New Technology Enhances Facility Management Sustainability Capabilities

Rapid advancements in facility management technology are making it easier and more affordable for facility managers to create buildings and spaces that lead to a more sustainable future. The U.S. Green Building Council found green buildings and technologies save facility managers nearly 20 percent in maintenance costs when compared to traditionally designed facilities.

Around the world, LEED certified buildings are creating a more sustainable lifestyle by reducing consumption and waste. By 2030, in the U.S alone, LEED buildings are expected to divert nearly 540 million tons of waste from entering landfills. This waste reduction helps protect the environment by reducing the size of landfills and keeping man-made waste from being disposed of improperly. New technologies, like Building Information Modeling (BIM), allow facility managers to work with architects to create a computer model that shows exactly how the building would operate. Managers can even set goals like carbon emission and wastewater limits to incorporate into the design.

Integrated smart buildings are also a burgeoning technology that allows facility managers to reduce waste and consumption in their buildings. A smart building is a technologically integrated facility which uses a computer system to regulate building functions like lighting, ventilation, and security. With features like an automated start/stop for ventilation, the building can learn the optimal times to use its air conditioning systems and save money when that section of the building is not in use. There are countless ways technology impacts how facility managers design their buildings as the internet provides them access to ideas they’ve never been exposed to before. Integrated buildings can track the activity of employees and optimize systems to best fit the needs of its occupants. These systems allow facility managers to run their spaces more efficiently, which saves money and creates a more sustainable environment for the future.