The First Facility Management Blog

Some folks really enjoy decorating for the holidays, even to the point where they turn their office or cubicle into a festive space at every opportunity. In honor of Halloween, Kleargear offers “gruesome desk toys and décor” along with “fun decorating ideas, decorations, and candy.” And The Office Master offers tips on how to convert old Mac computers into “Mac-O-Lanterns” with this link.

As a morale and teamwork building exercise, Halloween at the office efforts can be a great management tool. While a pumpkin carving contest probably isn’t a traditional team building technique in the workplace, check out these incredibly creative examples.

The odor in a room is enough to elicit a stronger impulse towards fairness, claim researchers from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. They believe their research proves there is a correlation between hygiene and decency and that by improving our environment we can improve our behavior. The research found an increase in ethical behavior when the scent of a fruit scented cleaner fills a room.

Professor Adam Galinsky, the psychologist who conducted the study, said it shows “morality and cleanliness” are inextricably linked. “Researchers have known for years that scents play an active role in reviving positive or negative experiences. Now, our research can offer more insight into the links between people’s charitable actions and their surroundings.”

Katie Liljenquist, assistant professor of organizational leadership at Brigham Young University Marriott School of Management said: “This is a very simple, unobtrusive way to promote ethical behavior. The data tells us a compelling story about how much we rely upon cleanliness cues to make a wide range of judgments about others.”

The researchers see implications for workplaces, retail stores, and other organizations that have relied on traditional surveillance and security measures to enforce rules.

“Companies often employ heavy handed interventions to regulate conduct, but they can be costly or oppressive,” said Liljenquist. “This is a very simple, unobtrusive way to promote ethical behavior.”

Cleaning The Way To Virtuous Occupants

The study, titled “The Smell of Virtue,” made subjects carry out several tasks, with some asked to work in unscented rooms, while others worked in rooms freshly sprayed with lemon scented cleaner.

The first experiment evaluated fairness. Participants were given $12 and were asked to decide how much of it to keep and how much to return to their partners who had trusted them to divide it fairly. Subjects in clean scented rooms were less likely to exploit the trust of their partners, returning a significantly higher share of the cash.

The average amount of cash given back by the people in the “normal” room was $2.81. But the people in the clean scented room gave back an average of $5.33.

The second experiment evaluated whether clean scents would encourage charitable behavior. Subjects indicated their interest in volunteering and their interest in donating funds to a charitable cause.
Participants surveyed in the clean-smelling room were significantly more interested in volunteering (4.2 on a 7 point scale) than those in a normal room (3.3).  Meanwhile, 22% of participants in the clean-smelling room said they’d like to donate money, compared to only 6% of those in a normal room.

Follow up questions revealed that participants did not notice the aroma in the room and that their mood at the time of the experiment did not affect the outcomes.

Commenting on the study’s findings, Steve Wright, Chairman of the British Cleaning Council, said: “We all know that cleanliness is key to encouraging a sense of pride in local areas, but this is the first time a link has been proved between people’s behavior and their surroundings. I hope this encourages more people to get involved with efforts to make to make their area cleaner and greener, and the cleaning industry welcomes the opportunity to work with local councils and government as we strive to create a cleaner environment.”

David J. Brady, president and CEO of the International Facility Management Association and IFMA Foundation trustee, has been awarded Honorary Membership in the Facility Management Association of Australia.

The award was presented by FMA Australia’s CEO David Duncan at the World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. The honor was bestowed following a special resolution by the FMA Australia board of directors to recognize Brady as a person of distinction who has made significant contributions to the facility management profession worldwide.

Pictured: Robin Brady; David Duncan, CEO of FMA Australia; and David J. Brady, IFMA president and CEO, stand together as David Brady is honored with Honorary Membership in FMA Australia.

Brady joins John McCarthy, AO, who was awarded Honorary Membership in FMA Australia in 2006 for service to the industry as chairman of the Australian government’s FM Action Agenda initiative. As an Honorary Member, Brady will be recognized on the FMA Australia Web site “honour roll” and have the right to attend and be heard at any general meeting of the association.

“Dave is a worthy recipient of this rare and prestigious honor,” said Andrew McEwan, chairman of FMA Australia. “He has been a great friend to FMA Australia, having been involved in every partnership initiative since 2003 and earlier this year in our adoption of the CFM® and FMP® designations. We warmly welcome Dave as our newest FMA Australia member.”

Apart from achieving Honorary Membership in FMA Australia, Brady is held in high regard by IFMA and the IFMA Foundation alike.

“I am elated to learn Dave has been bestowed Honorary Membership by FMA Australia; he has been a tireless ambassador for the cause of magnifying the importance of the facility management profession worldwide,” said Thomas L. Mitchell Jr., CFM, CFMJ, chairman of the IFMA board of directors. “FMA Australia and IFMA enjoy a positive and long-standing relationship because of Dave’s desire to collaboratively work toward achieving mutually beneficial objectives. His selection to receive this award is reflective of the respect our Australian partners have for the work he’s done to help ensure FMA Australia is the preeminent voice of facility management in Australia.”

“I can’t think of a finer tribute to Dave than being bestowed this award by FMA Australia,” said IFMA Foundation Chair Pat Turnbull. “Over the years, Dave has provided extraordinary leadership in advancing facility management and contributing to a more productive, sustainable built environment. He has been a champion of education and research, with the understanding that a global perspective and collaboration are essential to making our industry and our ability to make a difference stronger.”

For more information about FMA Australia, visit www.fma.com.au.

ASHRAE has always prided itself on providing the gold standard in research, standards writing, publishing, and continuing education. However, when it came to energy efficiency and sustainability, gold just wasn’t good enough. That’s why the ASHRAE Headquarters has gone a step further and has been awarded a LEED Platinum Certification in the New Construction 2.2 rating system.

The Society’s office building in Atlanta, GA, which underwent a major renovation in 2008, is one of only six buildings in the state of Georgia to receive a LEED Platinum rating, the highest certification the program offers. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a program of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit which seeks to promote green building practices.

“While our first objective was to provide a healthy, comfortable, and productive environment for our staff, we also wanted to set an example of what can be done to renovate existing buildings,” ASHRAE President Gordon Holness said. “Given that 75% to 80% of all existing buildings will still be around in 2030, our greatest opportunity for a sustainable future is through the upgrade and retrofit of these buildings. It is extremely gratifying to achieve the USGBC’s highest rating and confirm ASHRAE’s leadership and commitment to supporting a sustainable built environment.”

LEED takes into account five key measurements when evaluating new construction: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. Bonus points may be obtained through innovation in design and regional priority.

In order to qualify for the highly sought-after Platinum certification, ASHRAE took into consideration a number of concerns such as energy use, heat island reduction, water efficient landscaping, material reuse and water use reduction, to name just few.

ASHRAE addressed these issues, among others, by installing a cool, white reflective roof membrane to minimize heat island effects; updating the landscaping and eliminating the need for landscaping irrigation; retaining more than 75% of the existing building structure as part of this renovation; and reducing its estimated overall annual water consumption per year by almost 50% by using low-flow fixtures throughout building. Additionally, the ASHRAE headquarters received bonus points for innovation and design.

As a leader in energy efficient technology, ASHRAE viewed its headquarters renovation as the perfect way to “walk the talk.” The 34,500 square foot office building, built originally in 1965, now acts as a showcase of energy efficiency and sustainability through its living lab—which provides recourses on building, system and equipment performance—and learning center.

The LEED Platinum Certification acts as third-party verification of ASHRAE’s efforts to create an environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, sustainable workplace.

Borrego Solar Systems, Inc., a designer and installer of grid tied solar electric power systems, recently introduced a financing option for schools, companies, and government organizations that want to begin using solar energy to power their facilities. Borrego’s power purchase agreement (PPA) program provides organizations an avenue through which to finance a solar project without having to assume the up-front costs of the project or work with a third-party financier.

Veritable Vegetable, a distributor of certified organic produce, installed a 106-kW solar electric system on its refrigerated warehouse in San Francisco.

With $30 million backing from a PPA fund launched by Walsin Lihwa, a current investor, Borrego is positioned to develop and finance more than $100 million solar projects over the next 12 months. PPAs are programs by which a third-party company (in this case, Borrego) pays for the installation of the solar system, and then “sells” the power back to the customer. For organizations that want to incorporate solar energy but can’t secure funding from internal budgets or a bank, a PPA can offer a solution. Through its PPA service, Borrego is now offering financing in addition to its established design, engineering, and procurement services..

Based in San Diego, CA, with a New England headquarters in Lowell, MA, Borrego Solar offers its services in California, New England, New Jersey and New York.

“We continue to see significant demand for grid tied solar systems, but a common concern for many customers is the lack of financing available to design, install and maintain the system,” said Mike Hall, CEO of Borrego Solar. “And though the PPA is not a new concept, some customers don’t want the hassle of finding a third-party financing option or the restriction of having to deploy the technology chosen by the PPA provider. By choosing a Borrego PPA, customers deal with one company for system financing, design, construction, operation, and maintenance. As a result of this program Borrego is now able to offer our customers a ‘one stop shop’ for all solar energy services—all without the technology lock-in of other programs.”

Jeffrey A. Horn, president and CEO of BOMI (Building Owners and Managers Institute) International, has announced that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has approved BOMI’s Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Building Systems, Part II (Design II) course. This is the third BOMI class that USGBC has approved in the past two months.

As an approved USGBC Education Provider, BOMI is a third-party organization that offers peer-reviewed classes accepted by USGBC for its credentialing maintenance requirements. Design II underwent a rigorous review process in which a team of subject matter experts evaluated the course based on its content and instructional design quality.

Horn says the USGBC’s approval “reinforces BOMI’s consistent emphasis on providing property and facility managers with critical technical expertise in energy management and sustainability. We were teaching ‘green’ long before the subject became popular.” He attributes BOMI’s foresight to its 40 year history of developing property and facility management courses. “We trace our origins to the energy crisis of the 1970s and the birth of the environmental movement.”

The other BOMI courses that have received USGBC approval are The Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Building Systems, Part I, and Energy Management and Controls.

Design II provides information that property and facility managers need in order to make management decisions about various building systems and sites. Making these decisions correctly will increase occupant safety and comfort while facilitating building efficiency to meet the business goals of an organization.

Design II helps students understand electrical systems and lighting, elevator maintenance and modernization, and pest and solid waste management. Other areas of interest covered in this course include security issues, fire and safety systems, and energy management concerns. Students learn how to analyze and manage building systems, maintain property in top condition, both inside and out, and maintain a secure, safe building.

Because of USGBC’s status as an approved Education Reviewing Body (ERB) for the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), all approved courses—including those from BOMI—will be assigned GBCI Continuing Education (CE) hours, which will help Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Professionals satisfy their credentialing maintenance requirements.

GBCI launched the LEED Professional Credentialing Maintenance Program (CMP) on August 3, 2009. The program requires LEED Professionals to maintain their credentials by staying current and relevant in a constantly transitioning marketplace. Currently, there are over 130,000 LEED Credentialed Professionals in the United States.

Ghostly spirits make themselves as comfortable in America’s B&Bs as living guests do, and not just in the dead of night. In a recent BedandBreakfast.com survey, innkeepers reported that nearly 20% (about 3,600) inns in the U.S. may be haunted. Similarly, a current BedandBreakfast.com consumer survey showed that 20% of travelers seek a haunted inn for Halloween, so those who seek experiences with the world beyond can rest assured that they’ll have a good chance of sleeping with a ghost.

A sampling of B&B ghost stories…

Gate House Inn, Jackson, CA: A “Garden Ghost” appeared soon after overgrowth around the mansion was cleared away for new gardens. Although no paranormal activity has been reported inside, the surrounding land has a ghostly presence.

Kehoe House B&B, Savannah, GA: This B&B is reputed to be haunted by the ghosts of twin Kehoe children who may have died while playing in one of the house’s fireplaces (now blocked up). Many sightings of the ghosts and the night-time sounds of children laughing and playing are detailed on the inn’s website.

Old Bridge Inn, Jeffersonville, IN: Guests have seen floating objects, canes picked up and twirled around, tea cups floating across the room, and candles being raised up then down on their own. A small dog named Buttons has also been seen.

Deerfield Inn, Deerfield, MA

Deerfield Inn, Deerfield, MA (at right): Flashing lights, knocks on doors when no one is there, moving books, and tables moved into the middle of the room are regular occurrences, especially in rooms 48, 43 and 41. The ghost is believed to be the original owner of the house, Cora Carlisle, still hanging around as the inn celebrates 125 years of history.

Coach Stop Inn, Bar Harbor, ME: This former tavern is home to Abbe, a spirited little girl who loves music. Strange noises, flickering lights and fleeting reflections may either be Abbe singing or additional spirits.

Bingham Hall B&B, New Ulm, MN (below): A man named Jake has been seen by innkeepers standing in the doorway, never going in or out. Additionally, guests feel a presence of someone watching, say the doors open by themselves, and hear noises.

Bingham Hall B&B, New Ulm, MN

Ghost Rails Inn, Alberton, MT: The railroading days live on in the form of a phantom brakeman, still awaiting his call upstairs in the old hotel, according to the tales of those who’ve seen him.

Carambola Inn B&B, Fuquay-Varina, NC: Both the distinctive scent of perfume plus a report of a friendly woman seen hovering about five inches off the ground indicate that former residents still linger on.

Mary-Penn B&B, Gettysburg, PA: A paranormal group recorded horse noises and voices in their basement, and from time to time guests claim to experience friendly spirits.

By The Side Of The Road Bed and Breakfast, Harrisonburg, VA: When the innkeeper went to turn off the basement light, an unseen presence grabbed her hand. Footsteps are mysteriously heard in hallways, and doors open and close on their own.

Have A Happy Halloween!

(B&B photos courtesy of BedandBreakfast.com)

Facility Engineering Associates (FEA), in partnership with the IFMA Foundation, has released the first of the Sustainability “How-To Guide” Series. Chris Hodges, principal of FEA and an active member of IFMA, has authored this first guide, entitled Getting Started.

The Getting Started guide was created to assist facility managers with a step-by-step process for assessing an organization; finding a starting point; identifying initiatives; evaluating their value; and implementing, measuring, and monitoring their effectiveness. With more than 30 years of experience in engineering and facility management, Hodges has served on the IFMA board of directors, as chapter president of the IFMA Capital Chapter, and in many other roles within IFMA, giving him the necessary experience and expertise to provide beginners with the essential tools they need to get started with sustainability.

“In IFMA’s quest to equip and enable facility management professionals through education, this guide will clarify and lead them through what can be a very complex issue,” said Teena Shouse, senior facility management consultant at FEA and a past IFMA chair. “Now, when someone asks you ‘How do I get started?’ you can refer them to this informative and well designed guide to sustainability.”

“This is the first of the Sustainability ‘How-To’ Guide Series to be published by the foundation, and we’re very excited to see its release and know it will be a success,” said Will Rub, executive director of the IFMA Foundation. “Hodges’ Getting Started guide provides the perfect approach to start out this important series on sustainability.”

There will be a minimum of four additional guides hosted on the Foundation’s Web site, with another eight scheduled for completion in 2010.

E-Mon, LLC, manufacturer of the electric submetering E-Mon D-Mon® product line, has announced the availability of a new LonWorks communication option (specify Option LTP) for converting electrical submeter data into the LonWorks communications format for building automation systems (BAS) and equipment control applications, including lighting, security, and HVAC systems.

Now, any E-Mon D-Mon Class 3000 Advanced, Class 5000 meter, or Interval Data Recorder (IDR) equipped with Option LTP can communicate up to 40 meter data parameters to any BAS employing the LonWorks protocol. Like E-Mon’s other communication options, the LonWorks version provides similar electrical measurements, including:

• Energy and reactive energy, delivered and received (kWh);
• Real power (kW), total and by phase;
• Reactive (kVAR) and apparent (kVA) power, total and by phase;
• Power factor (percent), total and by phase; and
• Current (A), voltage (V) and phase angle (degrees) by phase.

“This communication option greatly extends E-Mon’s reach into the Building Automation and Controls market by increasing the granularity of electrical measurements that can talk to BAS via twisted pair, power line carrier, wireless and other LonWorks-compatible media,” said Don Millstein, president and CEO of E-Mon. “With the addition of the LonWorks option, E-Mon’s complete line of communication options opens the door to deploying submeters in more than 80 percent of new and installed BAS control applications, including those using Modbus RTU and BACnet MS/TP and Ethernet-based protocols like Modbus TCP and BACnet IP.”

The LonWorks communication option is currently available for the following E-Mon D-Mon submetering equipment: Class 3000 Advanced; Class 5000; and Interval Data Recorder (IDR).

To promote cleaning products that are both green and effective, the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) have launched a program to test and validate high performance products. The fee-based program will test soil removal efficacy of hard surface cleaning products—both those certified as green by third party organizations such as Green Seal, EcoLogo, and EcoForm, as well as products with green attributes—and recognize products that perform well in standard and customized cleaning tests.

“While it is accepted that lower toxicity, environmentally preferable, or green cleaning products are better for human health and global ecosystems, the question remains: Do such products clean well when compared to conventional or even other green products?” asks Beth Risinger, CEO and executive director of IEHA.

Products accepted into the program will be tested using a variety of scientific methods and devices producing a detailed analysis of product performance. Manufacturers can use this information to improve their formulations as well as promote their products.

“For institutions and consumers, the value we provide is unbiased performance testing to enable product selection based on objective data rather than on anecdotal information,” says Jason Marshall, laboratory director of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell. “For vendors, products that are effective cleaners will have a clear scientific basis for associated marketing claims.”

Manufacturers of cleaning products that qualify after testing will be entitled to display the IEHA “High Performance Cleaning Product” designation and logo.

“The logo will mainly serve as a way for purchasers to determine at a glance those products that clean well, but it also may be used by manufacturers for marketing purposes with certain restrictions,” says Risinger. “This is really about performance, not marketing, but products that are validated in this program have a powerful marketing tool at their disposal.”

In response to interest in the IEHA High Performance Cleaning Product (HPCP) Testing program associated with TURI, the following Q&A is provided.

Q: With so many certifications and recognition programs in existence, why does the cleaning industry need another?
A: While there are several green and other certification and recognition programs, there are none that focus solely on performance of hard surface cleaning products. Green Seal, EcoLogo and others have wisely included product efficacy requirements as part of the certification process, but it is our belief that these requirements do not go quite far enough nor do they encourage manufacturers to strive for optimal performance in a wide variety of specific applications.

Q: Is the IEHA High Performance Cleaning Product designation a certification?
A: No—it is merely a recognition program to acknowledge and encourage high-performance products—ideally those certified or recognized by Green Seal, EcoLogo, EcoForm, DfE, and other reputable organizations.

Q: Is the IEHA High Performance Cleaning Product (HPCP) program based on—or designed to produce—a standard?
A: No, the program is designed to encourage continuous improvement, rather than set a rigid standard.

Q: How will the HPCP program foster continuous improvement?
A: Products will be designated as “high performance” only in the specific areas where they perform in a superior manner. For example, a product that is an exceptional glass cleaner will receive a letter code such as “GC” that will accompany the HPCP logo. If it performs well as an all purpose cleaner/light duty, it may receive an “APL” designation. There will also be application specific criteria and recognition codes (e.g., White Board cleaning or “WB”). We believe this will provide manufacturers with incentive to continue to improve products and earn additional designations.

Q: Why does HPCP focus on a single attribute performance?
A: We believe specializing enables developing a high degree of proficiency in the area of specialization—namely product performance.

Q: What test methods are used?
A: Test methods are based on, but not limited to: ASTM G122, ASTM D3556, ASTM D4488 (A5), ASTM D5343, ASTM D4009, ASTM E1593, ASTM D1792, CCD 110, DCC09 &09A, DCC16 I & II, Marble block test, DCC17, DCC05A, DCC10, and DCC12.

Q: Why is this program specific to green products?
A: The UMass TURI lab tests only products that meet its safety and environmental criteria—this means products must be on the “green side” of the safety and environmental continuum.

Q: How will you prevent the HPCP logo being used for greenwashing?
A: The logo will not be permitted to be used in connection with communications or marketing that designate products as Green High Performance Cleaning Products unless the product has also been certified or recognized by Green Seal, EcoLogo, EcoForm, DfE, etc.

Q: Will the program work collaboratively with existing Green Certification groups?
A: Yes, it is our express desire to help industry groups and our colleagues address product performance issues and improvement by raising the bar and sharing our data.

Q: What is the cost of testing?
A: Fees start at $2,500, and overall costs depend on the number of tests, contaminants, and surfaces involved.

Q: How long after testing is complete will a manufacturer be notified whether or not the tested product qualifies for use of the logo?
A: Optimally, within two weeks, a committee will review the data and decide whether or not the product meets criteria to be designated a High Performance Cleaning Product.

Q: Is there an annual licensing fee to use the logo?
A: Not at this time.

Q: How often will products need to be tested or re-tested to continue to qualify to use the High Performance Cleaning Product designation and logo?
A: There is no set time period. Criteria are being established for re-testing triggers (e.g., when products are reformulated or methodologies updated) but these have not been finalized.

Q: If a manufacturer has many products, are volume discounts available?
A: Yes. This is determined on a case-by-case basis.

IEHA and TURI are now accepting applications from manufacturers who wish to have their products evaluated.