Facilities Management articles for the week of 7/15/2018 - 7/21/2018

Do Energy Models Accurately Predict Energy Performance?

Many facility managers and owners are skeptical of energy modeling because they know of too many buildings that do not perform like the model and fail to return the predicted energy savings. But owners and project teams alike must remember the "GIGO" principle: "garbage in, garbage out." Energy modeling is only as good as the inputs, and, unfortunately, the quality of these inputs varies.

Read This » How the Building Exterior Affects HVAC Energy Efficiency

Energy efficient HVAC systems require a building’s envelope (the walls, windows, and roof) to be designed to constantly reduce overall demand on the system.

Read This » Roof Coatings: Emissivity vs. Reflectivity

Emissivity is a measure of how well the roof surface emits thermal radiation energy — heat.

Read This » Boiler Replacement: The Tipping Point

With all this information for managers to consider, when is it time to replace a boiler? Consider two real-world scenarios. Scenario 1.

Read This » Get Operations Staff Involved Early in Product Selection

Another important tool for effective product selection is to get the operations staff involved early in the process. “They have to be involved because they are the ones that have to maintain it moving forward,” says Tetrault.

Read This » Emergency Communication: Getting the Right Message to the Right People

“May I have your attention, please….

Read This » HVAC: Bottom-Line Benefits of Reducing Energy Waste

At a large children’s hospital I have been monitoring for more than a year, I discovered that a discharge static pressure reset program for two of the hospital’s largest AHUs serving non-pressure-sensitive areas had not been working, presumably for several years, despite the fact that average zone damper positions were typically 45-55 percent open.

Read This » Payback: The ROI on Facility Health and Wellness Strategies

When looking at a company’s overall costs, human capital, not real estate, is the largest expense.

Read This » PGMS: Digging Into Core Competencies

Recognizing that good site management requires a qualified, innovative grounds manager, the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) developed the Certified Grounds Manager (CGM) program to evaluate a manager’s understanding of site materials, needs, costs and problem areas, as well as how to perform their duties promptly and property. After completing an application test covering general grounds management knowledge, the candidate has up to one year to compile extensive documentation in nine core categories.

Read This » Plumbing Upgrades Improve Notre Dame's Bottom-Line

In January 2014, the University of Notre Dame launched a $400 million renovation to Notre Dame Stadium and nearby buildings — the Campus Crossroads project.

Read This » How to Right-Size Your Office Space

Office spaces are changing.

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