Close up of elderly person with walking zimmer

Better design means fewer falls

September 20, 2017

According to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury or death among people 65 and older. According to the American Geriatric Society, most falls for this population occur in hospitals and nursing homes, …

Categorized: Buildings

Interior of walkways and skylight in modern office building

Daylighting can save you 33%

August 9, 2017

Daylighting is the practice of allowing a controlled amount of natural light into a building to reduce electric lighting costs. A daylighting system includes skylights and windows along with a daylight-responsive lighting control system. Such a system can reduce energy …

Categorized: Buildings

Close-up of a fire alarm.

Categorized: Buildings

Blue metal roof on an industrial building.

Green Retrofitting, Part Two: Cool Metal Roofing

July 12, 2017

This is part two in an ongoing series that will explore ways in which facilities can affordably retrofit to recoup energy costs and help the environment. This month we are focusing on cool metal roofing.   Metal roofs have been …

Categorized: Buildings

Futuristic office building

Green Retrofitting, Part One: Window Film

June 28, 2017

Get ready to have your mind blown. According to a study by the Electric Power Research Institute, energy-related expenditures costs companies $800 billion annually in the US. And what’s more, nearly 42% of heating and cooling energy is wasted. The …

Categorized: Buildings

Directly Below Shot Of glass Skylight in a modern building.

The energy and LEED benefits of reflective roof coatings

April 19, 2017

A facility in coastal Texas had a major problem. The roof of its 1,000,000 square foot facility had multiple, persistent leaks caused by high heat, humidity, UV degradation, and tropical storm damage. The leaks were so bad they caused work …

Categorized: Buildings

Graphic designer using digital tablet and computer in office or home

Got BIM?

February 22, 2017

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is quickly becoming the norm for constructing buildings. But is it something you need for your existing facility? According to the National BIM Standard-United States, BIM “is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of …

Categorized: Buildings

roofing1

Now’s the time to inspect your roof

October 6, 2016

This summer was one of the hottest on record, and thanks to heat that baked the southwest and storms that ravaged the east many facility roofs in this country took a beating. Now that temperatures are cooling down, this is a …

Categorized: Buildings

Managing/Embracing Change at Your Facility by Example

Managing/Embracing Change at Your Facility by Example

January 26, 2015

Change is not merely necessary to life… It is life. Alvin Toffler Growing a capable team of leaders is vitally important to the success of any facilities manager who can’t be everywhere 24/7. Successfully honing the skills described in a …

Categorized: Buildings

Are You Taking Advantage of ASHRAE's Free Services?

Are You Taking Advantage of ASHRAE’s Free Services?

January 20, 2015

From time to time in this space, we share some of the latest in free tools, from Building Industry Reporting and Design for Sustainability (BIRDS) to Smart Grid technology and the Building Energy Quotient (bEQ) program, in hopes of making …

Categorized: Buildings