Blogs

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...

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 are several physical enhancements that can be...

I just finished a project where we used fabric ductwork, and I just wanted to share some observations. This was for a chemical storage room that is heated and cooling to maintain a temperature setpoint. They have to use 100% outside air (no recirculation) and they were having temperature control issues...

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...

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...

FREE webcast from Building Operating Management and Maintenance Solutions Magazine Thursday, February 24, 2011 1:00 p.m. Eastern Click below for more information or to register. This is a 100% free, educational session. http://www.facilitiesnet.com/webcasts/bom_ms_022411_hvac/ As organizations search...

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...

AmSan Americas leading supplier of Janitorial and Cleaning Products now offers a Full Line of MRO(Maintenance, Repair and Operations) Supplies. Similar in stature to Grainger, AmSan has a 2,000 page catalog with over 30,000 items at very competitive pricing. Please take a look at AmSan for your next...

The Framework for Improving Building Operating Decisions is a research project being conducted at The University of Reading in partnership with Penn State. The goal of the research is to develop a concise and practical web-based decision support tool to help facility managers and facility management...

In my world, the most important thing I want to know about my buildings is whether the intended amount of ventilation and moisture control is actually being achieved. I'm finding the best way to accomplish this is to use shared-sensor monitoring of both carbon dioxide and dew point at multiple key...

This uses our advanced electrical troubleshooting trainign software to teach one exmaple of electrical troublshooting. The software is used to improve your skill without having to wait for years of experience to be accumalated. It is also used to evaluate employee's skills. If you have difficulaties...

Register at: http://www.facilitiesnet.com/webinar/PHC/ Portable heating and cooling technology has become a versatile tool in the arsenal of maintenance and engineering managers. Whether the technology comprises part of an emergency-preparedness plan or is a key component of a facility's data center...

We have a client who would like to install Prog Thermostats/EMS on many EXISTING HVAC units in large commercial warehouse with adjacent office space - they would like to put Prog Therm on both wrhse and office units. Is such a project eligible for incentives under EPAct? The HVAC Units will NOT be new...

Replace rusty metal air diffusers with duarble ABS plastic diffusers and returns.

It’s very important to label the hard‐working electrical and utility areas in your home, shop, facility or small business for safety. Here are some useful tips.

The rationale for commissioning is pretty straightforward. Invest a modest amount of money to find things wrong with a building, fix those problems, and get the investment paid back in a short period of time. Sounds logical. But top management often sees things differently. The executive viewpoint may...

I would like to introduce myself and my company, Second Earth, and our energy conservation products to Harrah’s. In particular, our GREEN water treatment product for HVAC systems called Bon Aqua which generates significant energy savings, major water conservation (multi-millions of gallons annually...

Justifying an energy efficiency project requires facility executives to walk the fine line between salesmanship and exaggeration, said Richard Lubinski, president of Think Energy Management , at the Facility Decisions conference and exposition in Las Vegas. (For more on his session, click here .) To...

Want to improve your chances of convincing bean counters that investments in energy projects are worthwhile? Stop talking about payback periods and start talking about return on investment, said speakers at the Facility Decisions conference and exposition in Las Vegas. Alan Whitson, president, The Corporate...

This paper introduces the analysis of thermostat activity over time to determine the BTU replacement requirement for HVAC equipment. This analysis allows HVAC equipment to operate for precise delivery of BTU’s dynamically with the heat loss characteristics of an enclosed environment. PRESENT METHODS...