Energy efficiency is reducing Northeast peak demand, electricity bills: Acadia

New England states are projected to avoid 368 TBtu of lifetime energy use, and this projected total rises to 703 TBtu with the inclusion of New York State, the clean energy nonprofit says. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 8, 2025

Sustainable, healthy design choices should be visible: JLL

Occupants value tangible initiatives, so facility managers should consider features that building occupants can interact with, survey responses show.  

By Joe Burns • Oct. 7, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Schools on front lines of facilities management innovation

As research mounts on the importance of a school’s physical infrastructure to the performance and well-being of its students, administarors, parents and the community expect facility managers to make the best use of often-limited resources.  

By Facilities Dive staff

Facilities managers discover how the ‘circular economy’ offers them money-saving opportunities

‘Cooling-as-a-service’ and ‘workplace-as-a-service’ are among the models building operators are using to let their organizations hold onto their capital while polishing their sustainability credentials, specialists said at IFMA World Workplace 2025.

By Brian Martucci • Oct. 2, 2025

Facilities management conferences of note in 2026

Next year’s facilities management conferences will cover best practices for managing building systems, leveraging technology, recruiting and retaining talent and navigating market conditions. 

By Joe Burns • Sept. 30, 2025

With deal, Budderfly looks for EaaS growth in manufacturing sector

The energy-as-a-service model can help manufacturers improve their resiliency while lowering their costs and reducing their emissions, CEO Al Subbloie says. 

By Joe Burns • Sept. 30, 2025

Owner-tenant green retrofit investment boosts value: JLL

Tenants want prime space that meets their sustainability targets. That’s driving deals that include energy-focused lease clauses, the firm says.

By Joe Burns • Sept. 25, 2025

How FMs can more accurately report ESG-friendly furniture decommissions

EPA’s waste reduction model understates emissions reductions from furniture reuse. To show a more meaningful value, facility managers should request lifecycle assessments from suppliers.

By Dale Ewing • Sept. 18, 2025

Plan for lower water temperatures when replacing traditional HVAC systems with heat pumps

Fossil fuel-based systems supply water at higher temperatures than heat pumps. Operators that want to electrify their systems must look at coil sizes, piping and other elements, specialists say.

By Joe Burns • Sept. 16, 2025

AI can aid building energy retrofit decisions, but faces limitations: study

Large language models can deliver results in technical optimization tasks but struggle with payback optimization, researchers at Michigan State University say.

By Joe Burns • Sept. 15, 2025

Energy prices are soaring. Better buildings can help.

Cutting off clean energy sources while demand for AI skyrockets will spike energy prices. Energy efficiency is a solution for reducing grid loads while reducing the need for expensive infrastructure investment.

By Alex Dews • Sept. 12, 2025

University of Illinois Chicago tackles deferred maintenance at no upfront cost

An energy performance contract with Ameresco showed the institution how it can capture energy savings from mechanical system upgrades to cover costs over time. The savings make it possible to do upgrades faster, a facility engineer says.

By Joe Burns • Sept. 10, 2025

Desiccant-based storage system nearly halves cooling bills in trials

A technology developed and tested by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory could reduce peak air conditioning power demand by 90%.

By Joe Burns • Sept. 8, 2025

Energy savings contracts, backed by data, enable smarter facility upgrades

As electricity costs rise and federal incentives drop, building operators are tapping the contracts to improve efficiency and boost resilience.

By Joe Burns • Sept. 2, 2025

How facilities managers can lead on sustainability

Most FMs want to make the efficient use of resources part of their operations, but building owners aren’t always aligned with them, surveys show.

By Ramona Dzinkowski • Aug. 27, 2025

Heat pump adoption expected to grow despite federal shift

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act accelerates a move toward affordability, ease of installation and retrofit readiness, according to one manufacturer.

By Joe Burns • Aug. 14, 2025

Congressional appropriators move to maintain Energy Star funding

The likelihood of the program going away eases as lawmakers on the House and Senate committees that allocate funds direct the administration to fund it.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 6, 2025

Axiom Cloud earns patent for AI leak-detection technology

The software can help retail grocery and cold storage operators meet federal and state requirements without the need for sensors or additional hardware, the company says.

By Joe Burns • July 22, 2025

Building operators rapidly adopt streamlined green, health building pathways

The payoff is substantial, especially when stakeholders align on building sustainability, health and operational goals, supporters say.

By Joe Burns • July 15, 2025

Oregon legislature passes first-in-nation microgrid framework

Gov. Tina Kotek, D, is expected to sign the bills that advocates say would protect buildings and other critical infrastructure against increasingly frequent power disruptions.

By Brian Martucci • July 10, 2025

Chicago-area school district deploys geothermal system that’s a US first

The dynamic closed-loop system uses groundwater to reject and absorb heat to provide year-round space conditioning for a 130-year-old elementary school, Trane Technologies says.

By Brian Martucci • July 9, 2025

The often-overlooked shelter from the storm: green buildings

In the 2008-09 economic downturn, green buildings were a bright spot. They could be again as remote work, tariffs and inflation hang over the economy.

By Mahesh Ramanujam • July 8, 2025

Loss of 179D deduction could derail office conversions

Although the deduction is about making commercial buildings energy efficient, it’s been key to owners’ willingness to invest in obsolete and financially distressed properties, supporters say.

By Robert Freedman • July 7, 2025

Why peak power management is important

Must be an integral part of building automation systems.

By Farid Dibachi • July 7, 2025

Groups decry Senate’s elimination of building efficiency deduction

The Section 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deduction has grown into a major incentive for owners to retrofit their properties, supporters say.  

By Robert Freedman • July 2, 2025

The Energy Star program has grown into an industry standard-setter

The program’s Portfolio Manager software is used to track the energy use of almost 25% of commercial buildings. Its end could put owners, cities and states in a bind — at least for the short term.

By Joe Burns • July 2, 2025