The Latest

  • Lithium batteries, building backup power supply,
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    kynny via Getty Images
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    Fire risk keeps spotlight on lithium batteries as backup energy source

    Facilities managers must make a risk-benefit calculation if they’re looking at the batteries for on-site energy storage, news developments show.

  • City skyline at night.
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    Yingyai Pumiwatana/Dreamstime.com

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    Sponsored by Simpl Global, Inc.

    9 requirements for modern energy management systems

    Modern energy management systems provide cutting-edge technology at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems.

  • battery backup power, ASCO
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    Алексей Кравчук via Getty Images
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    Using an automatic interconnection switch to manage energy costs

    The device gives facilities managers the ability to move between the grid and an on-site source based on energy use rates, a renewable power specialist says.

  • Aerial view of New York City.
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    william87 via Getty Images
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    NYC building owners still have time to file LL97 extensions

    The city implemented a 60-day grace period for reporting annual energy and water use or for seeking an extension until August. Separately, a lawsuit against the regulation was dismissed.

  • A skyline of New York City
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    TomasSereda via Getty Images
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    NYC power bills going up this summer, ConEd warns

    The increases come amid a national rise in electricity prices and rapidly growing demand. Consolidated Edison has spent about $2.35 billion on its distribution system since last summer.

  • A person wearing orange protective gear peaking out of a plane window in a factory.
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    Stephen Brashear via Getty Images
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    42% of Gen Z workers say they’re turning to blue-collar roles for security

    Regardless of education level, workers said they’re choosing blue-collar work for better long-term prospects, higher pay and a lower risk of being replaced by AI.

  • A2L refrigerant, AIM Act, R-434B, R-32, HVAC systems, Honeywell
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    antpkr via Getty Images
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    R-32 touted as A2L-compliant refrigerant while R-454B shortage persists

    Daikin, Amana and Goodman are among the HVAC manufacturers whose systems are compatible with R-32 refrigerants. 

  • An indoor air quality monitor in a classroom.
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    Suebsiri via Getty Images
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    Indoor air quality even more important in early childhood: Harvard

    IAQ has powerful effects on babies and young children. Research suggests operators of childcare facilities, schools and community centers should place more emphasis on improving indoor environments.

  • A bowl of chili.
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    Courtesy of Kitchenless
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    The new steam technology heating up hotel meals

    Switzerland-based Kitchenless uses steam technology to quickly prepare meals from easily storable frozen packages. Following the successful implementation of its tech in Europe, the company launched in the U.S. this year. 

  • smart HVAC, cybersecurity, R&K Solutions
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    Aree Sarak via Getty Images
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    Smart building controls are key to addressing aging infrastructure, workforce: Trane

    As the U.S. building stock ages and experienced technicians exit the workforce, facility managers must embrace building modernization, according to a report.

  • A photo of a parking lot with a number of EV chargers set up alongside the parking spaces.
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    Courtesy of BP Pulse
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    BP Pulse is bringing EV chargers to Waffle House

    Chosen sites in the Southeast and the Sunbelt will get six electric vehicle charging bays, with the first locations coming online next year.

  • The Washington state capitol building.
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    halbergman via Getty Images
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    Building sector needs all hands on deck to meet Washington’s 2050 emissions goal: reports

    To substantially decarbonize buildings by 2050, building owners must swap virtually all end-of-life fossil fuel appliances for zero-emissions alternatives after 2030, the Clean Energy Transition Institute and 2050 Institute said.

  • Employees eating together and talking in an office workplace cafeteria.
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    skynesher via Getty Images
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    ‘Everywhere is a workplace’: JLL leaders say office operators need to adapt

    Commercial real estate operators should create dynamic environments to draw workers back to the office, the company says.

  • ESCOs, energy service performance contracts
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    RealPeopleGroup via Getty Images
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    Energy service performance contracts aren’t just for public facilities

    Private facilities can use them, too, if the property doesn’t have tenants or if the owner is responsible for energy use, says an advocate for energy service companies.

  • Black rubber being mixed at a factory.
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    pamirc via Getty Images
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    Denka cites emissions compliance costs for closing production facilities

    The cost of keeping the LaPlace site emissions-compliant led to an “extraordinary loss” of 16.1 billion yen for the Japan-based manufacturer.

  • skilled trades labor shortage
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    simonkr via Getty Images
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    Among those in skilled trades, high hopes for a renewed focus on apprenticeships

    A push by the Trump administration to put more money into hands-on training is seen as a good start to addressing a longstanding, bipartisan concern: the persistent labor shortage in skilled trades. 

  • An engineer checking a maintenance pipe system for ventilation and air conditioning on the rooftop of a building.
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    Amorn Suriyan via Getty Images
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    Energy savings start with benchmarking, team-led audits, expert says

    By educating staff on how small changes and regular maintenance to systems can impact energy, facility teams can improve efficiency without costly upgrades, according to a sustainability director at ESFM.

    Updated May 22, 2025
  • A man exits the front of the U.S. Capitol at dawn.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Republican budget squeezes out of House committee, but deeper IRA cuts could come

    Deficit hawks voted to advance the legislation for now but said they negotiated for more cuts to clean energy incentives.

  • A mockup of Kinexio's AI-powered data insights platform.
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    Retrieved from Kinexio on May 20, 2025
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    Multi-site property management tools come to market

    Ecotrak launched a computerized maintenance management system for small businesses at $25 per month per location, while Mallcomm rebranded as Kinexio in the U.S. and launched an AI-driven platform.

  • UVC
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    Courtesy of Lit Thinking
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    Company touts new generation of UVC light to kill pathogens in occupied rooms

    By using light on a shorter wavelength, the ultraviolet C bulbs can eliminate pathogens without penetrating skin and eyes, says Lit Thinking CEO John Rajchert.  

  • premises liability, casualty insurance, marsh mclennan agency
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    Designer491 via Getty Images
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    Big verdicts in premises liability cases put spotlight on facilities managers

    Verdicts in the tens of millions of dollars are increasingly common in cases involving organizations’ physical spaces, and the trend is likely to persist, a risk manager says.

  • A street in New York City with pedestrians crossing.
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    Bim via Getty Images
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    NYC leads return-to-office as hybrid work increases: Trial Balance

    Placer.ai’s April 2025 Office Index shows continued recovery in office foot traffic, with New York City leading the rebound.

  • Penn State University proposes closing 7 commonwealth campuses

    To continue operating, the campuses would require $200 million investment in facilities — "resources that could be redirected to enhance and strengthen the campuses that remain," a report says. 

  • The U.S. General Services Administrations' building.
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    Douglas Rissing via Getty Images
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    Archibus FedRAMP designation underscores new occupancy tracking focus of federal agencies

    The fast-tracked authorization of this and another workplace management tool suggests the federal government is serious about matching its real estate to its needs.  

    Updated May 20, 2025
  • Four people sit on a small stage in front of a banner with the "Waste 360 - Waste Expo" logo and the words "Food Recovery Forum"
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    Jacob Wallace/Facilities Dive
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    How states are thinking about organic waste policy

    Facilities could be subject to bills in dozens of state legislatures that are trying to reduce the environmental impact of food waste.  

  • solar panel inverters, 'rogue' communication devices, Chinese government
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    romaset via Getty Images
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    ‘Rogue’ communication devices found on Chinese-made power inverters

    The issue could be important to facilities managers if they oversee on-site solar arrays or battery storage systems, with Chinese-made inverters on them, to provide energy resilience or to send supplemental power to the grid to reduce costs.