The Latest

• 

  How to protect building occupants from allergens and asthma triggers

  While air quality, humidity levels and cleanliness are key, irritants can come from indoor surfaces and even cleaning products, experts say.

  Health & Safety

• 

  Chicago-area school district deploys geothermal system that’s a US first

  The dynamic closed-loop system uses groundwater to reject and absorb heat to provide year-round space conditioning for a 130-year-old elementary school, Trane Technologies says.

  Sustainability

• 

  Detroit uses drones and AI to target building efficiency improvements

  The city has partnered with startups and a tech incubator to test drone and AI technology that guides energy retrofits, saving time and money compared with traditional assessments.

• 

  Opinion

  The often-overlooked shelter from the storm: green buildings

  In the 2008-09 economic downturn, green buildings were a bright spot. They could be again as remote work, tariffs and inflation hang over the economy.

  Sustainability

• 

  Loss of 179D deduction could derail office conversions

  Although the deduction is about making commercial buildings energy efficient, it’s been key to owners’ willingness to invest in obsolete and financially distressed properties, supporters say.

  Sustainability

• 

  Cities can decarbonize buildings while cutting costs, new road map says

  The guide from Climate Mayors and Veolia aims to help cities tackle one of their biggest greenhouse gas emissions challenges, even as federal support for energy efficiency and decarbonization shrinks.

• 

  Q&A

  Amazon reaches 85% waste diversion rate

  Organics diversion programs and ongoing data collection investments are some drivers of that 2024 achievement, according to Justine Mahler, the company's waste and biodiversity director.

• 

  Texas law eases commercial building conversions to mixed-use, apartments

  Senate Bill 840 requires local governments to approve any project that meets its qualifications.

• 

  Asbestos lapses in Philadelphia school district will get deferred criminal prosecution, monitoring

  The case marks the first time federal prosecutors have used criminal charges against a public entity for failing to meet requirements for assessing and managing damaged asbestos, the Department of Justice says.

  Compliance

• 

  Column

  The Energy Star program has grown into an industry standard-setter

  The program’s Portfolio Manager software is used to track the energy use of almost 25% of commercial buildings. Its end could put owners, cities and states in a bind — at least for the short term.

  Compliance

• 

  ASHRAE focusing on indoor environmental quality, sustainability

  President Bill McQuade’s theme for 2025-26 is healthy buildings. That goal doesn’t have to come at the expense of energy efficiency, a standards committee member says.

  Sustainability

• 

  Facilities management conferences to note in 2025

  Here’s a look at the top events for building operators and their staffs happening in the second half of the year.

  Updated June 27, 2025

  Technology

• 

  Groups decry Senate’s elimination of building efficiency deduction

  The Section 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deduction has grown into a major incentive for owners to retrofit their properties, supporters say.  

  Sustainability

• 

  Minnesota county faces challenge in decarbonizing well-maintained district energy system

  Hennepin County “has done too good of a job” maintaining its 15-building steam and chilled water loops, leaving little room for incremental improvements, the project’s engineering consultant said at an industry conference.

  Sustainability

• 

  Yale pauses 10 projects as funding worries grow

  Several universities are reassessing their capital plans due to rising costs and uncertain federal support.

• 

  Manufacturer accused of trying to stop talk on possible turf health impacts

  Grassroots Environmental Education and some scientists filed a lawsuit against Polyloom Corp. of America for allegedly using a defamation lawsuit against them to stop their participation in a webinar.

  Health & Safety

• 

  Carrier, IBM launch AI-driven maintenance upgrades

  Interactive dashboards, alerts and to-do lists added to the company’s platforms aim to improve efficiency and execution during lifecycle and maintenance operations. 

  Technology

• 

  Senate reverses course, proposing harsh tax on renewables

  Former Trump senior adviser Elon Musk on Saturday said the Senate’s latest draft of the bill “gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”

• 

  Career and technical education’s proposed move to Labor Department denounced by advocates, lawmakers

  The Trump administration says the CTE change will improve efficiencies and spur innovation. Critics say it's "fragmented" and "illegal."

  Labor

• 

  Most building management systems exposed to cyber vulnerabilities, experts warn

  A study of over 467,000 building management systems across 500 organizations found that 2% of all devices essential to business operations had the highest level of risk exposure. 

  Technology

• 

  New York offering up to $750K for facility decarbonization projects

  The Large-Scale Thermal program is accepting applications through July 31 for heating, cooling and hot water systems in single buildings of at least 100,000 square feet or campuses of 250,000 square feet and up.

  Sustainability

• 

  Office conversions accelerate, but many older buildings face demolition: reports

  High vacancy rates have driven building owners to repurpose space, which should help the U.S. office market’s recovery. But high costs and incompatible structural designs remain challenges, CBRE says.

  Development

• 

  Utilities, energy developers back Senate’s more lenient tax credit timeline

  A powerful coalition of trade associations and energy groups thanked senators for rolling back some of the House version’s deepest cuts, but the two chambers will need to agree on a final bill.

  Sustainability

• 

  Judge strikes down National Science Foundation’s 15% funding cap for research overhead

  The new ruling blocks an effort to cap research overhead reimbursements, which universities use to support development and maintenance of laboratories and facilities.

  Compliance

• 

  Senate Finance Committee reduces House IRA cuts, but few changes for wind and solar

  Wind and solar projects must begin construction by the end of 2025 to qualify for the Inflation Reduction Act’s full 45Y and 48E tax credits in the Finance Committee's proposed budget bill.

  Development

More stories