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Today, many state institutions of higher learning and healthcare facilities face reduced budgets, aging infrastructure, and rising energy costs. According to the EPA, colleges and universities spend close to $2 billion each year on energy. These institutions are seeking innovative ways to renew facilities, improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy costs. One option gaining some renewed momentum is the Energy Savings Performance Contract (EPSC).

Reflecting a long-established Swedish commitment to environmental stewardship, the Nelson Cultural Center addition at the American Swedish Institute (ASI) in Minneapolis integrates several technically advanced sustainable features, including a high-efficiency geothermal heating and cooling system that reduces energy consumption by nearly 30 percent (based on an ASHRAE 90.1 baseline) while supporting the Institute’s diverse community programming.

Alfred University in Alfred, NY, has once again teamed up with FSC Systems LLC to upgrade fire and life safety systems on campus. The upgrades are not just making buildings on campus safer, but they are cutting down on associated costs and labor.

Since their introduction in Europe in the 1950s, and their domestic rise in specification during the 1990s, UFAD and displacement ventilation systems promise significant energy savings as a direct result of a higher supply air temperature that yields an increase in the use of economizer or free cooling hours.

A multi-function health services facility in Springfield, MO is a showcase for sophisticated air quality management. The Turner Center is a unit of the CoxHealth system and is part of the Cox South health care campus in south Springfield.

Designing a fire protection system for a critical facility application is a challenging engineering exercise, one which requires excellent knowledge and understanding of different fire suppression systems and fire alarm systems and their integration with the building fire alarm and building management systems (BMS).

In today’s world, so-called “high-performance, sustainable” facilities are a dime a dozen. But many of these buildings rely on overly complex mechanical systems to carry out their mission.

The procurement process used by the U.S. government (or its contractor) can follow one of several different paths. Usually, an equipment specification is written that contains performance criteria and other requirements. A solicitation is then released and potential sellers competitively bid for the work.

October 29 was a Monday. It was also the day that Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New York City. Around 7 p.m., Con Edison shut power off in Lower Manhattan, and it would be sometime Saturday before lights would begin to flicker back on.

Established in 1879, just three years after Colorado became a state, the Colorado Historical Society had long served as the state’s memory keeper, occupying a number of buildings over the course of its 133-yr history.