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: Energy Efficiency

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: Energy Efficiency

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: Energy Efficiency

What is your score ?

Quantify your facility’s energy efficiency

January 18, 2017

The Department of Energy (DOE) has a wealth of resources on its website for facility managers to improve their energy efficiency. One of the best tools available is the Commercial Building Energy Asset Score, which is a voluntary national scoring …

Categorized: Energy Efficiency

Does Your Facility Need a Deep Energy Retrofit?

Does Your Facility Need a Deep Energy Retrofit?

January 15, 2016

True energy savings is a complicated process. Thanks to the New Buildings Institute’s free tool, you can save it in negawatts to justify the savings involved with an energy retrofit. To make their tool work for you, feeding it specific, …

Categorized: Energy Efficiency

CHP Systems Provide Resilience, Savings

CHP Systems Provide Resilience, Savings

December 14, 2015

The essence of any facility’s energy master plans must go beyond fixing and replacing broken systems one plug load at a time, and focus on what’s best and most economical for the future of your infrastructure. With weather becoming less …

Categorized: Energy Efficiency

Keep Parking Lots Secure and Well Lighted

Keep Parking Lots Secure and Well Lighted

October 28, 2015

An important part of a facility’s integrated security measures — parking lot lighting — doesn’t get discussed as much as it should be. Nevertheless, it deserves a facilities manager’s attention on three fronts: Security, energy savings and uniformity (more consistency …

Categorized: Energy Efficiency

Your Facility Needs an Energy Master Plan

Your Facility Needs an Energy Master Plan

August 20, 2015

So, you’ve taken important steps to protect your facility’s connection to electricity by installing an emergency power source, a very sensible choice in light of extreme weather events that can happen anytime over the course of a year. However, an …

Categorized: Energy Efficiency

Save Negawatts With NBI's Retrofit Savings Estimator

Save Negawatts With NBI’s Retrofit Savings Estimator

June 12, 2015

A megawatt is a unit of power equal to 1 million watts, and, as a facilities manager, you’re constantly working on reducing them. However, you may not be aware of the negawatt, a term created by physicist Amory Lovins in …

Categorized: Energy Efficiency

Could LEED Be an Energy-Saving Solution For Your Facility

Could LEED Be an Energy-Saving Solution For Your Facility?

April 21, 2015

With the return on investment for energy efficiency spurring a “go green” movement, tools like Smart Grid technology and BIRDS have become vitally important for facilities managers always looking to trim costs and improve efficiencies. If the goal is improving …

Categorized: Energy Efficiency