Smart Building Blog

Before installing 75F, Merrick, Inc.’s legacy controls system was outdated and no longer supported. Due to insufficient monitoring and alerts, a heat pump failure that could not be solved for two months forced employees to wear their winter coats in the office. 

Months into the COVID-19 lockdown last year, positive headlines were few and far between. Among the limited uplifting topics to catch public attention, however, was sustainability. In December 2020, news outlets across the country wrote about data published in the journal “Earth System Science Data” that showed a 7 percent drop from fossil emission levels compared to 2019. That equates to an estimated 2.4 billion tonnes’ difference in CO2 emissions. 

While the COVID-19 pandemic was no surprise to epidemiologists around the world, many in the built environment spent spring of last year reacting to empty buildings and lockdown restrictions. Now that vaccines are in the early stages of distribution, buildings professionals may wonder how operation trends will change in the long run.

In this 75F webcast session, hosts assert that COVID-19 has only accelerated pre-existing trends in the built environment, and examine what the data can tell us about how commercial buildings and their systems will adapt and affect occupants of the future. 

While most people associate utility incentives with building efficiency upgrades, the COVID-19 pandemic has begun to spur utility providers to start initiatives for indoor air quality (IAQ). In 75F's Dec. 15 webcast session, we discussed this shift with Great River Energy and Vermont Energy Investment Corporation.

Of all the COVID-19 mitigation strategies recommended for school building operations, perhaps none are more important than proper ventilation. That’s why a June 2020 study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is revealing for schools looking to follow expert guidelines on ventilation during a pandemic this 2020-21 school year. 

Benchmarking has been a topic of interest and discussion for a long time now. In this blog, we look at what is benchmarking and why it necessary to achieve results. This is part one of our deep-dive into benchmarking. Stay tuned for the next one where we look at how to benchmark for building efficiency!