Meeting that demand requires a clear understanding of the technologies reshaping the industry and how to apply them in the real world. We’ve identified several emerging technologies that should be on every Facility Manager’s radar. We’ve categorized them by their primary impact: Energy and Operations.
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A new form of solar panels is officially entering the US market, offering a more aesthetically pleasing alternative to traditional rooftop solar. The European company Roofit.Solar focuses on a technology called building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), where the roofing material itself is the solar panel. These integrated systems minimize visual impact, which is often a consideration for historic buildings or aesthetically sensitive campuses.
Heat pump technology has undergone a significant transformation, overcoming past performance limitations, especially in colder climates. Recent studies, such as those conducted by organizations like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), confirm their viability and efficacy even in regions with harsh winters, making them a crucial technology for decarbonization efforts nationwide.
Geo-exchange (or ground source heat pump) systems remain one of the most effective ways to heat and cool facilities using the stable temperature of the earth, providing high-efficiency heating/cooling regardless of external weather conditions. The financial viability of these systems has been significantly boosted by the continued availability of federal and state tax credits, which can substantially lower the first-cost hurdle, making the long-term ROI even more attractive. Innovation in this area focuses on optimizing the drilling process and improving heat transfer efficiency to reduce installation costs and land usage. For instance, Minnesota-based Darcy Solutions has pioneered "turbo-charging" mechanisms that utilize the high thermal conductivity of moving groundwater. By drawing heat from an aquifer rather than static soil, these systems allow for significantly fewer wells to achieve the same energy output, maximizing efficiency while minimizing site disruption.
The next generation of Building Automation Systems (BAS) is moving toward smarter, more flexible control architectures. New, non-proprietary controllers, such as those utilizing the EnOcean standard, are entering the market, offering a cheaper and more adaptable alternative to complex, expensive proprietary BAS. While the EnOcean standard itself does not incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), this shift gives facility managers more freedom in system configuration, allowing them to leverage AI and machine learning capabilities to control systems through a smart server. This setup allows for the autonomous reconfiguration of system points and optimization of performance, constantly fine-tuning a building's operation for peak efficiency and minimal energy waste.
The next step beyond intelligent controls is using data analysis to constantly monitor and diagnose the operational health of your building portfolio. These platforms connect directly to your existing Building Automation System (BAS) to continuously ingest real-time operational data (e.g., temperatures, setpoints, valve positions, equipment runtimes, etc.). For example, a platform like ClockWorks utilizes proprietary FDD algorithms to automatically detect and diagnose operational faults and inefficiencies, turning raw data into opportunities for low-cost or no-cost corrections.
These modern systems replace traditional keyways with battery-powered mechanisms, providing detailed audit trails and simplifying access control for staff and visitors. Cutting-edge systems now explore "direct line of sight" non-connected power charging, eliminating the need for complex hardwiring at every door.
Capturing accurate "as-built" conditions for existing facilities has traditionally been a time-consuming and expensive process, often involving professional surveying or manual measurements. Tools like Polycam (a mobile and desktop application) are democratizing this process by leveraging LiDAR and photogrammetry capabilities found in modern smartphones and tablets. The SHG team can partner with your facilities staff to rapidly scan rooms, entire floors, or building exteriors to generate accurate, georeferenced 3D models and 2D floor plans. This allows for near-instantaneous documentation of spaces for renovation planning, capital project management, and simply maintaining a digital twin of the campus.
Congratulations to our current client and neighbor in Bethlehem, PA, Lehigh University for achieving a Gold rating from AASHE STARS. While nearly 700 institutions from throughout the world have submitted STARS reports, only 25% have achieved a gold rating, which indicates a high level of institutional sustainability.
Lehigh excels in many areas of the Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System report and performs better than most reporting peer institutions in the majority of metrics.
After five years of receiving a silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) for its innovations, Lehigh has reached a new height in its sustainability initiatives.
Lehigh, which submitted its seventh report to AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Version 2.2 in February, received a gold rating for the first time with a score of 65.79.
STARS is a tracking and rating system specifically designed for higher education to track their sustainability performance. Universities earn points to achieve a bronze, silver, gold or platinum rating by demonstrating efforts in sustainability in areas such as academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.
Since 2015, Lehigh’s Office of Sustainability has reported Lehigh’s sustainability efforts to AASHE, which empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation.
As of April 2021, STARS reports were submitted by 674 institutions in 17 countries and 50 U.S. states/territories. To date, approximately 25 percent of participating schools have achieved a gold rating, which symbolizes a high level of institutional sustainability. Overall, Lehigh has the sixth-highest STARS score among private non-profit doctoral-granting institutions with an enrollment of 5,000 to 9,999 students.
“Lehigh University is deeply committed to institutionalizing sustainability throughout the university,” President John D. Simon wrote in a letter that was part of Lehigh’s STARS report. “The teaching, research and service enacted by members of our campus community contribute to a deeper understanding of our environment and of our responsibilities to it. The methods with which we manage our daily operations reflect the integration of just, equitable, and economically and environmentally responsible solutions into our internal practices. Campus-community partnerships foster a culture that supports sustainability efforts both here on South Mountain and beyond.”
Sustainability officer Katharine Targett Gross, said, “Lehigh has been an AASHE STARS Silver institution for five straight years. It was time to push sustainability at Lehigh to the next level and really show what we are capable of. We have a lot of momentum to continue to advance sustainability efforts on campus through Lehigh’s Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030 and through the development of a Climate Action Strategy. We take seriously our responsibility to be a model sustainable campus and contribute to the health of our planet as a whole. We are laser-focused on a vision of an inclusive Lehigh community where sustainability is an integral part of the institutional ethos.”
Each year, Lehigh begins collecting data from relevant departments and offices for the STARS report in June/July. Beginning in September, the data is reviewed by the Office of Sustainability and necessary edits are made. In January, the entire report is reviewed by select members of the Lehigh Sustainability Council for accuracy and compliance with AASHE requirements. In February, the report is presented to Lehigh senior leadership and approved by the University President before official submission to STARS. After this submission, any necessary edits or updates requested by AASHE are made in March with a final completion goal of April.
In 2015, when the first report was published, Lehigh received a bronze rating with a score of 36.75. Since then, the overall score trend shows that sustainability has become increasingly part of Lehigh culture and operations.
Lehigh excels in many areas of the report and performs better than most reporting peer institutions in the majority of metrics. Compared to other institutions, Lehigh shines the most in the “operations” category, which reflects the university’s efforts that contribute to sustainability in buildings, food and dining, grounds maintenance, purchasing and transportation. Lehigh also excels in the innovation and leadership category, as it earned full points for several years in a row. That category recognizes institutions that are seeking innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and demonstrating sustainability leadership in ways that are not otherwise captured in STARS.
While the gold rating is a major accomplishment for sustainability at Lehigh, the work is far from over. With the adoption of Lehigh’s Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030, released in October 2020, there is a well-defined path for Lehigh to achieve a platinum certification in the coming years.
More information on Lehigh’s 2021 Gold STARS report can be found here.
Story by Audrey McSain
View source version here: https://www2.lehigh.edu/news/lehigh-achieves-gold-rating-in-2021-stars-report?fbclid=IwAR3sob3SovSrUaQ7ZlUGkw0Pdgpmpq5hCZeAXV-3WVlQUZzephGOavRWBHw
The Stone House Group is currently partnering with Lehigh University to develop a Climate Action Strategy, which is a goal within Lehigh's Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030. Additionally The Stone House Group is providing Building Commissioning services for Lehigh's Business Building expansion that is pursuing LEED Silver certification.
For more information on The Stone House Group please visit: https://www.theshg.com/
Source:
Wilson, E. J. H., Munankarmi, P., Less, B. D., Reyna, J. L., & Rothgeb, S. (2024). Heat pumps for all? Distributions of the costs and benefits of residential air-source heat pumps in the United States. Joule, 8(4), 1000–1035. Link: https://docs.nlr.gov/docs/fy24osti/84775.pdf
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