Facility Managers as Net-Zero Heroes

To limit global warming by 2050 to 1.5°C (the number specified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), every effort must be made to decarbonize buildings.¹

4 Sustainability Drivers

Beyond the obvious environmental benefits, there are four drivers of sustainability which are relevant to every facility manager:

1. Mandatory Standards and Regulations

To help reduce the carbon impact of existing buildings, cities across the United States are passing Building Performance Standards. (Building Performance Standards measure and strive to improve the carbon footprint of the building.) Take Philadelphia’s Building Energy Performance Program (BEPP) as an example. Although your building may not subject to BEPP requirements, facility managers should be aware of these standards, because it’s likely only a matter of time before your area adopts one.

2. Financial Risks and Opportunities

Obviously, non-compliance of local regulations can bring financial risk, from fines to taxes. However, there is also lost opportunity risk, because presently there are a variety of financial incentives from government and utility companies which can offset the capital expenditures for sustainable retrofits.

3. The New, Green Mindset

Tenants, employees, investors, and key stakeholders have an expectation that organizations and individual facilities have (or are planning) a path towards net zero, and facility managers often become the spokesperson for those initiatives.

In addition to the environmental and social impacts of a net-zero path, sustainable assets allow managers to point towards operating cost achievements – i.e., sustainable asset costs are 13% lower for new construction and close to 9% lower for retrofitted building projects.⁶

4. Aging and More Complex Infrastructure

Aging equipment can increase risks to safety and reliability, as well as costs for repair or replacement due to supply chain shortages. Compounding this issue is the fact that building systems are increasingly interconnected, automated, and power-sensitive, and facility managers find themselves with a highly complex maintenance and lifecycle management.

5 Benefits

Decarbonization efforts help facility managers:

1. Streamline and simplify the management of aging and complex facilities using various levels of digitalization
2. Mitigate non-compliance of inefficient assets and systems
3. Reduce OpEx by cutting energy costs and reducing unplanned maintenance on aging equipment
4. Enable performance insight and reduce risk of equipment failure
5. Enhance interactions with occupants and key stakeholders

The Decarbonization Path

The path towards decarbonization may seem complicated for retrofit projects. However, new financial incentives from utility companies can make that path even easier. And, experienced HVAC and mechanical companies (like CM3), who have been implementing retrofit projects for decades, can guide you through both the retrofit and the utility rebate process.

Please reach out for a consultation.

1. “Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C approved by governments”, IPCC, 2018
2. 2021 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction
3. Age of U.S. Commercial Buildings
4. Property Week, 2021.
5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
6. World Green Building Council: Beyond the business case.

Content for this blog was provided in part by Schneider Electric. CM3 is a Master EcoXpert for Schneider Electric.