FM's Hold The Key To Going Green
By Julie Melsom, Facilities Manager at Lee Baron.
There are many ways to make a building greener, and many decisions and the advice that FMs give can have a significant impact on a building’s environmental impact. A range of considerations, from the type of lighting to when heating systems come on and off, will all contribute to the overall energy consumption of the building. If the green agenda is going to become a reality, then a degree of responsibility sits with the FM to make it happen.
The most obvious time to impact a building’s green credentials is during the building or redevelopment phase and FMs are uniquely placed to input during the design and build stage of a new project, redevelopment or refit. The FM can advise on and influence the practicalities of how the building will run once the project teams have stepped away and the tenants’ fit outs have been completed. Having FMs involved early in the design process will not only be beneficial to service charge budgets but also goes a long way towards future efficiencies and cost savings. This can assist the tenants with any annual accreditations that they are trying to achieve and maintain.
On a day-to-day basis, FMs are looking at greener alternatives across the industry. Building Managers are also looking at utilising materials and products that are already available. From water harvesting systems to assist with watering high rise/roof top landscaping to filtering rainwater in order to externally clean the windows, there are new solutions for the necessities of a building.
During the pandemic, Building and Facilities Managers have had to rely on cloud/app based and remote systems to be able to provide innovative solutions on energy reducing systems without comprising compliance. We are now looking at turn off and Smart Technologies, a new approach whereby the systems are intelligent enough to be able to map and review the use of a building to demonstrate where there can be efficiencies. They monitor the activity within the buildings which enables them to see emerging trends. This is no longer just limited to PIR lighting but now extends to plant rooms, air conditioning and to assist to better run current systems.
Tenants are looking for smart technologies and IoT systems to assist with better space utilization. IoT systems often collect data which can be used to reduce costs as well as creating efficiency, productivity and business opportunities. This can have a knock-on effect throughout tenants’ businesses with some organisations looking to use this technology to assist with a better environment and wellbeing for their staff. At a practical level, it can enable individuals to book a desk space with their own comfort levels set and to assign workspaces. In turn, FMs can then make better decisions on how a space works based on the businesses’ needs.
Supply chain is another area that can be looked at when thinking about making a building greener. FMs are looking for suppliers/contractors with green credentials from carbon neutral, electrical vehicles all the way through to ethically sourced cleaning products. Small changes will have a big impact on the overall green credentials of a building.
With the FM world now venturing into a new Covid existence, priorities are going to change for many consumers. It is clear than green considerations are paramount and changes can be relatively simple. Aside from the obvious moral considerations, consumer preferences and behaviour dictate the need to change. As such, it has never been more important to make sure that facilities are of an appropriate green standard.
