Blogs

Pity the poor politician who has to defend deficit spending these days. After a period in which deficits were gradually brought under control, the last decade has seen the return of enormous budget shortfalls. When critics lambaste deficit spending, the biggest complaint is that we are saddling future...

It certainly wasn’t good news: There was a serious fire in my son’s residence hall, which forced students to evacuate at 4:30 on a Sunday morning. But I can’t consider it bad news that the university emailed parents within hours to let us know what happened. Sending that email was not...

I heard some really good news not too long ago. I was at a presentation for top executives, and the topic was sustainability. One of the speakers started describing tax deductions for energy efficient upgrades in buildings. The takeaway, and I quote: “You can pretty much get a tax deduction for...

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 2012 than by resolving to improve yourself. Still...

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, consider the following thought from a software engineer...

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 occupants, other managers, even top executives...

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...