Facilities Management articles for the week of 6/3/2018 - 6/9/2018

Leadership, Listening Lead to Sustainability Gains at Large REIT

Sara Neff has the uncommon ability to remain utterly sober on what sustainability initiatives require while still being really excited to pursue the possibilities.

Read This » LED Upgrades That Succeed

While LED technology is rapidly changing the lighting industry, fluorescent lighting is still the most common lighting source in institutional and commercial buildings.

Read This » Mowers Evolve To Meet User Demands

Mowers remain the workhorses of grounds care in many institutional and commercial facilities.

Read This » How to Take Specific Steps to Slash Energy Costs

With energy saving technologies in place, it’s time to look at advancing on what is already happening to slash energy in the building.

Read This » 7 Strategies for Sustainability in Higher Educational Buildings

In the last decade or so, green building has grown exponentially, and facility managers have a variety of sustainable options to meet their needs and align with their core values.

Read This » Energy Waste: The Benefits of Retrocommissioning

Maintenance and engineering managers can address the common culprits in HVAC energy losses, but they also must be on the lookout for additional problems.

Read This » Understanding New-Generation Paints and Coatings

New-generation paints and coatings can only deliver the desired performance if managers and workers understand the type and condition of substrates being coated and select the most appropriate product for the application. One-coat products work best: on painted metal in good condition; on non-glossy painted surfaces; when spot priming over patches; on unpainted new drywall; on painted windows, doors, cabinets, and trim; and when changing color on paint in good condition. On new wood surfaces, workers should use a latex or oil-based primer.

Read This » New Energy Star Scores Are Coming

Ever since new market data on building energy performance became available in 2016, staff at the U.S.

Read This » Internet of Things Can Help Save Energy When It's Most Expensive

Call it load shedding, emergency curtailment, or just good old fashioned demand-response — whatever the term, in the past, it would work like this: A utility realizes it’s nearing its generation capacity, so it puts out a call (or an email) to its big customers who have signed up for demand-response.

Read This » Ensuring Damper Performance

Dampers are crucial to prevent the spread of fire and smoke in institutional and commercial facilities, so it is critical that they are designed, installed, and maintained according to applicable building, fire, and life safety codes. The challenge for maintenance and engineering managers is to understand the gamut of issues related to damper installation and performance, including inspection, testing, and maintenance.

Read This »