Category: Green Building

The Benefits and Challenges of Installing EV Charging Stations

With the increased popularity of electric vehicles (EVs), modern mobility is propelling us toward a greener future. EVs have emerged as one of the most promising solutions to combating climate change and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, yet the continued growth of the EV market greatly depends on the development and installation of a […]

Does AI Represent a New Era for Facilities Management?

“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” is an award-winning movie that won several major industry awards last year. In today’s landscape, this movie title fittingly describes the widespread influence of artificial intelligence (AI) across numerous industries and job functions. AI is seemingly everywhere now, with one IEEE global report ranking it as the most critical global […]

U.S. Department of Education Honors Top Green Schools of 2024

The U.S. Department of Education revealed the 2024 Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees. The announcement came as the White House hosted the first-ever Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds. Across the country, 41 schools, 10 districts, three postsecondary institutions, and one early learning center are being […]

3 Springtime Tips for Energy Efficiency in HVAC

As life outside gets greener, spring is also a good reminder of the importance of green practices in facilities. HVAC systems use 40-50% of a commercial building’s energy, translating to high energy usage and significant greenhouse gas emissions. However, this also presents ample opportunity to find efficiencies. Balancing occupant comfort with sustainability is not always […]

New Final Rule Puts Federal Buildings on Path to Net Zero

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it has delivered on Congress’ mandate to cut emissions from new or newly renovated federal buildings through the Clean Energy for New Federal Buildings and Major Renovations of Federal Buildings Rule. By meeting the requirements of the rule, federal buildings will reduce pollution, improve air quality, create good-paying jobs, […]

Top 10 Earth Day Must-Reads for Facilities Managers

Unless Elon Musk stops messing around with Twitter and gets us to Mars, Earth is our only home for the foreseeable future. That means we’ve got to take good care of the planet and conserve its finite natural resources. It’s also why sustainability is a hot topic all year long and why facilities managers are […]

Workplace Trends Report: Majority of Employees Consider Going to the Office a ‘Waste of Time’

Nearly 60% of employees received some form of return-to-office (RTO) mandate in 2023, with the percentage of fully remote employees dropping to 33% last year (from 44% in 2022). Yet, more than half (54%) of employees surveyed in the Appspace 2024 Workplace Experience Trends & Insights Report agree that going to the office “feels like a waste […]

Webinar Watch: FM NOW Sessions on Healthy Buildings

On Wednesday, April 24, join your colleagues and expert panelists for our FM NOW: Healthy Buildings virtual summit! This FREE event will include two back-to-back webinars covering sustainable buildings and top contractor risk management megatrends. Can’t make it to the webinars? No worries! All registrants will also receive a link to on-demand recordings. Opening Keynote […]

Biden Admin Finalizes New Lightbulb Efficiency Standards

On April 12, the Biden administration finalized congressionally mandated energy efficiency standards for the most common residential and commercial lightbulbs. The standards will go into effect in July 2028 for newly produced bulbs. Over 30 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) projects the standards will save Americans more than $27 billion on their utility bills […]

U.S. Government Works to Ban ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Federal Buildings

In a move aimed at better protecting the health of custodial staff, federal employees, and the environment, the Biden administration is directing government contractors to purchase cleaning products for federal buildings that are free of toxic “forever chemicals.” This change is the result of a collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the […]