management reports...

The Office of Facilities Management (OFM) within the Oklahoma Department of Central Services ramped up its energy efficiency and sustainability efforts in 2008 with the creation of an Energy unit within FM. Since then, FM has gone after everything from low-hanging fruit to LEED Gold certification and...

In 2009, an acquisition doubled the footprint of the PNC Financial Services Group. It was an enormous task to convert signage - 26,000 new signs for roughly 1,640 branches, ATMs, and office/administrative facilities, in 9 states at a cost of more than $50,000,000. Click here to read about how the project...

The facility department at the Western Michigan University has a longstanding commitment to sustainability. That commitment moved to an even higher level beginning in 2008, when the College of Health and Human Services building earned LEED for Existing Buildings Gold certification. Today, Western Michigan...

Give Your Building a Boost with Retro Commissioning that Helps it To Go Maximize its Performance For Your Staff Endurance And Have Lots of Savings to Show "In the area of Energy Efficiency in Buildings, there is a lot of low hanging fruit. In fact, I'm fond of saying there is a lot of fruit...

We have been asked to recommend replacement HVAC equipment for a retail customer's regional distribution center. The current mechanical system seems to be common for that type of facility built in the early 90's, consisting of large gas fired air rotation units. Surprisingly, the only heat for...

The Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools Operations and Maintenance Guide has been developed by Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) and regional stakeholders for use in any existing school facilities, regardless of age. School districts can use this guide to adopt green, healthy...

The Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools (Northeast CHPS) is a set of building and design standards for all schools from pre-K through community colleges. It is a guide for the building of energy efficient, environmentally friendly, healthy school facilities. It has been tailored specifically...