The First Facility Management Blog

Well folks, this is the third or fourth (I have lost count) mega snowstorm of the season for our area, and while I’m not one to complain (it’s winter…I get that), many people are starting to get a bit punchy. And while some folks are fortunate enough to be able to work from home, the news reporters just aren’t so lucky. Check out these videos, if you don’t believe it’s tough out there.

Walmart recently announced a goal to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its global supply chain by the end of 2015. This represents one and a half times the company’s estimated global carbon footprint growth over the next five years and is the equivalent of taking more than 3.8 million cars off the road for a year.

“Energy efficiency and carbon reduction are central issues in the world today,” said Mike Duke, Walmart president and CEO. “We’ve been working to make a difference in these areas, both in our own footprint and our supply chain. We know that we have an opportunity to do more and the capacity to do more.”

The footprint of Walmart’s global supply chain is many times larger than its operational footprint and represents a more impactful opportunity to reduce emissions.

“Like everything we do at Walmart, this commitment ends up coming down to our customers,” Duke added. “Reducing carbon in the life cycle of our products will often mean reducing energy use. That will mean greater efficiency and, with the rising cost of energy, lower costs, making our business stronger and more competitive. And, as we help our suppliers reduce their energy use, costs and carbon footprint, we’ll be helping our customers do the same thing.”

Walmart collaborated with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to develop this approach that looks at the supply chain on a global scale. Other external advisers include PricewaterhouseCoopers, ClearCarbon Inc., the Carbon Disclosure Project and the Applied Sustainability Center (ASC) at the University of Arkansas. This team will identify projects, quantify reductions, engage suppliers and ensure proper procedures are followed for each GHG reduction claim.

“Today the world’s largest company begins a global race for carbon pollution cuts,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund. “Walmart’s bold move will help companies identify steps to slash pollution and costs. As this story unfolds, it will transform a vast supply chain here at home, and around the world.”

The innovative program to reduce GHGs has three main components:

• Selection – Walmart will focus on the product categories with the highest embedded carbon. This is defined as the amount of life cycle GHG emissions per unit multiplied by the amount the company sells. To find the embedded carbon, the ASC reviewed the GHG emissions associated with all Walmart product categories. This approach ensures the project team focuses on the categories that have the greatest opportunity for reductions. Reductions can come from any part of a product’s life cycle.
• Action – For a project to be included as part of this goal, it must reduce GHGs from a product in either the sourcing of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, customer use or end-of-life disposal. Walmart must demonstrate it had direct influence on the reduction and show how that reduction would not have occurred without Walmart’s participation.
• Assessment – Suppliers and Walmart will jointly account for the reductions. ClearCarbon will perform a quality assurance review of those claims to ensure methodology, completeness and calculations are correct. When the claims meet the quality assurance check, PricewaterhouseCoopers will assess under consulting standards whether the defined procedures were followed consistently to quantify the reduction claim.

More information on Walmart’s program to reduce GHG emissions is available at walmartstores.com/greenhousegas.

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), or “Walmart,” serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,400 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.0 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine’s 2009 Most Admired Companies survey. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Walmartnews. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

About Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Environmental Defense Fund has a 20 year track record of success in partnering with business. To maintain its independence and credibility, Environmental Defense Fund accepts no money from corporate partners; generous individuals and foundations fund its work. For more information, visit www.edf.org. Follow our blog at blogs.edf.org/innovation. We’re also on Twitter: twitter.com/EDFix

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International announced it has been approved as a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Education Provider. USGBC has approved the technical and instructional quality of two of BOMA’s education series, the BOMA Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP) and the Sustainable Operations Series (SOS). BEEP’s six on demand Webinars have been approved for a total of 12 GBCI CE hours and the four Webinars in the SOS series have been approved for a total of six GBCI CE hours, all counting toward the LEED Credential Maintenance Program.

The BEEP series gives building owners and property managers information, strategies, technologies, how-to guides, and resources to reduce energy and costs in their buildings. It was developed by the BOMA Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s ENERGY STAR® program and is supported in part by a grant from EPA. SOS builds on the BEEP program by clearly demonstrating how green operations can effectively enhance the bottom line, improve tenant satisfaction and benefit the environment. Each course features practical strategies and case studies on buildings that have employed green operating practices.

BOMA is committed to enhancing the ongoing professional development of the building industry and LEED Professionals through high-quality continuing education programs. As a USGBC Education Provider, BOMA has agreed to abide by USGBC-established operational and educational criteria, and is subject to annual reviews and audits for quality assurance.

All USGBC-approved Education Provider courses:

• Support the LEED Professional Credentialing Maintenance Program;
• Align with USGBC’s educational mission;
• Are delivered in a variety of formats and target multiple learning levels and audiences; and
• Are peer-reviewed to meet USGBC’s standard for instructional design and content quality.

GE Lighting has established an ESCO Energy Services Program to continue its work providing customers with a full-service approach to energy savings. Through alliances with selected energy services companies (ESCOs), this GE program aims to help customers explore energy strategies that take into account such factors as cost-of-light payback, return on investment (ROI), rebates, financing, and government incentives that can reduce investment costs.

“The ESCOs involved meet high customer service, integrity, and credibility standards,” says Lou Mane, ESCO sales development manager with GE Lighting, a unit of GE - Appliances & Lighting. “By working together, we‘re better able to develop comprehensive strategies for customers’ lighting and electrical controls, motors, drives and overall building management. These alliances enhance our ability to help customers develop all-encompassing plans for energy savings.”

The primary focus of this approach is to analyze, design, and implement solutions that work together to conserve energy for customers over the long term. Throughout the process, including planning and installation, GE’s specification team will work with customers and ESCOs to create customized plans that ensure optimal energy saving results and ease of transition.

Mane says the ESCO relationships enable GE to go beyond the circuit breaker, switch, and lamp. “We want to help customers meet and exceed their energy goals, specifically in commercial, property management, government, institutional, retail, healthcare, and industrial settings where energy savings can provide a strategic advantage.”

Facility managers can learn more by writing to: ESCOsolutions@ge.com

Turner Construction Company announced that the First Quarter 2010 Turner Building Cost Index, which measures non-residential building construction costs in the United States, has decreased by 0.5% from the Fourth Quarter 2009 and decreased 7.74% from the First Quarter 2009. Construction costs have decreased by 13.06 % since their peak at the end of 2008. The Turner Building Cost Index value for First Quarter 2010 is 799.

Karl F. Almstead, the Turner vice president responsible for the Turner Building Cost Index said, “The rate of decline in construction costs is not as dramatic as it was in 2009.  The reduced volume of work remains the driving force behind the market’s downward pressure on costs in the non-residential building construction sector.

“While there are signs of recovery in the economy, the construction industry trails the broader economy due to the time required for project planning and design. As the economic recovery strengthens, increased activity in project planning will provide an indication that the rebound in the construction industry is underway,” said Almstead.

Turner has prepared the construction cost forecast for more than 80 years. Used widely by the construction industry and Federal and State governments, the building costs and price trends tracked by The Turner Building Cost Index may or may not reflect regional conditions in any given quarter. The Cost Index is determined by several factors considered on a nationwide basis, including labor rates and productivity, material prices and the competitive condition of the marketplace.

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA)’s BetterBricks Initiative and the IFMA (International Facility Management Association) Foundation have joined forces to produce a practical guide for facility managers. This guide provides facility managers with a roadmap of how to initiate no-cost or low-cost energy efficiency strategies at their facility sites to reap immediate savings.

The “No-Cost/Low-Cost Guide” is the fifth in a sustainability series produced by the IFMA Foundation. The goal of the manual is to provide facility personnel with the tools to get started identifying problem areas and implement no/low-cost solutions to see immediate benefits. These tools have been principally derived from the article, “Common Opportunities: The Top Four.”

The guide offers several checklists that can be translated into spreadsheet templates to be used by facility managers when assessing their facilities. These are easily tailored to reflect various facility types, allowing for customization for a manager’s specific building.

The top four energy saving opportunities include:

1. Equipment Scheduling: The first step of a no/low-cost strategy is to determine where energy is being wasted. Unoccupied areas should not have chillers and coolers running. Establishing where this waste takes place is step one.
2. Sensor Error: Sensor settings are often out of sync and this section of the guide demonstrates what to look for, how to make changes and how to regularly schedule updates to monitor settings.
3. Simultaneous Heating and Cooling: Excessive reheating uses unnecessary energy and if an HVAC system’s settings are out of sync, it forces the air handler to work harder. The guide provides information on how to tune-up these systems.
4. Outside Air Usage: Optimum indoor air quality requires efficient ventilation and this can’t take place if dampers are stuck open or improperly calibrated. In the No-Cost/Low-Cost Energy Savings Guide, facility managers will find ways to cut energy costs just by maintaining this system.

Stablebase USA offers a line of ladder stabilizer products designed to be compact, easy to use, and adaptable to various site conditions. These patented products include an Extension Ladder Stabilizer, a Step Ladder Stabilizer (shown here), and a Staging Stabilizer.

The Extension Ladder Stabilizer increases a ladder’s base from 17” to 60”, which significantly reduces the ladder’s tendency to slip or tip. It weighs 11 pounds.

Meanwhile the Step Ladder Stabilizer is adaptable to all step ladders over 6′ in height. A mounting kit is required and available for wooden ladders upon request. When ladder is used close to a wall or platform, the pivoting head of the legs can be adjusted in a variety of angles and lengths to maximize stability, regardless of ground types, and levels. It weighs 15 pounds.

On February 4, 2010, the LEED Green Associate credential, which recognizes professionals in the green building field, launched in Canada. This credential is the Green Building Certification Institute’s (GBCI) fastest growing credential.

“The green building world is expanding; key players include not only those in the building industry but also sales and marketing professionals, lawyers, real estate brokers, product manufacturers and suppliers, students, and more,” said Peter Templeton, President, GBCI. “The LEED Green Associate credential gives these individuals a way to differentiate themselves from their peers in a highly competitive job market.”

The LEED Green Associate credential signifies fundamental knowledge of green building concepts and is ideal for both professionals in non-technical fields of practice as well as professionals and students working towards the LEED Accredited Professional exam. The LEED Green Associate launched in 2009 and has been earned by almost 4,500 professionals in over 40 countries. GBCI is working in collaboration with the Canada Green Building Council to support and grow the LEED credentials held by more than 10,000 professionals in Canada today.

GBCI, based in Washington, DC, administers the LEED Professional Credentials which have been recognized in the industry as a mark of significant achievement for almost a decade. Earning a LEED Professional Credential demonstrates a candidate’s comprehensive understanding of and commitment to green building design, construction and operations.

Older adults are more vulnerable to a number of risks including fire, either at home or in assisted living facilities such as nursing homes. In a recent nationwide survey conducted by the Society for Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), Americans correctly identified adults age 65 and older as the most at-risk group.

Thirty-nine percent of Americans named older adults as the most at risk of fire danger, while 26% of respondents indicated that infants and toddlers were most at risk. At the same time, 63% of Americans stated they think about fire less than once a year.

“I’m not surprised that Americans recognize the increased risk of fire to older adults. People with limited physical and cognitive abilities, especially older adults, are at a higher risk of death from fire than other groups,” says Chris Jelenewicz, engineering program manager at SFPE, and a scheduled speaker at The TFM Forum this coming April. “At the same time, it’s dismaying that most people don’t think about fire even once a year when over 3,000 people die each year as a result of fire. Without a doubt, the public does not fully understand the enormity and seriousness of the fire problem.”

While fire is a noteworthy risk for people of all ages, federal government statistics cite older adults to be almost twice as likely to die in a fire as compared to the rest of the population. Older adults are more likely to suffer from reduced sensory abilities and mental capacities as well as physical disabilities. Moreover, medical devices, cooking equipment, and electrical products can pose serious fire risks to older adults.

There are numerous ways that fire protection engineers play an essential role in designing safe facilities that house aging populations. For example, they analyze how buildings are used, how fires start, how fires grow, and how fire and smoke affects people, buildings, and property.  Additionally, they use technology to:

• Design systems that control fires, alert people to danger and provide means for escape
• Evaluate buildings to pinpoint the risks of fires and the means to prevent them
• Conduct fire safety research on consumer products and construction materials
• Investigate fires to discover how fire spreads, why protective measures failed, and how those measures could have been designed more effectively

The Society seeks to increase the public’s awareness of how science and technology is used to protect people from fire.  “Whether they live in a small house or a large assisted living facility, it’s critically important to take the time to evaluate your loved ones fire risks and ensure the best technology is available to protect them from fire, “ said Jelenewicz. “Their life may depend on it.”

The survey, commissioned by the SFPE and conducted in January 2010 by Synovate, polled more than 1,000 American adults. The findings have a margin of error of +/- 3%.

Tips On Fire And Elderly Populations

As part of National Engineers Week, February 14-20, SFPE published a list of ways that fire protection engineers enhance the safety of public and private buildings and what American should look for in their loved ones living facilities.

Fire protection engineers use science and technology to protect our aging population from fire. Fire protection engineers enhance the safety of facilities that house the elder by designing:

• Active Fire Protection Systems: Fire protection engineers design active fire protection systems such as fire detection systems, sprinkler systems, notification systems, and means of egress systems. These systems detect fires, control fires, alert people to danger, and provide means for escape.
• Passive Fire Protection Systems: Fire protection engineers design passive fire protection such as fire barriers, smoke barriers, and fire doors that block the spread of smoke and fire in a building. In an assisted living facility, passive systems also provide an area of refuge for people who are not mobile.
• Testing and Maintenance Programs for Fire Protection Equipment: Once fire protection systems are designed and installed in a building, the facility must should an inspection, maintenance, and testing program for these systems. Records for all testing, maintenance, and inspection activities should be available at all times.
• Emergency Planning: Every assisted living facility should have a documented emergency plan that addresses the many types of emergencies that can occur including fire. This plan should include an evacuation plan and a plan for exit drills. Exit drills are necessary so that occupants will know how to make an efficient and orderly escape. Moreover, the plan should be coordinated with the local fire department. All staff should receive periodic training and understand their responsibilities in implementing the emergency plan.

Lighting influences how wine tastes and how much consumers are willing to pay for it, the National Lighting Bureau reports, citing conclusions drawn from a series of three German experiments in which more than 500 people tasted white Riesling wines. The study report, “Ambient Lighting Modifies the Flavor of Wine,” was published in the December 2009 issue of Journal of Sensory Studies.

According to the Bureau, the only significant variable in the experiments was the ambient lighting in the spaces where study participants sat. Researchers used a series of fluorescent lamps that produced red, blue, green, or white light. People rated the wine’s quality higher, in general, when they drank it in a room whose ambient lighting was red or blue versus green or white. They also found the test wine much sweeter and fruitier when sampled in a room illuminated by red-tinted fluorescent lamps, and were willing to spend more for it.

The first experiment involved 75-male and 75-female visitors to the Allendorf winery in Oestrich-Winkel on the Rhine River. The 150-person sample tasted Allendorf Festival 2004, a dry Riesling from the Rheingau region, in a specially designed, windowless tasting room. The tasters sat facing a wall illuminated by the special fluorescent lighting system and sampled four 100mL pours served in opaque black, lidded glasses that obscured the wine from view. (Prior experiments have shown that the color of the beverage itself can affect assessments of its taste.) Participants scored each sample from 0 to 10 points for each of five qualities: fruitiness, spiciness, bitterness, sourness, and sweetness. The participants did not know if the four samples were the same or different, nor were they asked to differentiate between taste and aroma. On average, the participants liked the wine better when they drank it under the influence of red or blue light rather than green or white.

In the second experiment, 69 male and 66 female subjects – mostly students at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz – sampled eight 50mL pours; four each of two Allendorf wines (dry and semi-dry Rheingau Rieslings). Participants perceived a wine to be spicier when they tasted it under blue or green light rather than red or white. Interestingly, blue lighting made the wine taste bitter, but subjects nonetheless liked the wine more under those lighting conditions. About six of every 10 participants (58.5%) thought they tasted more than two wines. About two in ten (19.3%) said (correctly) that they had tasted two wines. The rest thought they had tasted one wine.

The third experiment involved 84 male and 146 female participants, each of whom tasted 100mL of a dry Rheingau Riesling served 50mL at a time in two lidded, black glasses labeled “1” and “2.” The researchers used three ambient colors – blue, red, and white – and randomly assigned each participant to one of the six possible sequences of two colors. For example, if assigned to the color sequence blue-red, the participant tasted the first glass of wine under blue lighting and the second under the red. Participants evaluated each wine based on its aroma and taste. They rated the wine much fruitier when they drank it under red light.

According to NLB Chair Howard P. Lewis (Lighting Alternatives, Inc.), the researchers intend to conduct additional experiments. “In the meantime,” he said, “it seems evident that lighting color – which includes the color of room surfaces – affects the taste of wine.” He concurs with the study’s lead researcher (Dr. Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel) that serious wine tastings should be conducted in neutral-color environments.