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Since the initial adoption of “smart” building automation more than a decade ago, HVAC systems have become increasingly intelligent, connected, and efficient. Early advances such as variable refrigerant flow (VRF), which greatly improved HVAC efficiency, have helped organizations reduce energy use. But as energy costs continue to rise, and regulations tighten, these improvements are no longer enough. For this reason, today’s HVAC trends reflect a growing need to go beyond incremental efficiency gains. More than ever, facilities need HVAC systems that are not only more efficient, but also more resilient, adaptable, and aligned with a company’s long‑term ESG objectives.

Trend 1: Smart, AI-driven HVAC Controls

Fortunately, upgrading HVAC infrastructure doesn’t require replacing or retrofitting all the systems at once. Modern sensors and AI tools can connect to an existing building management system (BMS) to constantly measure, predict, and adjust how the building uses energy. For example, an IoT (internet of things) device can collect important information like occupancy or air quality data, and share it with AI tools that can analyze the data to detect patterns and discover areas for improvement. This information can then be shared with a facility’s BMS, enabling changes that improve both occupant comfort and energy efficiency.

Multi-site organizations are shifting from siloed, site-specific HVAC controls to centralized platforms, allowing facility managers to control dozens of sites simultaneously from a single dashboard.

Modern technology can also help with dynamic load management—shifting or trimming energy use when prices are higher or the grid is stressed. Thanks to machine learning, HVAC technology can learn over time which loads are flexible and how far they can be adjusted.

Trend 2: Electrification and Heat Pump Adoption

Until recently, facilities managers focused primarily on the efficiency of their HVAC systems. Traditionally, even smart HVAC systems often relied on fossil-fuel-driven solutions like gas heat or oil-fired boilers. Current HVAC trends, however, involve moving away from gas and toward heat pumps.

When integrated with AI and IoT-based controls, electrified heat pumps foster decarbonization and greater energy efficiency. Heat pumps can also be financially beneficial, as many government entities and utilities are offering generous tax credits, rebates, and low-interest financing on qualified units. These incentives, combined with continued technological improvements, are turning what were once prohibitively expensive technologies into a practical option for many companies.

There are two common types of heat pump systems that work particularly well in commercial buildings—water-source pumps and air-source pumps. Each type has distinct advantages and disadvantages:

  • Water-source heat pumps: Ideal for large high-rises with limited roof space, water-source heat pumps exchange heat via a central water loop. They offer higher efficiency through stable water temperatures.
  • Air-source heat pumps: Using a rooftop or ground-level unit, air-source heat pumps pull heat from or to outdoor air. These pumps are fairly easy to retrofit with existing systems, making them ideal for smaller commercial properties. However, they are less efficient in extreme cold.

Trend 3: Low-GWP Refrigerants and Regulatory Shifts

Many countries, including the United States, are phasing out high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants in HVAC systems, mandating stepped schedules that limit how much of these gases can be produced or used in equipment over time. For example, current regulatory HVAC rules favor lower-GWP options—such as R-32, R-454B, or natural refrigerants—over high-GWP hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) like R-410A and R-404A. The federal AIM Act seeks to phase down high-GWP refrigerants by directing the EPA to cut HFC production and consumption 85% by 2036. While new regulations do not require existing high-GWP systems to be retrofitted, over time facility owners will nevertheless have to replace or retrofit “stranded” assets when current refrigerants get prohibitively expensive or hard to source.

At the same time that regulations are tightening, consumer calls for sustainability are growing, and forward-looking businesses are heeding these calls. As many successful companies have discovered, there are practical, bottom-line benefits to having a clearly articulated ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategy. According to a survey by PwC, consumers are willing to spend 9.7% more on sustainably produced or sourced goods—even during times of cost-of-living pressures. This reality has led companies of all sizes to follow several sustainable HVAC trends, including the use of recyclable materials, energy-efficient components, and enhanced heat recovery capabilities that minimize waste (and maximize performance).

Trend 4: Integrated IAQ and Energy Performance

One of the most important of the HVAC trends has come in the wake of the pandemic, which created a fundamental shift in how governments, businesses, medical communities, and the general public approach indoor air quality (IAQ). According to the 2025 GPS Air Indoor Air Quality Perception Report, 66% of Americans say they’re more cautious about indoor air since the pandemic. This puts pressure on facilities managers to demonstrably improve air quality. The challenge is to improve quality while meeting energy conservation and electrification targets.

A close-up view of a data plate for a component of a Carrier HVAC system
Track refrigerants through data plates or service stickers on chillers, VRF systems, and rooftop units.

One way to achieve both quality and cost goals is to adopt demand-controlled ventilation (DCV). This feature uses CO2 and occupancy sensors to monitor how much air is being used so that outside air can be increased in busy rooms and decreased in lightly occupied areas. Companies can also add in-room filtration for high-risk or high-density areas, thus removing more fine particles without dramatically increasing fan energy.

Trend 5: Portfolio-level Centralization and Remote Management

A handful of emerging HVAC trends are specific to multi-site organizations. One of these trends is the shift from siloed, site-specific HVAC controls to centralized platforms that control dozens of sites simultaneously. Using sophisticated technologies like BACnet and IoT gateways, these platforms aggregate data from multiple building systems and present them in single dashboard, enabling facilities managers to control the HVAC systems of multiple buildings from one central location.

With these systems, facilities managers can see real-time metrics (including temperature, energy use, alarms, and building occupancy) for multiple locations on a single screen. Schedules, setpoints, and modes can all be adjusted remotely, leading to more efficient real-time management. Additionally, energy savings can be achieved through AI-enabled technologies that automatically adjust for factors such as occupancy or weather. Seeing all the data in one place allows for easy benchmarking across sites, faster response to alarms, and a reduction in “truck rolls,” (because more fixes can be handled remotely, thereby reducing the need to dispatch a technician).

It’s worth noting, however, that centralization does not come without risk. Compared to site-specific systems, centralized multisite platforms are more vulnerable to cloud outages and cyberattacks. And when a platform goes down, the impact can be felt across multiple sites. Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate these risks. Using redundant platforms (primary plus backup), for example, allows managers to override the centralized system and segment the network if needed.

Trend 6: Data-driven Maintenance and Workforce Gaps

As with other skilled trades, HVAC technicians are not as plentiful as facilities managers would like. Workyard, a field service management software company, reports that the industry is currently short 110,000 technicians; and 25,000 HVAC technicians leave the field every year. At the same time, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 8% growth in the demand for HVAC workers between 2024 and 2034. These two opposing HVAC trends combine to create a difficult labor situation.

This is a serious issue for facilities managers. Fortunately, it’s not an insurmountable one.

Overcoming the skilled trades labor shortage requires a multi-pronged approach. One solution relies on a greater use of technology. IoT sensors and AI data analysis, for example, enable facility managers to adopt a predictive approach to maintenance, going beyond traditional preventive maintenance.

Rather than servicing equipment on a pre-determined schedule, predictive maintenance calls for determining service needs based on actual conditions. Because of this, organizations that adopt a predictive maintenance model can realize significant savings. For example, when St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Arizona transitioned to IoT-driven predictive maintenance for their critical systems, they achieved a 35% reduction in overall maintenance costs (saving over $2 million annually), a 47% decrease in emergency repair calls, and a 62% increase in equipment uptime.

But while technology can help offset the labor shortage, it is not yet a cure-all. This is why savvy companies are tackling the labor issue head on. They’re creating talent pipelines by building relationships with trade schools and junior colleges; they’re opening their own upskilling programs in house; and they’re looking beyond traditional labor pools.

Trend 7: Flexible Systems for Evolving Space Use

The relatively rapid shift in building use over the past few years may be the most impactful of all the HVAC trends on our list. As office, retail, and mixed‑use properties are reconfigured into coworking, medical, lab, residential, and “flex” spaces, HVAC is under pressure to serve more diverse loads within the same shell.

In this environment, the most effective HVAC systems are those that can adapt to different occupancies and tenant types. Heat recovery and hybrid VRF systems meet this demand for flexibility. Both types of system provide independent control of multiple zones and can deliver simultaneous heating and cooling, which is valuable when one tenant needs cooling while another in the same building needs heat instead. Hybrid VRF has the added advantage of limiting refrigerant in occupied spaces by using water on the distribution side.

Another technological breakthrough that increases flexibility is the modular HVAC system. Modular HVAC architecture allows owners to add, remove, or right‑size individual modules. This enables facility managers to respond quickly as tenants change and spaces are converted from low‑load uses (like storage) to high‑load uses (like kitchens, labs, or offices).

Taken together, these HVAC strategies and technologies give facilities teams the ability to respond to changing tenant loads, variable occupancy patterns, and new use types with targeted modifications instead of major central plant overhauls. But these gains don’t happen automatically, they must be planned for.

A good time to implement change is during tenant improvements or capital planning. These disruptions represent opportunities and are an ideal time to prioritize layouts that support clear, isolatable zones, with dedicated branch piping or duct risers, scalable modular capacity, and controls that can be easily reprogrammed as suites are combined or subdivided.

Turning HVAC Trends into Actionable Plans

Adopting the HVAC trends highlighted here does not require overhauling your entire facility overnight. Here are some practical steps you can take to future-proof your buildings:

Identify Fuels and Refrigerants

Before taking any action, be sure to conduct a careful inventory. Check your building’s records or equipment nameplates to identify whether you are currently heating with gas, oil, diesel, or electricity. On the cooling side, map your refrigerant inventory through the data plate or service stickers on chillers, VRF systems, and rooftop units (RTUs). After you have identified the refrigerants that you’re using, you can measure their GWP and rank systems from highest to lowest impact.

When upgrading your HVAC systems, consider making complementary upgrades to insulation, weatherstripping, and other parts of the building envelope.

Make a Plan and Set Goals for the Future

Align your capital plans with upcoming refrigerant milestones or requirements. For example, if new legislation is making your current systems obsolete or noncompliant, your priority is clear. If your systems are in compliance, the next priority is to establish clear, measurable goals, such as fewer comfort complaints and service calls, and lower energy use. And be sure to tie plans for any future projects to clear goals as well, such as reduced emissions, lower risk from future regulation, and better operating costs over time.

Improve Operations Today

While it’s often not practical to upgrade everything at once, there are ways to improve HVAC performance without a major upgrade. For example:

  • Fix known refrigerant leaks quickly.
  • Keep accurate leak logs.
  • Ensure any current sensors, filters, or controls are calibrated and maintained as a system, not in isolation.
  • Update your sequences of operations—the written and programmed files that tell an HVAC or building system exactly how to behave under different conditions—as needed. Updates are especially important when new regulations are issued. For example, new IAQ rules might require a change in the sequence of operations to ensure the system meets higher ventilation, filtration, or monitoring requirements.

Maximize Opportunity During Equipment Change-Outs

When a boiler or furnace reaches the end of its life, that’s the perfect time to evaluate other types of systems, like heat pumps. When replacing AC equipment, consider models that use low-GWP refrigerants and are capable of advanced leak detection.

It’s also important to make upgrades and other improvements holistically. The U.S. Department of Energy states that building envelope technologies account for as much as 30 percent of the energy consumed in both residential and commercial buildings. Therefore, when upgrading HVAC systems, consider making other, complementary upgrades to insulation, weatherstripping, or windows.

Bundling envelope improvements will allow you to install smaller, more efficient HVAC equipment—saving energy and money in the long run. Smart windows, for example, darken or lighten based on temperature and light fluctuations, and can greatly increase energy efficiency.

Adopting HVAC Trends to Future-Proof Your Building

The definition of “smart” buildings is constantly evolving. Taking practical steps today, facility managers can go beyond short-term efficiency gains or basic compliance with current regulations; they can future-proof their buildings for the years ahead. This year and beyond, success will come from being willing to pivot and adopt new technology. In other words, facilities managers need to be as flexible as today’s leading-edge HVAC systems.

HVAC Expertise You Can Rely On

PRIDE Industries has over 35 years of experience in facilities management, energy systems maintenance, engineering services, and preventive and predictive maintenance. We can help you optimize your facility’s current HVAC systems, lowering costs and increasing both efficiency and sustainability.
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This is Part Two of a two-part series on ways to enhance facility security. This blog focuses on improving IoT cybersecurity. For a concise overview of protocols and tools for maximizing physical building security, read Part One.

During the past decade, the Internet of Things (IoT) has proven to be a game changer in facilities management. But as with any technology, there are also downsides that must be addressed, especially regarding IoT cybersecurity.

The benefits of incorporating interconnected devices into operations are well known. The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) lists predictive maintenance, energy optimization, improved occupant experience, enhanced security, and streamlined asset management as the technology’s top five benefits.

But because these sensors, connected cameras, and automated systems help manage everything from access control to HVAC to lighting and elevators, a successful cyberattack can wreak havoc—disrupting operations, compromising sensitive data, and even risking physical safety.

IoT cybersecurity protocols in many facilities are too lax or outdated to effectively protect the many linked devices spread throughout the facility.

Why Are IoT Devices Targeted by Hackers?

One reason cybercriminals are increasing their attacks on IoT devices is simply because there are so many of them, and their use is expanding. There are nearly 19 billion IoT devices in use today, and that number is expected to hit 40 billion by 2030.

But it’s not just their ubiquity that makes IoT devices such popular targets. Many of these devices have weak or no security, making them a preferred doorway into corporate building systems. IoT cybersecurity protocols in many facilities are too lax or outdated to effectively protect the many linked devices spread throughout the facility. For example, a recent assessment by Building Cyber Security, a nonprofit dedicated to securing the nation’s critical infrastructure, found that 80% of commercial real estate organizations have no network security at all, and only 5% meet reasonable security requirements.

A lax attitude to cybersecurity can come with a high cost. A Verizon Business survey found that 66% of respondents who suffered a cybersecurity attack deemed the resulting impact as “major.” Of these affected businesses, 59% suffered downtime, 56% lost data, and 29% faced regulatory penalties.

And it’s not just cameras and sensors that are being attacked. Internet-connected devices as ordinary as washing machines have been compromised. Even the smart TV in the boardroom can be a security threat.

Understanding IoT Cybersecurity Threats

Most companies have robust security systems in place to shield their computer networks and protect sensitive data. But this cyber-diligence doesn’t always extend to the devices that are part of the company’s buildings. A high percentage of the IoT devices in use today are susceptible to a wide range of cyberattacks due to weak authentication, outdated firmware, and insecure network configurations. Attackers target these devices not only for direct exploitation but also as entry points to broader networks.

7 Common Types of IoT Cyberattacks

There are several types of cyberattacks that can be employed against IoT devices. These are the most common:

  1. Botnet and DDoS Attacks – IoT devices such as routers and smart cameras are frequently hijacked and added to botnets, which are then used for large-scale distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
  2. Exploitation of Default Credentials and Outdated Firmware – According to Fortinet’s 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report, attackers routinely exploit default passwords and unpatched vulnerabilities in routers and cameras. Around 20% of global exploitation attempts in 2025 targeted IoT devices.
  3. Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) and Eavesdropping Attacks – Attackers can intercept communications between IoT devices and servers, enabling them to monitor or alter transmitted data. These MitM attacks are particularly effective in poorly encrypted or insecure network environments.
  4. Brute-Force Password Attacks – Many IoT devices still rely on highly guessable credentials. Hackers using automated programs can try thousands of passwords in a short amount of time, using this brute-force technique to gain unauthorized access to a single device that then gives them access to an entire corporate network.
  5. Privilege Escalation and Remote Code Execution – Exploiting software vulnerabilities in IoT operating systems allows attackers to gain higher-level permissions or execute malicious code remotely. Once inside, they can manipulate firmware, reconfigure devices, or pivot laterally into enterprise networks.
  6. Physical Tampering and Data Theft – IoT devices deployed in public or industrial settings—such as lobbies, hallways, or kiosks—face risks of direct tampering. Attackers can physically access interfaces or ports to install malware or extract sensitive data.
  7. Ransomware and Supply Chain Attacks – According to cybersecurity firm DeepStrike, ransomware attacks targeting IoT and operational technology (OT) environments increased by 46% in 2025 over the previous year.

Because IoT devices are becoming so common, and because most of them are only weakly secured, they are an appealing target for cybercriminals. Common vulnerabilities like poor authentication, misconfiguration, and lack of patching continue to drive a wide range of cyberattacks.

IoT Cybersecurity Threats to Commercial Buildings

Building control and management technologies used to operate in silos. But today’s smart buildings are integrated into multi-use, internet-based networks. A comprehensive building automated control system (BACS) can include any number of interoperable IoT elements, including:

  • Building and energy management systems (BMS/EMS)
  • Lighting control systems
  • Security systems (such as CCTV) and automated access control systems
  • Vertical transportation systems, such as passenger/goods lifts and escalators
  • Automated parking systems
  • Wayfinding systems
  • IT infrastructure hardware and devices

A cyberattack can allow a threat actor to take control of a critical system and gain the ability to change settings, turn off components, or make equipment operate outside of normal parameters.

Even seemingly harmless devices pose risks, as a North American casino discovered when it installed an internet-enabled fish tank. The tank’s connectivity allowed facilities personnel to automate feedings and remotely adjust temperature and salinity. But that same connectivity let hackers use the tank as an opening to steal and transmit 10 gigabytes of data.

How to Improve IoT Cybersecurity

A close-up of a fish tank in the hallway of an office building
Even a fish tank can be used to steal data, if it’s connected to a network.

Updating and maintaining your IoT cybersecurity is an ongoing process. Recommendations from cybersecurity experts vary, but almost all include the following steps.

Update Building Software Systems

Your facility’s software systems should be regularly updated and patched. Start this process by taking inventory of all your digital components: building management systems, surveillance systems, fire controls, and others. Make sure each system has the latest firmware or software installed and set up a schedule to check for and install upgrades. If your system is so old that it no longer receives patches, it’s time to replace it.

Secure Your IoT Devices and Building Equipment

Every IoT device is a tiny computer that can be hacked if not secured. Even something as ordinary as a smart thermostat can be a doorway into your company’s network. Hackers know the factory default settings and passwords of thousands of devices from dozens of manufacturers. For this reason, whenever an internet-enabled device is installed, part of the installation process should be to change the default password to a strong, unique password.

Strengthen Access Control and Authentication

More than one-third of network breaches involve stolen credentials. To reduce this risk, be sure to require strong and unique passwords and multifactor authentication. Limit permissions to those personnel who truly need access to the system and train all employees in how to spot phishing attacks. Physically secure spaces with sensitive data via keycards or biometrics; and promptly revoke access when staff or vendors leave.

Segment Networks

Consider putting IoT devices on a separate network, so that even if a device is compromised, the hackers can’t jump to your company’s primary data network. And be sure to monitor IoT devices for unusual behavior. Many hacks involve marshalling hundreds of devices into a botnet to stage a denial-of-service attack. If a normally quiet sensor starts sending out large amounts of data, it could be a sign that it’s been compromised.

By separating your building systems network from your corporate and tenant networks, you don’t just protect access to the main network. You also prevent attacks from that network, such as from an infected laptop, that could compromise building operations.

Finally, the firewall and intrusion detection protocols that are applied to your IoT cybersecurity should be just as robust as the cybersecurity protocols used to protect the company network. A strong intrusion detection system can alert you if someone on a guest network, for example, is trying to ping your elevator control. And if vendors need to access the building management system remotely, require them to go through a secure VPN into that network, so that even if an attacker compromises the vendor’s credentials, they won’t be able to easily access your systems.

Protect Tenant and Sensitive Data

Many facilities are the custodians of a wide range of tenant data. In these cases, even a single security breach can be devastating to the facility’s reputation—and its bottom line. In 2023, the average cost of a data breach was an attention-grabbing $4.45 million.

To protect proprietary data, use HTTPS/SSL for web portals or online services, so that data is encrypted as it moves over the network. In addition, be sure to regularly back up and encrypt sensitive data. And impose strong access controls so only staff who absolutely need access to tenant information have it.

Train Your Team and Tenants on Security Measures

According to IBM, 95% of cybersecurity breaches are due to human error, such as clicking on a malicious email link or using a weak password. That’s why IoT cybersecurity training is a must for everyone.

Start by incorporating general cybersecurity awareness training for all employees and contractors who access your systems. Teach employees to:

  • Spot phishing attempts, like emails sent from spoofed sender addresses or urgent money requests. You might use phishing simulations—sending fake emails to employees to see if they click—as a teaching tool, followed by guidance on red flags they missed.
  • Handle passwords safely. Teach employees not to share passwords or write them on sticky notes. Make it clear that no IT staff will ask for someone’s password over the phone.
  • Report suspicious activity immediately. Send a message to employees that all such reports are appreciated, even those that turn out to be false alarms.

Finally, educate staff and tenants about the simple steps they can take to protect your company’s physical and cyber systems. Prohibit tailgating, a practice in which someone follows a worker through a secure door without badging in. Restrict access to sensitive areas to essential, known personnel. And make sure that visitors are accompanied by company personnel at all times.

Manage and Vet Third-Party Vendors

Vendors are an integral part of building operations, but each third-party relationship is another avenue for risk, especially as these workers have physical access to your IoT devices. In fact, a 2024 survey found that 61% of companies experienced a data breach through a vendor.

Therefore, it’s important to vet vendors before and during the relationship. Ask about their cybersecurity policies. What kind of security certifications do they have? Do they conduct employee background checks and security training? Include security requirements in your contracts and limit a vendor’s access to the minimum needed to perform their work.

Assess each vendor periodically to see if there have been any security incidents; confirm that their privileges are still appropriate for the work they are doing. And encourage vendors to let you know when a staff member has left the company to allow you to promptly revoke their credentials.

Implement Continuous Monitoring and Incident Response Plans

On average, it takes companies 204 days to identify a breach, and another 73 days to contain it. But this time can be shortened considerably through vigilance. Facility managers should deploy tools that scan for unusual activity 24/7, and they should have a comprehensive response plan in place. With continuous monitoring, you can significantly reduce the time that attackers are able to lurk unnoticed. And with a rehearsed incident response plan, you ensure that if there is an intrusion, you can quickly retake control of your systems and act decisively to mitigate damage. It’s like having smoke detectors and a fire mitigation plan in place, but for cybersecurity incidents.

Integrate Physical Security with IoT Cybersecurity

Anything in your building that’s smart or connected can be leveraged in an attack, and not all attacks come through a network. An intruder posing as a delivery person, for example, could slip into a restricted area and insert a malware-laden USB stick into a server or a device. Both cyber and physical security must be top notch.

This is why the most secure companies have chosen to break down the silos between their building and IT security teams. Working together, these two groups are able to devise security protocols that combat both physical and cyber intrusions.

Having IT experts team up with security personnel increases security for server rooms, security control centers, and other sensitive spaces. Working with IT also helps building personnel ensure that IoT devices like cameras, badge readers, and alarm panels are secured with passwords, updates, and network segmentation.

Integrating security efforts helps close the gap in the gray area between physical and IoT cybersecurity. It ensures that personnel don’t overlook the wi-fi security of the network port in the lobby or the smart lighting panel in the conference room.

IoT Cybersecurity in Action

The cybersecurity risks posed by IoT devices are increasing. Now more than ever, it’s important to fold IoT devices into your company’s security efforts. FM and IT personnel, working together, are the ideal team to tackle this security issue. And to get the most from these efforts, security experts recommend a five-step process:

  • Gather information. Determine whether specific responsibilities are already assigned, identify all assets and their configurations, review your existing security policies and procedures, and examine records of any past incidents or breaches at your facility.
  • Assess your position. Identify potential risks and evaluate your current security posture. You may need to bring in a specialist to provide additional expertise.
  • Make a plan. Set clear security objectives, perform a gap analysis, outline corrective measures, and assign ownership for each action.
  • Take action. Implement the necessary improvements and create mechanisms to track emerging developments and new technologies.
  • Review. Revisit and update your risk assessment, audit your current environment, and monitor industry trends, incidents, and evolving threats.
The ideal IoT cybersecurity team includes both FM and IT personnel.

Finally, remember that maintaining IoT cybersecurity is a never-ending process. Hacking techniques evolve constantly, and so must your defenses. For facility managers, the first step is simple: Treat every connected device as both a valuable tool and a potential target.

Secure Facilities Management

At PRIDE Industries, we offer deep expertise and decades of experience in preventive and predictive maintenance, custodial services, engineering services, energy systems maintenance, project services, grounds and landscaping, and environmental management. Learn how partnering with us can enhance efficiency, increase security, and lower costs.
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This is Part One of a two-part series on ways to enhance facility security. This blog focuses on building security as regards physical infrastructure. For an overview of protocols and digital tools for securing the IoT devices within facilities, read Part Two.

Physical security is a basic human need. In our personal lives, we lock our doors, check expiration dates, and make sure our children are secure in their car seats. The same need for security exists at our workplaces. We want to protect against intrusion, theft, vandalism, and workplace violence. Fortunately, there is a wide range of building security tools available for today’s facilities managers.

Experts group security tactics into five areas, often referred to as the five D’s—deter, detect, delay, deny, and defend. The most secure buildings have tools in place to perform each of these functions:

Not every facility needs a Fort Knox level of security, but all facilities require a multilayered security system that reduces the chance of unauthorized access.

  • Deter. Bright lights, signage announcing the use of security cameras, and similar tactics can discourage potential threats.
  • Detect. Alarm systems allow security staff to quickly respond to a breach.
  • Delay. Physical barriers and access control mechanisms can impede intruders and provide additional time for security or law enforcement personnel to respond to incidents.
  • Deny. Passcodes and biometric access control can prevent intruders from gaining access to sensitive areas or valuable assets.
  • Defend. Comprehensive training programs can prepare facility staff to respond effectively and quickly before law enforcement arrives.

Every facility is unique, and its building security needs are as well. Here’s a look at some important factors to consider when seeking to make your facility more secure.

Perimeter Security

When devising a plan to improve building security, one of the first areas to focus on is your facility’s perimeter. A well-designed perimeter can keep unwanted visitors from gaining access to your facility in the first place, which is why it’s important to consider security goals when planning or redesigning the exterior of your buildings.

For example, if your facility has outdoor storage or equipment areas, electrified security fences can be effective in preventing theft and vandalism.

Of course, it doesn’t make sense to erect electrical fencing around office, medical, and many other types of buildings. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be fortified through the design choices you make. Architectural and landscape design that factors in security concerns will maximize visibility, remove potential hiding places, and establish designated entry points that can be easily monitored. Security-based designs also call for uniform lighting to illuminate walkways and entry points.

Building Security Upgrades

Upgrading existing facilities can require a different approach. If your facility has large ground-level windows, for example, you may want to add security bollards to prevent vehicles from gaining entry by ramming through windows. Fortunately, today’s bollards come in a variety of styles and sizes; and whether a metal pole or a concrete structure, many bollards can serve a dual purpose—as a decorative planter, for example. This allows you to add security without sacrificing aesthetics.

Even smaller windows can make a commercial building vulnerable, if they’re easily broken and large enough for an intruder to slip through. One easy and fairly inexpensive way to protect these windows is to add security bars or grilles. These deterrents can be customized and are highly effective at keeping intruders out.

The side of a glass office building with well-trimmed landscaping and lots of exterior lights
Discourage intruders with well-lit exterior areas and landscaping that provides clear visibility.

But grillwork has its disadvantages, and perhaps the primary one is simply that these additions can be unattractive and make buildings look less inviting to visitors. Bars and grilles can also prevent firefighters from accessing a building—a serious safety issue. They also don’t work well on historic buildings.

For these reasons, facilities managers are turning to more aesthetically pleasing solutions, like window security film. Nearly invisible to the naked eye, this film is typically applied to the inside of a window, and serves two important security functions. It can help prevent flying glass shards from forced entry, vandalism, and even explosions. Window film can also delay intruders, helping to protect occupants (and assets) and giving police and security personnel additional response time.

Doors that Enhance Building Security

The type of doors used in your facility can also have a big impact on safety. Fortunately, there are even more safety options with doors than with windows. Security doors are available in wood, metal, and even reinforced glass. And all of these materials are available with different levels of strength. So, for example, you can choose metal-core doors for exterior purposes, and stick with plain wood for interior doors. There are specialized doors that can resist fire or gunshots, and some doors can shield against radiation—making them ideal for laboratories, data centers, and other sensitive areas.

Compared to reinforced security doors, traditional glass doors provide significantly less protection. Nevertheless, glass can be an appropriate material for low-security applications such as lockable office doors, where appearance is the biggest concern.

But even with glass doors, electric or magnetic strike locks are a must to achieve a reasonable level of security. In addition, doors and locks should be combined with access control systems, security cameras, sensors, and alarms to fully protect a facility.

Lighting and Environmental Design

Lighting and environmental design determine how your buildings look from the street. In many ways, they are your facility’s aesthetic. But these two elements also play an important role in building security.

Lighting is particularly important from a security standpoint. In a randomized controlled study of 80 public housing developments with elevated crime levels in New York, about half received new, temporary street lights and half did not. The study’s authors found that developments that received the new lights experienced crime rates significantly lower than predicted by past history.

Proper outdoor lighting not only deters antisocial behavior, it also makes your cameras and physical security more effective and provides an additional element of protection that helps secure every corner of your property. And these improved security results can be obtained without keeping the lights on 24/7. Motion sensors ensure that lights come on only when needed, saving energy—and even taking a potential intruder by surprise.

High-resolution security cameras provide clear images and video footage under a variety of lighting conditions.

Well-planned exterior lighting is such an effective security tool that it’s included as a key component of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED, often pronounced “sep-ted”). CPTED is a multi-disciplinary approach to building security that leverages architectural design along with careful management of built and natural environments to achieve high levels of security at a reasonable price. The basic principles of CPTED include:

  • Natural Surveillance – using good lighting and trimmed landscaping to increase visibility.
  • Natural Access Control – directing people and vehicles through designated areas.
  • Territorial Reinforcement – personalizing areas with gardens or artwork to signal ownership.
  • Regular Maintenance – keeping spaces well-maintained in order to signal constant occupancy and vigilance.

Technology Plays a Key Role in Building Security

Doors, locks, and other physical barriers are the elementary building blocks of building security. But for higher-level security you need to incorporate technology-based systems—for surveillance, access control, and intrusion alarms—to provide truly comprehensive security. As with all things technological, these systems have grown more sophisticated in recent years.

Surveillance Systems

Surveillance cameras are everywhere. Video doorbells and dash cams can be found all around the world, in major urban areas like London and New York, in suburban areas across the country, and even in rural towns. And this is especially true for commercial buildings.

Offices and other business facilities were among the first places to get surveillance technology. For commercial facilities managers, these tools—and the high-quality images they capture—are essential. Surveillance cameras help building personnel keep tabs on entrances, high-traffic areas, storage spaces, and other key locations, simply by monitoring a video feed in an office.

This is why security experts recommend utilizing high-resolution cameras that provide clear images and video footage in a variety of lighting conditions, and work well with systems that allow for remote monitoring. Camera systems today can also be enhanced with advanced analytics software, allowing them to detect specific objects and types of potential physical threats, so they can alert security personnel before the threat is obvious.

Before installing surveillance systems in and around your facility, however, it’s essential to be familiar with state and federal laws governing workplace surveillance. Generally, employers have the right to monitor workplace activities to ensure security, but there are limits. Certain spaces, such as break rooms and restrooms, are almost universally off limits. Employers must also notify employees about the presence of surveillance technology and the extent of the surveillance.

Access Control Systems

Access control systems manage access to buildings and sensitive areas through smartphone apps, physical credentials like keycards and ID badges, or even (in particularly sensitive areas) through biometrics such as fingerprints, iris patterns, and facial features.

These systems are not restricted to doors. They can also be used to manage access to elevators, gates, lockers, and even printers. Besides preventing unauthorized people from entering your building or certain designated areas inside, the systems can also help manage visitors by setting access schedules and limits for specific groups, such as full-time employees, contractors, and vendors.

Intrusion Detection Systems

As with fire safety systems, a vital part of comprehensive building security is ensuring that any unauthorized access is detected and triggers an alarm. This serves as a deterrent to potential intruders and immediately warns facility staff, a security monitoring center, or law enforcement that there’s an intruder. Sensors can detect if doors are opened, windows are broken, or motion is detected in a particular area. Alarms can be set to silently alert security personnel, or ring loudly, alerting everyone in the vicinity of the intrusion.

A newer type of security, known as thermal perimeter detection, leverages state-of-the-art thermal imaging technology and intelligent analytics to protect facilities from intrusion, theft, and even exterior vandalism—a growing concern for some businesses.

Preventing Vandalism

Even if intruders don’t enter your facility, they can still cause extensive damage through vandalism. The Houston Chronicle reports that a single incident of vandalism costs small businesses an average of over $3,300. And organizations of all sizes are currently coping with an epidemic of copper theft from wiring and pipes. Given the high price of copper, it’s likely this metal will remain a popular target for quite some time.

How can facilities managers deal with this exterior threat?

Among steps that can be taken to prevent vandalism are installing surveillance cameras in parking lots and outdoor storage areas, ensuring that your lighting system covers these areas, and using anti-graffiti coatings on walls and other structures. Protective security patrols can also help.

Maintenance also plays a key role. Security experts warn that vandalism must be repaired quickly, as criminals look for easy opportunities, and signs of graffiti and other types of vandalism can encourage further attacks.

Improving Your Building Security

With any major project, knowing your facility’s existing condition is an essential first step. Before embarking on a building security upgrade, it’s important to conduct a comprehensive audit to identify vulnerabilities, evaluate the existing system, and uncover areas that need improvement.

Key elements of an audit include:

  • Environmental components. The facility’s location and terrain can help or hinder security. Could your existing landscaping and external design features serve as hiding places or means of access?
  • Physical barriers and access points. If the property has gates, are they secure and working properly? Can all access points—doors, windows, and turnstiles—be locked and secured? Be sure to also evaluate bollards, reinforced glass, doors, and hinges.
  • Lighting. Is everything working properly and providing adequate light? Do you have back-up lighting in case of a power failure?
  • Surveillance and intrusion detection. Do you have video cameras monitoring entrances, exits, stairwells, and other access points? Is the footage continually monitored? Do you have ID readers and sensors at all access points to detect forced entry, and are all alarms working properly and tested regularly?
  • Procedures and training. Do you have documented procedures for your program as a whole and for individual, key sectors? Do you have an ongoing training program for security staff? And do your employees understand the need for the security systems, as well as their own security obligations?
  • Emergencies. Do you have procedures in place to respond to natural disasters like fires, floods, and earthquakes, or incidents of workplace violence? In the event of an emergency, will your security personnel be immediately notified? Is there a training protocol in place to conduct regular drills and ensure that all staff know their evacuation routes, roll call practices, and emergency contacts?

An audit should provide information about the state of the systems you have in place and where security may be lacking. To optimize your audit, you may want to consult with external security experts as part of the review process.

Conducting a yearly assessment ensures that your security systems and protocols are effectively safeguarding your facility, people, and assets. Such a review might reveal a need to change safety or maintenance protocols, or invest in new technology. Keep in mind that while installing and maintaining high-quality security systems can be expensive, the cost of not doing so can be even higher.

21st Century Building Security

Unfortunately, building security threats are constantly evolving. To keep up, facility professionals must remain vigilant and be prepared to incorporate new defense protocols and technologies. Not every facility requires a Fort Knox level of security, but all facilities require a multilayered security system that reduces the likelihood of unauthorized access to the facility as a whole, as well as additional security in the interior for particularly sensitive areas.

Of course, in the 21st century, physical security is only half the battle. As every aspect of our lives becomes more intertwined with IoT technology, building cybersecurity has become just as important as physical building security—which is why it’s the topic of Part Two of this series.  

Your Partner in Building Safety

If you need to upgrade your facility’s infrastructure, PRIDE Industries can help. We bring decades of expertise in maintenance, engineering services, and facilities management to every customer we serve. Our comprehensive programs, combined with solutions-oriented management, enable us to deliver exceptional results every day to over 140 million square feet of facilities, from commercial and government buildings to medical centers and manufacturing plants. Contact us to learn what we can do for you.
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Fire is a growing risk nationally, making building fire safety a top priority for facilities managers.

Over the past decade, nonresidential fires have increased by 19%, with fire-related deaths up 70%. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there were an estimated 110,000 nonresidential fires nationwide in 2023 alone, resulting in 130 deaths, 1,200 injuries, and losses of more than $3 billion.

Numbers like these are a big reason why fire safety is top of mind for many facilities managers. Fortunately, new technologies are making it easier to enhance any facility’s building fire safety.

Prevention and Suppression Systems for Building Fire Safety

For maximum building fire safety, structures should include both active detection and alarm systems—which can automatically trigger countermeasures like sprinklers—and passive systems that are part of the building’s structure.

In today’s modern commercial facility, the same smart technology that optimizes a building’s energy use and access security can help improve building fire safety.

Detection and Alarm Systems

Commercial fire alarm systems include detection devices for smoke, heat, and flames, a control panel, and notification devices such as sirens and strobes. There are two primary types of commercial fire alarm systems: conventional and addressable.

Conventional systems have long been the industry standard. They use wired analog signals to link initiating devices (like smoke detectors) to the control panel and allow responders to determine the general location of the fire. These systems are reliable and affordable, but there is a tendency for false alarms.

Addressable systems are digital. Each device in this system has its own unique address, which enables building personnel to pinpoint a fire’s location within a building. In addition, because addressable systems use a single cabling loop, it’s easy to integrate new devices into the system, which makes addressable systems much more scalable and customizable than conventional ones. This is a big reason why, despite their higher cost, managers of large buildings prefer them over conventional fire detection and alarm systems.

Wireless systems use radio frequency or other wireless communication methods, rather than physical wiring, to transmit signals between initiating devices and the control panel. This type of system can be either addressable or conventional, and is typically easier to install than a conventional system. Because wireless technology eliminates the need for extensive wiring, this type of system is ideal for historic buildings and other structures where it’s difficult to run new wiring.

Initiating Devices

Whether a fire detection system is conventional or addressable, it relies on sensitive detection technology to initiate a response. These initiating devices include:

  • Smoke detectors that detect smoke particles in the air
  • Heat detectors that respond to changes in temperature
  • Flame detectors that use infrared or ultraviolet sensors to detect flames
  • Gas detectors that pick up on harmful gases which could indicate a fire or other health hazard
  • Duct detectors that are designed to detect smoke or heat within HVAC systems

The oldest initiating device is the manual pull system, which is still an essential part of any fire safety system.

Passive Systems Improve Building Fire Safety

In addition to using technology to detect a fire and alert first responders, today’s facilities are also built to mitigate the impact of a fire when it does occur, using passive systems that can contain and slow down the spread of fire and smoke within a building. The following passive safety measures are required by modern building codes, but if the buildings you manage were built before these codes went into effect, you may want to retrofit to include these improvements:

  • Dampers to prevent the fire and smoke from spreading through ducts and wall openings
  • Fire Doors that can withstand high temperatures and contain a fire’s spread
  • Fire-Resistant Glass Partitions that can withstand high temperatures for an extended period
  • Smoke and Fire Curtains made of flexible fire-resistant fabric that automatically deploy when a fire is detected, sealing off elevators, stairwells, and other openings

Fire Suppression Systems that Support Building Fire Safety

Once a fire has been detected, the next step is to put it out. Fortunately, there are several types of commercial fire suppression systems, each with its own distinct benefits.

The wet pipe sprinkler system is the workhorse of fire suppression systems. The system relies on a network of pipes that are filled with pressurized water, ready for immediate discharge. Each sprinkler head contains a heat-sensitive element—either a glass bulb filled with liquid or a fusible link. When a fire starts, the heat causes the temperature around the sprinkler head to rise. Once the temperature exceeds the rated threshold (around 155°F/68°C), the glass bulb bursts or the fusible link melts, opening the sprinkler head.

A triangular graphic showing the three elements required for a fire to burn—heat, fuel, and oxygen
To prevent or extinguish a fire, you need to remove one or more of the elements of the fire triangle.

Because the system’s pipes are already full, water is released immediately through the activated sprinkler head and directed onto the fire. Only the sprinkler heads exposed to sufficient heat will activate, ensuring that water is delivered directly to the fire’s location rather than the entire building. The water is sprayed in a specific pattern, controlled by the sprinkler head’s deflector, to cool the flames, reduce heat, and limit the spread of fire. The wet pipe sprinkler system is extremely reliable, and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends it as the go-to system for most buildings.

But in areas where temperatures drop below freezing, dry pipe systems are preferred. Dry pipe systems operate much like wet pipe systems, except that instead of being filled with pressurized water, the system’s pipes are filled with pressurized air or nitrogen. Once a sprinkler head is triggered, the pressurized gas escapes and a valve opens, allowing water from insulated pipes to flow.

Pre-action sprinkler systems add an extra layer of activation to dry pipe systems. Instead of relying only on heat to trigger the sprinkler head, a secondary initiating device, like a smoke detector, must confirm that there is a fire before the suppression system can deploy. This precautionary approach prevents accidental water discharge, making pre-action sprinkler systems ideal for environments where water damage would be especially costly or disruptive, such as data centers, museums, libraries, archival vaults, and freezer warehouses.

While water is the most common fire suppressant used in fire safety systems, it’s not ideal for certain types of structures. Water is highly destructive to electronics, paper documents, and sensitive artifacts, which is why some museums and factories rely on chemical non-liquid systems that use inert gases like argon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide to snuff out flames through oxygen starvation, minimizing collateral damage. These gases also leave no residue and so make post-fire cleanup easier.

Similarly, areas with flammable liquids or chemicals may need to look at foam water systems, where water is mixed with foam concentrate to smother the fire.

Portable Fire Suppression

In addition to building-wide, automated fire suppression systems, hand-held fire extinguishers provide another layer of defense against fire. Regulations in most states require that fire extinguishers be mounted within 75 feet of any area within a building. This proximity can allow building occupants to begin fighting a fire even before the automated systems kick in.

There are four different types of fire extinguishers:

  • Class A extinguishers use water-based agents for standard combustible materials like paper and wood.
  • Class B models use chemical agents to smother commercial grease, motor oil, and gasoline fires.
  • Class C varieties use non-conductive agents to fight electrical fires.
  • Class K extinguishers use wet chemical agents to extinguish the cooking oil and grease fires that can occur in restaurants and other commercial kitchens.

Extinguishers should be inspected monthly and replaced every five to 15 years.

Smart Technology Enhances Building Fire Safety

As with most aspects of operating a modern commercial facility, fire prevention and suppression is benefiting from new technologies. The same smart building technology that optimizes a building’s energy use can help improve building fire safety.

Smart fire alarms can be integrated with HVAC and access-control systems to provide a unified emergency response. Smart systems deliver real-time notifications, including the nature and location of the emergency, to smartphones. These systems can automatically initiate defensive actions, like shutting down elevators and unlocking doors for evacuation. Smart systems can also improve proactive maintenance by analyzing data from sensors to predict when problems are likely to occur.

The spread of the internet of things (IoT) is one of the developments that has brought fire safety into a new era. For example, smart smoke detectors can differentiate between harmless smoke and a real fire, reducing false alarms. And if there is a fire, these devices can catch it sooner. Using thermal imaging cameras, these systems can quickly identify unusual temperature increases, even in low-visibility conditions—enabling fire alarms to sound earlier and suppression systems to deploy sooner.

Smart signage and wayfinding systems are two more developments that are making buildings safer. In the event of a fire, these systems provide occupants with clear and swift evacuation routes, and can even modify routes as conditions change, making evacuations safer. 

And fire safety technology continues to evolve. Experts see several new developments on the horizon—using AI for predictive maintenance and risk analysis, employing virtual reality in emergency scenario responses, and adding 5G connectivity for faster speeds and more efficient communication.

Maintenance and Continuous Improvement

Installing the most up-to-date fire safety equipment is only effective if the equipment is properly maintained and your response teams are fully prepared. This is why proper recordkeeping and regular inspections are so critical to building fire safety.

Routine Inspections and Training to Enhance Building Fire Safety

A well-defined inspection and maintenance schedule that follows national and local standards is critical for ensuring the safety of your facilities. Trained personnel should conduct regular visual inspections to check for obvious signs of wear and tear, note any obstructions to fire protection system components, and check for changes to furniture layouts or other structural matters that could affect system performance.

The wet pipe sprinkler system is the most common fire suppression system found in commercial buildings.

Facilities staff should also regularly test alarm systems and emergency lights, ensure emergency exits and pathways remain unobstructed, and conduct spot checks on high-risk equipment.

Smoke detectors should be tested monthly. Heat detectors should be inspected every six months or so for signs of dust or debris that might affect performance. And both these types of initiating devices need to be replaced after 10 years, as their reliability diminishes over time.

Manual pull stations should be cleaned and tested annually by a professional technician. In addition, fire extinguishers should be checked for any signs of tampering and to ensure optimal pressure. Any problems discovered should be addressed immediately to maintain compliance and safety.

Recordkeeping and Documentation

Fire safety recordkeeping isn’t just essential for maintaining your fire detection and suppression systems, it’s required by law. Regardless of size, every business must maintain an organized, up-to-date log of all fire protection systems, inspections, and maintenance. Doing so is essential for proving compliance with fire safety regulations and preparing your facility for inspections. 

The types of records that should be maintained include:

  • Fire Drill Logs that record the timing and results of scheduled fire drills, ensuring that employees know how to evacuate the building safely in the event of a fire
  • Equipment Maintenance Logs that track the servicing, repairs, and inspections of fire protection systems
  • Inspection Reports that must be kept up to date and stored in an accessible format, whether inspections are conducted by internal teams or third-party fire safety companies

Here again, smart technologies can help. A Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), for example, makes it simple to maintain fire drill logs and fire safety equipment maintenance records by automating, centralizing, and streamlining critical safety tasks. A CMMS system is also ideal for automating scheduling and issuing reminders. The system can both assign tasks and track their completion, providing managers with real-time alerts and updates.

A New Era in Building Fire Safety

In 2023, fires in commercial facilities led to almost $3.2 billion in commercial property and other losses. As this figure makes clear, building fire safety is a crucial element of any business’ asset management strategy. Fortunately, new technology is making fire risk mitigation easier than ever. Today’s smart building technologies help facilities managers respond faster, meet compliance requirements more easily, and optimize operational efficiency—using a proactive, layered approach to fire safety that protects people, property, and operations.

Your Partner for Optimal Efficiency and Safety

Looking to bring greater automation to your facilities maintenance? PRIDE Industries can help. With more than 35 years of facilities management experience, and expertise in the latest safety and maintenance technologies, we can help you minimize energy consumption, reduce fire risk, and optimize the value of all your facility’s assets.
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Water conservation is a win-win for most commercial facilities. With a strong commercial water management program, facilities managers are able to satisfy tenants and community leaders looking for sustainability—while saving significant amounts of money.

The latter is especially true today. Water utilities are experiencing cost increases due to higher energy expenditures, catchups on deferred maintenance, increased wages, and in some cases, the need to import water from distant sources. These increased expenditures are being passed along to utility customers, and can hit corporate users especially hard, as commercial facilities are one of the largest consumers of water—according to the EPA, commercial buildings consume approximately 17 percent of the public water supply each year.

Fortunately, a robust water conservation plan can reduce water consumption by as much as 45 percent, leading to significant savings.

Understanding Your Facility’s Water Usage

High-impact facility upgrades include replacing outdated plumbing fixtures, optimizing cooling towers, installing submeters, and—where possible—reducing outdoor water use with desert-friendly flora.

Water use varies greatly by type of facility. In most office complexes, restrooms use the bulk of the facility’s water. Hospitals, restaurants, and other facilities have additional water needs. But no matter what type of facility you manage, developing a water conservation plan will follow similar steps.

Determine Your Annual Water Use and Costs

In order to develop a commercial water management plan, you need to know how much water your facility uses in a year. Getting this information can be as simple as adding up the amounts reported in your water bills. If you already employ submetering, you should be able to assess fairly accurately which areas and functions within your facility—landscaping, air conditioning, restrooms, etc.—are hogging the most water.

If you don’t have submeters, you may have to estimate your usage. Fortunately, there are tools that can help with this, such as portable ultrasonic water meters that clamp onto pipes to measure water flow at various points along the pipe.

Conduct a Water Audit

Once you understand where and how water is consumed in your facility, you can identify opportunities for more efficient water use. In other words, you need to conduct a water audit.

Begin your water audit by walking through your facility and identifying every point where water is used. Document each device that uses water—such as toilets, faucets, and irrigation systems—along with their locations and their flow rate. And be sure to include mechanical equipment such as boilers and cooling towers, which use a significant amount of water.

The audit is also a good time to check plumbing and related fixtures to make sure they’re in working order. Fixing drips and leaks is the low-hanging fruit of the water conservation tree.

Other easy conservation steps include:

  • Checking water submeters installed on major water-using equipment and systems.
  • Testing water pressure on each floor of a building to ensure it is within optimal range for fixture and equipment performance.
  • Checking and adjusting automatic sensors and metering the faucets to ensure accurate timing and delivery of water per cycle.
  • Testing and calibrating automatic- and sensor-flushing devices to prevent double/phantom flushes.
  • Ensuring irrigation schedules are appropriate for your region’s climate and soil conditions.

Analyze Trends

Once you’ve audited your systems, the next step is to spot patterns and opportunities for improvement.  There are many different tools available to help with water use analyses, including water management software, smart water meters, and water management sensors that can detect leaks and other anomalies. The EPA’s WaterSense Water Use and Savings Evaluation (WaterUSE) Tool is a good free resource that details how to conduct a water audit and analyze the results.

Develop a Commercial Water Management Plan

Now that you know how much water you’re using and where it’s being used, you can develop your commercial water management plan. The EPA recommends that you begin by bringing building owners, facility management staff, senior management, and any other key decisionmakers together to develop a list of goals and policy initiatives. In addition, including employees from different parts of the organization in the goal-setting process will promote a sense of ownership across the company. Once water conservation goals have been developed, they should be communicated to the entire organization. Having senior management or the building owners communicate these goals will send a message to employees (or tenants) that water conservation is a priority.

An old-fashioned faucet, with a slow drip, in an office building bathroom
Even a slow drip can waste up to 3,000 gallons a year.

Examples of commercial water management goals may include:

  • Reducing water use by a certain percentage per year for a period of years to reach a target reduction goal, using the facility’s current water consumption as the baseline.
  • Completing projects identified through the planning process within a set timeframe.
  • Upgrading targeted areas such as mechanical systems, restrooms, or commercial kitchens.
  • Establishing a leak-detection program to identify and correct any unaccounted water use that could be due to leaks.

Once water conservation goals have been set, it’s time to create an action plan for achieving these goals. Which actions or projects will lead to the desired reduction in water use? What are the associated costs for these changes, and what are the potential savings? Will improvements be funded through operating expenses or capital funding mechanisms?

Some upgrades involve significant up-front costs. Fortunately, rebates and incentive programs from local water utilities or state governments can help reduce those costs.  For example, the East Bay Municipal Utilities District offers a variety of incentives to support commercial customers, including free water-saving devices and customizable rebates up to $15,000 for landscape and equipment upgrades. Similarly, the Metropolitan Water District in Southern California offers business customers rebates for several types of upgrades, including water-saving toilets and urinals, more efficient cooling tower pH controllers, and even landscaping equipment. Many localities offer incentives for more efficient water use, so be sure to explore the rebate programs available from your local water utility or state agency.

Prevent Water Waste

One of the least expensive ways to conserve water is to prevent it from being wasted in the first place. And two of the most important ways to do this are to monitor your plumbing system for leaks, and to educate the people working in your facility about water-saving steps they can take every day.

Leak Detection and Repair

Leaks are a common cause of water waste. A dripping faucet may seem minor, but just one faucet leaking at a rate of one drip per second will waste 3,000 gallons of water a year. Regular maintenance checks will ensure that these “minor” leaks are caught quickly, and fortunately, most leaks can be repaired simply and inexpensively.

Submetering devices allow you to pinpoint opportunities for water savings.

When searching for leaks, it’s important to check behind walls and other hard-to-reach places. There are several types of handheld devices that use non-invasive thermal imaging to detect leaks, while drones can be used to inspect upper floors, rooftops, and other elevated locations. Finally, visual inspection tools like borescopes can allow your staff to see inside narrow and difficult-to-access spaces. Using the right tools will make your inspection process easier and less expensive.

When it comes to fixing water waste, smart water meters can make a big difference. These devices monitor water flow and will automatically alert you to unusual patterns. Some smart meters can even shut off a water line automatically if a significant, unexpected flow is detected.

When tightening up water use, be sure to look outside the building as well. Landscaping can be a water hog, so any efficiencies gained here can significantly impact the bottom line. Make sure that your landscaping personnel regularly check irrigation systems for leaks. Since sprinklers and drip lines are often run after business hours—when no one may be around to notice leakage—it’s important to proactively check lines and systems for leaks and other malfunctions.

Employee education

Your maintenance staff plays a crucial role in identifying and rectifying water waste, but your facility’s tenants and employees also play a big role in how water is used. To turn your facility’s occupants into water conservation allies, you can:

  • Hold regular training sessions to educate occupants about simple conservation steps like turning off faucets (if manually operated). Occupants can also be taught to identify common signs of leaks, such as water stains, musty odors, and mold growth. Using visual aids like videos and diagrams to show where leaks commonly occur can be helpful. And make it easy for occupants to report possible leaks by setting up a phone number or dedicated email address they can reach out to.
  • Create a culture of awareness in which occupants feel responsible for reporting potential issues. You can even develop a program that rewards occupants who report leaks or engage in other water conservation efforts.

Upgrade fixtures and equipment

Some of the highest-impact facility upgrades are replacing outdated plumbing fixtures, optimizing cooling towers, installing submeters, and reducing outdoor water use with desert-friendly flora that require less irrigation. You can garner big water savings by replacing older fixtures and systems with water-conserving devices that meet today’s standards. For example, if your facility was built before 1992, it may still have toilets that use as much as five gallons of water per flush. Today’s toilets must comply with the federal standard of 1.6 gallons per flush, or state standards (such as California’s) mandating no more than 1.28 gallons. Replacing these water-wasting toilets can make a big difference in water consumption.

Other major savings can be found by:

  • Integrating meters and submeters. Meters and submeters can be integrated into a centralized building management system, making it easy to track and report water usage on an hourly, daily, monthly, or annual basis. Such a system can also trigger alerts when leaks or other operational anomalies are detected.
  • Optimizing cooling tower operations to minimize water loss. One way to do this is to maximize the cycle of concentration (or concentration ratio). When water evaporates from a tower, dissolved solids remain in the recirculating water, but as more water evaporates, the concentration of solids increases and can cause scale to form, which also can lead to corrosion problems. Removing a portion of the highly concentrated water and replacing it with fresh make-up water to compensate for evaporation is the most significant way of conserving water in cooling tower operations. In some cases, water from other equipment at the facility, such as air handler condensate, can be recycled and reused for this make-up water.
  • Reducing irrigation watering. There are several ways to do this, like switching to drought-resistant landscaping, which can cut outdoor water use by up to 50 percent. Shrubs can be watered through drip irrigation instead of sprinklers. Another water-saving tactic is to install weather-based irrigation controllers, which let you water plants based on temperature and rainfall.
  • Upgrading equipment. Upgrading key equipment is one of the most effective ways to improve water conservation while maintaining system efficiency. In addition to switching to water-saving toilets, consider upgrading your boilers and chillers (especially if they’re more than a few years old) with newer, higher-efficiency models.

Implement Recycling and Reuse Systems

Cooling towers aren’t the only areas where water can be reused. Facilities can also reuse treated wastewater from sinks and showers, for example, for non-potable purposes like toilet flushing or irrigation. Doing this, however, requires a dedicated greywater system, and the costs of retrofitting an existing facility to incorporate a greywater system can be prohibitive. So, make sure to explore the cost thoroughly before making any decisions.

In areas with significant rainfall, rainwater harvesting systems can be installed, particularly where the roof is large enough to collect a sufficient volume of water. The water is funneled into storage containers, either above ground or below ground. Equipment is available to filter the water before it reaches the storage container in order to remove dirt, debris, and organic material. Using harvested  rainwater for landscaping is usually easier than using it indoors. If you plan to use the water for indoor applications or cooling towers, pumps and additional pipes will be needed. Make sure you check with local authorities first to find out if these systems are permitted and what requirements they may have. Sometimes rebates or incentives may be available to offset some of the costs of installing a water harvesting system.

Monitor and Evaluate Progress

Like anything else, preventing water waste is an ongoing process. Once you’ve established your baseline of water use and implemented your water-saving projects, you’ll need to monitor your water consumption to determine the effectiveness of your conservation system, compare current water use to your goals and benchmarks, and adjust practices accordingly.

Fortunately, there are tools to help you monitor your savings and alert you to any issues that need to be addressed. These tools include water meters, flow sensors, smart devices, and software applications

You may also want to consider conducting retro-commissioning audits. Ideally performed every five years, these audits identify operational inefficiencies and allow facilities engineers to make needed adjustments. Although primarily a tool for energy conservation, the audits can also be used to monitor water conservation.

Reaping the Benefits of Commercial Water Management

In addition to enabling you to save water (and money), a robust commercial water management plan can help you:

  • Ensure regulatory compliance. Many states are tightening their water use regulations. Water-scarce California, for example, imposed mandatory 25 percent cutbacks on water use during a drought in 2014.
  • Support LEED certification efforts. Implementing water efficiency plans demonstrates your company’s commitment to environmental stewardship and may help qualify you for the prestigious LEED certification, raising your company profile and distinguishing you from competitors.
  • Champion resiliency. By reducing dependence on limited local water resources, water-efficient properties are less vulnerable to fluctuations in water supply from weather-related disasters. Reducing water consumption also ensures a more sustainable water supply for your surrounding community.

Saving money is just one of the many benefits of reducing water use. Fortunately, with current technologies—and the right commercial water management plan—it’s easier than ever to reduce, reuse, and recycle your facility’s most precious resource.

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Technology is transforming every aspect of building management, and HVAC systems are no exception. Modern HVAC technology not only improves energy efficiency but also enhances comfort, air quality, and sustainability—all critical factors for today’s facilities managers.

Modern HVAC systems are far more energy-efficient than older models. In fact, the National Institute of Building Sciences reports that the use of high-performance HVAC technology can result in energy and cost savings of between 10 and 40 percent. In addition, buildings equipped with technologies that provide dehumidified air in the summer can see savings of between 40 and 70 percent.

The U.S. Department of Energy notes that besides cost savings, there are numerous other benefits from new HVAC technology, including improved occupant comfort, better indoor air quality (IAQ), and lower equipment noise and vibration—benefits that, according to the DOE, are as important to end users as energy savings. New zero- or low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerants, for example, emit few greenhouse gases, making it easier for companies to reach their net-zero goals.

A typical HVAC system accounts for about 40 percent of a commercial building’s energy consumption. Several new technologies are designed to lower that number.

Today, facilities managers can choose from a wide range of technologies to create an HVAC system that best suits their particular circumstances and goals. Here are five important benefits that today’s HVAC technology can provide.

Real-Time Management of HVAC Systems

Until recently, most facilities managers used occupant complaints as a guide for HVAC system settings, which often meant that settings were adjusted once for a specific time of day or a season and left alone for years. Today, thanks to artificial intelligence, facilities managers can monitor and control the HVAC system remotely based on real-time data from sensors, optimizing both occupant comfort and energy efficiency. Three different HVAC technologies help make this possible.

IoT-Enabled Systems

In the same way that the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming manufacturing and healthcare, it’s also remaking facilities management. Commonly used IoT devices in HVAC applications include:

  • Smart thermostats that learn user preferences and automatically adjust temperature based on learned schedules.
  • Occupancy sensors that trigger lowered HVAC output when a room is empty, thus preventing wasted heating or cooling.
  • Air quality monitors that trigger the system to adjust ventilation and activate air filtration as needed.
  • Chiller optimization sensors, which adjust the performance of the building’s centralized cooling system.

Smart HVAC technology that utilizes IoT and artificial intelligence (AI) can increase energy efficiency by 30 percent, resulting in a payback period of fewer than 15 years.

AI and Machine Learning

By analyzing performance patterns and detecting anomalies, AI and its subset machine learning (ML) can proactively schedule maintenance to prevent critical failures, maximizing system uptime and reducing costs. AI also simplifies the detection of faults and speeds the diagnoses of HVAC system issues, which can be complex and time-consuming. The smart thermostats mentioned above, for example, use machine learning algorithms to learn occupants’ preferences and optimize temperature settings accordingly.

Cloud-Based Management

Businesses are increasingly turning to cloud-based solutions for all aspects of their facilities management, including control of the HVAC system. Cloud-based HVAC systems allow for equipment to be controlled remotely, and as the software is updated regularly, these systems have greater scalability than in-house solutions. They also have lower upfront and ongoing costs.

HVAC Technology Fuels Energy Efficiency, Electrification, and Sustainability

Typical HVAC systems account for about 40 percent of a commercial building’s energy consumption, so in a world of rising energy costs, it makes sense for facility managers to look for savings. Several new technologies deliver on that promise.

High-Efficiency Systems

High-efficiency systems are engineered to deliver more comfort, better moisture control, improved indoor air quality, and quieter operation. One of the primary technologies in commercial applications is variable-refrigerant-flow (VRF) heat pumps for heating and cooling. These devices are similar to air conditioners in the way they use refrigerants instead of air, but they’re different in that they can both heat and cool the air, replacing the need for a separate system for heat.

A newer type of heat pump—groundwater-based geothermal heat pumps—have been found to be up to 44 percent more efficient than VRF-based heat pumps. And contrary to initial expectations, this type of heat pump works well even in cold climates. Solar-based heat pumps, which are becoming popular in residential settings, require a backup power source for commercial uses, given their variable energy source.

A geothermal heat pump for a commercial building, mounted next to a wall
Geothermal heat pumps can be more efficient than VRF-based versions, and work well even in cold climates.

Electrification

An energy-conserving trend in recent years has been the electrification of space heating and hot water systems, as these two systems represent about one-third of the total energy consumed by commercial buildings. Besides heat pumps, other technologies include electric boilers for hot water and heat pump-based hot water systems.

Eco-Friendly Refrigerants

Regulations for more eco-friendly refrigerants that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions were set to take effect in 2025, but the Department of Energy postponed their implementation. Facility managers should pay close attention to this regulatory situation. Also, be aware that HVAC experts warn that these new refrigerants have different characteristics than current products, including greater flammability. Businesses adopting the new refrigerants will need to be sure that their maintenance staff has been trained to install the equipment safely.

Indoor Air Quality and Health-Focused HVAC

Maintaining high indoor air quality promotes a healthier environment for occupants, reduces the risk of health conditions like sick building syndrome, and even enhances productivity. Here are some ways technology can help.

Advanced Filtration

Advanced air filtration technologies such as UV light filtration and multistage filtration processes gained popularity during the pandemic. These systems can remove pollutants, pathogens, and particulates from the air more efficiently than ever. In addition, UV light can be used to sterilize areas where mold easily breeds, such as cooling coils and air ducts.

Air Quality Monitoring

Indoor air quality monitors measure pollutants such as particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and formaldehyde on a room-to-room basis. They can help determine if ventilation needs to be increased, air purifiers activated, or humidifiers turned off.

Smart Ventilation and Humidity Control

These HVAC technology systems use sensors and automated controls to monitor and dynamically adjust air humidity and ventilation. Exhaust fans or energy recovery ventilation systems, which exchange the energy contained in normally exhausted air to treat incoming outdoor air, can be helpful in high-humidity locales.

Responsive and Remote Operations

From AI-enhanced monitoring and predictive maintenance to advanced filtration and ventilation technologies, recent HVAC innovations are setting new standards in building health, efficiency, and environmental control. These and other smart HVAC technologies are leading the way to the future of HVAC systems. It’s a future in which facilities managers will be able to adjust their HVAC systems on a dime, without having to leave their offices.

For example, AI-powered direct digital controls allow the system to be monitored and controlled via a remote user interface which receives data from sensors and thermostats that measure temperature and humidity levels. Facility managers can monitor performance, detect potential heating or cooling issues early, and make adjustments remotely—long before these issues impact the comfort of building occupants. Automated systems may even be able to self-diagnose problems, allowing issues to be addressed promptly.

Many HVAC systems can now carry out text-based and voice-activated commands.

Even the HVAC control interface is changing. Many HVAC systems can now comprehend and carry out text-based and voice-activated commands. Voice assistants or mobile applications can be used by technicians to communicate with HVAC systems, making it easier and more convenient to change temperature settings, modify airflow, or keep track of energy usage. And natural language software, trained on tech support calls and other technical material, uses machine learning to help technicians solve complex problems.

Safer HVAC Maintenance

Advances in HVAC technology aren’t just increasing efficiency and enabling more precise control, they’re also making the workplace safer for HVAC technicians. Several new developments are making an impact on safety. These include:

  • Virtual reality training.
  • Automated lockout/tagout (LOTO) systems to ensure equipment is properly de-energized before work begins.
  • The use of drones for inspections in dangerous areas such as high rooftops or confined spaces.
  • Robotic arms and autonomous machines that can take over repetitive or potentially risky tasks such as tightening belts or greasing bearings.

Futureproofing Through HVAC Technology

The last 50 years have seen huge advances in HVAC technology, and these developments show no signs of slowing down. Here are a few emerging technologies that facilities managers can expect to see more of within the next few years.

Scalable Modular Systems

The use of modular HVAC systems is expected to grow in coming years. Because they are prefabricated, installation is often faster and simpler compared to traditional large-unit HVAC systems. These systems can also be customized to fit exact space requirements by adding or removing units as needed, making them highly cost-effective.

Innovative Materials

Researchers have found that polymer-based membranes (called polyimides) use less energy to dry air and are experimenting with this organic material to improve its dehumidification efficiency for HVAC use. Other new materials have the potential to significantly improve HVAC output. For example, aluminum oxide nanofluids can enhance heat transfer and improve air conditioner system performance by approximately 22 percent. These nanofluids could make it possible for facilities managers to improve HVAC performance without expensive system upgrades or replacements.

Cybersecurity for HVAC Technology

As in so many other situations, the increased use of connected devices has led to increased cybersecurity threats that exploit vulnerabilities in commercial HVAC systems. Cyberattacks on HVAC systems pose multifaceted risks to commercial buildings. These risks include unauthorized tampering with temperature and ventilation controls, disruption of critical HVAC functions, exposure of sensitive data, and in extreme cases, the compromise of entire building automation systems.

To prevent these attacks, HVAC systems under development today incorporate multiple cybersecurity technologies to restrict access to authorized personnel. These technologies include robust access control mechanisms such as multifactor authentication, role-based access controls, and secure user management systems.

HVAC Technology for Today and Tomorrow

HVAC technology has come a long way since Willis Carrier patented his “apparatus for treating air” in 1906. Today’s HVAC systems are far more efficient, responsive, and complex than their ancestors. Recent advances in technology have revolutionized commercial HVAC systems and will undoubtedly lead to even more innovations in the years to come.

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