Commercial buildings are full of hidden energy savings potential, and facility managers and building owners are now reaping the cost-saving benefits of data analytics through the use of Energy Management and Information Systems (EMIS).

The Smart Energy Analytics Campaign program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Better Buildings Initiative and managed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) encouraged the use of a wide variety of commercially available EMIS technologies and ongoing monitoring practices to help uncover those energy-saving opportunities and improve building performance. IFMA was an organizing partner in the original design of the campaign and contributed to the outreach plan to target building owners and operators.

Based on the article appearing in the Mar-Apr Facilities Management Journal, join us for an in-depth look at the analytics behind energy use and how to find those hidden savings.
Thursday, April 23^rd, 2020

Noon – 1 PM (CDT)

Register Here

OUR PRESENTERS

Claire Curtin is a program manager at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, supporting research on EMIS. Previously, she was with Pacific Gas & Electric in the Commercial Whole Building Demonstration project and administering Automated Demand Response utility programs for EnerNOC and Global Energy Partners. Curtin spent more than 20 years as a senior producer and designer in the computer gaming industry with Electronic Arts, Maxis and Broderbund Software.
Hannah Kramer is an affiliate to the Building Technology and Urban Systems Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She holds a master’s degree from the Energy and Resources Group from UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on building energy performance monitoring and diagnostics and supporting how owners implement monitoring-based commissioning. Kramer has authored numerous studies and resources on commissioning and building performance.

Commercial office buildings are continually looking for ways to reduce operating costs through improved efficiencies, enhance tenant comfort and most importantly keep the lights on during and after major natural disaster events. These buildings can address these issues through the application of combined heat and power (CHP). Traditionally, CHP has been seen largely as an industrial and manufacturing application. However, now with improvements in the technology efficiency at smaller sizes and the growing diversity of applications for the waste heat, CHP is finding its way into the less traditional applications, such as office buildings.

A fast growing opportunity to CHP applications is the use of absorption chillers. These chillers are quickly becoming a cost-effective and efficient solution for cooling all sizes and types of commercial buildings.

We invite you to join the Southcentral Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Technical Assistance Partnership as we present webinar on the growing opportunities for CHP in commercial buildings. We will be joined by Abhijit Moholkar, International Sales Manager, from Thermax. Abhijit will discuss a variety of CHP applications using absorption chillers and present some cases of successful installations.

What is CHP?  CHP systems, also known as cogeneration, are a highly efficient form of distributed generation, typically designed to serve a single large building, campus or group of facilities, including microgrids. During normal operation, CHP operates at high fuel efficiencies by simultaneously generating electricity and recovering heat to provide steam, hot water or chilled water.

LEARN FROM AN EXPERT

• Different CHP and absorption chiller technologies
• Federally-funded Technical Assistance
• Free CHP screening of your facility
• Free 3rd party reviews of vendor proposals
• Hear case studies of operating CHP at commercial buildings
• Current/future rebates, incentives, and tax advantages available

SPEAKERS

Dr. Gavin Dillingham – Director, Southcentral CHP TAP

Abhijit Moholkar – International Sales Manager, Thermax

January Benefit of the Month: PropTech Webinar

PropTech products and services are powered by cutting-edge technologies that can fundamentally disrupt how we currently practice facility management and corporate real estate.

Sponsored by IFMA’s ESUS and IT communities and the Utility Council, this webinar is part one of a two-part series. “Understanding PropTech” will cover its current status, how it’s evolving, and how it can impact utilities (Micro Weather), CRE (blockchain) and FM (Machine Vision and BIM technology).

Next month, “Understanding PropTech Technologies” will take a deeper dive into the primary technologies that PropTech deploys.

PropTech in Utilities, CRE and FM
Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020
12 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. (CST)

Webinar Recording

24 Hours of Reality: Truth in Action
Understanding Your Climate Change Reality
Thursday, November 21, 2019 | 12:00 – 1:00PM (CST)

Register Here

On November 20-21, Climate Reality is presenting 24 Hours of Reality: Truth in Action, a global conversation on the truth of the climate crisis and how we solve it. For one full 24-hour period, Climate Reality Leader volunteers will hold public presentations and conversations on our changing climate across all 50 US states and countries worldwide. IFMA’s ESUS Community is participating in this event by hosting a webinar.

For each audience member who attends this webinar, Climate Reality will plant one tree on their behalf, thanks to the folks at One Tree Planted.

This webinar will be presented in three parts intended to take the global climate crisis down to the individual Facility Manager and articulate the risks their company/client may face as a result of Climate Change.

Part 1: Truth in 10
ESUS Chair and Climate Reality Leader Dean Stanberry, CFM, LEED AP will provide a brief overview on the current state of Climate Change by posing three questions;
Must We Change? Can We Change? And Will We Change?

Part 2: Climate Change Fundamentals
Former IFMA Chair and Retired Georgia Tech Professor Kathy Roper, RCFM, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow will provide an overview of the research report released on October 16^th at World Workplace entitled “Climate Change Fundamentals for Facility Management Professionals.” This report is FREE to download.

Part 3: Understanding Corporate Risk Related to Climate Change
IFMA Corporate Sustaining Partner and sponsor of the Climate Change Fundamentals report BGIS will share their insights on risks posed by Climate Change to corporate operations and revenue streams.  

We will reserve time at the end of the webinar for Q&A.  Please invest your time in One Hour of Reality and be a part of reducing Climate Change impacts.

Register Here

Advocacy Day & Public Policy Forum 201​9

Dates: Sept. ​17-18, 201​9

Location: Hyatt Regency Crystal City and Capitol Hill

​WHAT IS IFMA’s ADVOCACY DAY & PUBLIC POLICY FORUM?

Now more than ever decisions made by our elected officials in Washington DC are having an impact on the FM Profession and the Built Environment. This FREE two-day annual event provides a unique opportunity to meet with your elected officials and make your voice heard. Get updates on FM related legislation, training on how to engage with elected officials and meet directly with your congressional representatives to share your passion and subject matter expertise on facility management issues.  Held in Washington, D.C., this FREE annual event open to U.S. residents.

TOP 7 REASONS TO ATTEND: 

1. Get a behind the scenes tour of DC landmarks. 
2. Learn how Congress creates and implements the laws that affect your business and profession.
3. Discuss legislation currently being considered by Congress that will directly impact FM.
4. Participate in the legislative process – be part of the solution
5. Meet with Members of Congress, key legislative staff and IFMA’s Government Affairs Team to connect FM realities with public policy priorities. 
6. Learn how to create and state and local government affairs programs for your chapter.
7. Meet other chapter leaders and IFMA’s executive committee.  

Click Here for additional event information on the IFMA website.

Click Here for registration and hotel information.

Thursday, August 22^nd, 2019 – 1PM CDT

Gallup’s research reports year after year that only 30% of employees are engaged, 50% are along for the ride and 20% are killing your business. These are some of the most cited statistics we use as workplace professionals. What if the problem isn’t disengagement? What if we have been solving the wrong problem in the first place? That would have massive ripple effects throughout our companies and profession. 

The new research suggests we don’t have a disengagement problem. It is deeper and more serious. But addressing it may actually turn around an issue that has remained stuck for decades and restore employee vitality. 

Rex Miller will share new research MindShift has been working on for over five years. It is the product of a collective journey with more than 100 corporate leaders and experts, and it is a very personal journey. 

Companies face a clear health cost crisis. Nobody can sustain both the rise in chronic health issues or the cost it drives. If we look behind it, stress is the real villain and root cause. What if the culprit behind disengagement is also stress, fatigue, depression and even trauma disguised as disengagement? It may be the door that opens we keep looking for. It may start a new conversation with new ideas and solutions that can re-humanize work and restore people’s vitality and hope. 

Rex Miller is an international award-winning author, speaker, and leading industry futurist. He started his career in facility management for Southwestern Bell, now AT&T, in 1979. He has worked as an owner, manufacturer, distributor and sub-contractor. His background has given Rex unique insight into the current and future challenges owners and providers face.  

He works at the intersection of numerous complex challenges including the common nightmare of delivering capital projects, workplace disengagement, toxic shadow cultures, workplace health and well-being. Rex is known for solving “wicked problems” by linking diverse thought leaders together in a two-year process called MindShift. He has won the CoreNet Global’s Innovator Award, Industry Excellence Award. 

His first industry book, The Commercial Real Estate Revolution: Nine Transforming Keys to Lowering Costs, Cutting Waste and Driving Change in a Broken Industry became a catalyst for industry change and established Rex as one of the early experts for Integrated Projects. 

His most recent book, The Healthy Workplace Nudge provides breakthrough insights into why wellness programs have failed for seventy years to improve health and lower cost and alternatives that work. Rex received the World Workplace 2018 Award of Excellence in the Book Category for this publication.  Rex along with Mim Senft will be delivering the Plenary Session keynote address at World Workplace 2019 Thursday, October 17th, 2019 from 8:00 – 9:30 AM in Phoenix, AZ.

Please register to view the recording

Manufacturing facilities are increasingly concerned with power resilience for continuity of operations during outages that can occur with storm events or other causes. The drive to improve efficiency and reduce cost is ever-present. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) offers both power resilience for confident emergency preparedness and energy efficiency essential for reducing energy costs. The Department of Energy’s Upper West CHP Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAP), will be leading a webinar on the opportunities and applications of CHP at manufacturing plants.

Tuesday, July 23rd, 10 am – 11 am CDT

Register here!

LEARN FROM AN EXPERT

• Learn about different CHP technologies
• Learn about federally funded Technical Assistance
• Free CHP screening of your facility
• Free 3rd party reviews of vendor proposals
• Hear case studies of operating CHP manufacturing facilities
• Current and future rebates, incentives and tax advantages available for customers that install CHP

Who should attend?

• Facility Managers
• Energy Managers
• Service/maintenance staff
• Contractors
• Engineers

BIM has already had a significant impact on the A/E/C industries. The use of BIM related to the operational aspect of buildings, however, is still in its infancy. This webinar consists of three components: the first discusses major issues associated with BIM and FM; the second is a case study presentation of a successful design-construction-FM collaboration; and the third a Q+A session between presenters and attendees.

Issues with BIM and FM:

• Traditional approach to BIM information turnover to FM by the contractor
• Recent enhancements of traditional approach using COBie to transfer data from BIM to FM systems
• What does FM really need for improved building performance, and why traditional BIM models and COBie generally do not meet FM needs
• How can this information be identified and generated during the design and construction process
• How can this information be integrated with systems used by FM to manage building performance and use
• How can this information be kept current and accurate over the life of a building

Case Study of a Successful Design-Construction-FM Collaboration:

• Description of UCSF Medical Center and the role of design and construction collaboration
• How BIM-FM was integrated on the UCSF Medical Center; What was done, how was it specified in contract, what tools and people were used
• Examples of how improved BIM-FM integration and use of visualization software to support better building performance and sustainability
• BIM/FM usage for existing buildings?

Presenters: Paul Teicholz and Bruce Mace. Learn more here!

Please register before viewing the recorded webinar.

Webinar: Combined Heat and Power for Academic Facilities

Join the Department of Energy’s Upper-West and Southcentral CHP TAPs, AASHE and IFMA on Tuesday, April 16, 12-1PM Central for a webinar on trends, opportunities, and challenges of Combined Heat and Power systems in academic facilities. This interactive webinar will cover the drivers and strategies that have helped academic facilities successfully adopt CHP as well as discuss lessons learned and best practices. Subject matter experts will share information about technologies, procurement and operations, management and maintenance as well as opportunities for improved resilience related to CHP. Register >>>

PANELISTS:

• Carlos Gamarra, P.E., CEM –  Assistant Director,  Department of Energy Southcentral CHP TAP 

• Roger Copeland, P.E., – Principal,  Jacobs Engineering

• Jimmy Gresham, LEED GA – Director of Facilities, Wesleyan University

WEBINAR ATTENDEES WILL:

•  Learn about different CHP technologies
•  Hear case studies of operating CHP at academic facilities from facility management staff
•  Become informed about federally funded Technical Assistance including:
    –  Free CHP screening of your facility
    –  Free 3rd party reviews of vendor proposals
•  Understand current and future rebates, incentives and tax advantages available with CHP

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Academic Facility Admins
• Academic Facility Managers
• Energy Managers
• Service/Maintenance staff
• Contractors
• Engineers

Link to recorded webinar

PDF presentation

PARTNERS:

DOE’s CHP Technical Assistance Partnerships (CHP TAPs) promote and assist in transforming the market for CHP, waste heat to power, and district energy technologies/concepts throughout the United States. Learn more.