There will be five Education Sessions during RMA 2023. Each session consists of three presentations running concurrently. The description of each presentation is below.
Labs are energy intense and expensive to build & maintain. Attention to lab building design and engineering can lead to large efficiencies, but much more can be accomplished by also engaging scientists to be efficient in the way they conduct research and use lab space, reducing the need for additional lab space & infrastructure. The CU Green Labs Program, funded by FM & the Environmental Center, has been collaborating with scientists and partners (FM, EH&S, etc.) to benefit efficient science. These efforts and the resulting positive impacts to operations and research will be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
Successful energy management relies on the efficient application of solutions to manage, analyze, and apply data management to meet sustainability goals. In this presentation, attendees will learn about emerging digital solutions and sustainability strategies within the context of proper energy management. Attendees will hear lessons learned from the experience of University of Wyoming, how these applications improved energy data management to address staffing challenges. Finally, what emerging digital solutions are on the horizon that expand upon energy management and how it helps to meet sustainability goals.
Learning Objectives:
The new Science Initiative Building at the University of Wyoming has a wide variety of program space being integrated into one facility including general laboratories, BSL-2 laboratories, Imaging labs, Vivarium and an Environmentally Controlled Greenhouse. With this variety of program spaces, this could have been 3 or 4 buildings, however this team found an elegant approach to bring these programs into a state-of-the-art new mixed-use science building. This greenhouse facility takes up 2/3 of the top floor consisting of 12 individual greenhouses and a large headhouse facility.
Learning Objectives:
GLHN Architects & Engineers have completed analysis, design, and construction for The University of Wyoming, evaluating the campus’s steam and chilled water utility production and distribution systems for projected long-range growth. Portions of the steam distribution system on campus date back to the early 1920s and have surpassed the end of their useful life. The recent growth on campus has extended the coal fired steam production equipment to a point near its reliable capacity. A quality coal source that meets the 1980 vintage stoker boilers is becoming difficult to obtain. Significant energy loss is occurring within this system on account of combustion and distribution inefficiencies. The chilled water production and distribution system is also working beyond its reliable capacity. As projected growth on campus is between 1 and 3% per year, the University of Wyoming required a long term, economically feasible solution. The conclusion of the analysis revealed that a new highly efficient hot water production and distribution system and the installation of a chilled water thermal energy storage tank in the heart of the projected campus growth provides the overall best solution for the University.
Learning Objectives:
Laboratory and Vivarium Air Flow Controls maintain the critical environments required for experiments and research. These environments include the primary containment barrier at hoods and the secondary containment barrier which is the room. In larger animal vivariums, the room is the primary containment barrier.
The University of Wyoming has experienced component failure, product end of life, and maintenance issues with the several types of air flow control systems on their campus.
The University choose to retrofit the existing venturi valves with a dual blade damper air valve technology in this building, along with other buildings on campus. Using this technology also allows the ability to perform Demand Based Static Pressure Reset Control to lower the supply and exhaust fan static pressures, which in turn, reduces fan energy consumption and room sound levels. As part of the presentation, a case study will be presented on the installation of the retrofit, data comparison between the old and new air flow control system in regards to sound reductions and energy savings and how the University is able to buy time for less work orders for the facility staff.
Learning Objectives:
This presentation aims to explore the crucial aspects of leadership and personal growth within the context of higher education facilities. It delves into the crucial element of leadership skills in handling challenging situations as opportunities for learning and growth. Attendees will learn practical approaches to engage employees in constructive discussions, strengthen leadership skills, and embrace challenges as transformative learning experience
Learning Objectives:
Tulane University recently embarked on a journey to transform its campus infrastructure through a unique 30-year Energy-as-a-Service partnership. This initiative includes extensive improvements to enhance the university's sustainability and resilience, such as the construction of a 1-megawatt solar generation facility. Tulane aims to significantly reduce its annual greenhouse gas emissions and work towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 by implementing these innovative measures.
The session focuses on delivering infrastructure upgrades that enhance the resiliency and reliability of critical systems while moving buildings closer to attaining certified Net Zero Energy status. Bernhard, the project partner, is utilizing innovative technologies, such as building management and data analytics tools, Bernhard Connect®, combined heat and power (CHP) systems, asset performance monitoring, and measurement and verification (M&V) of energy savings. These tools play a vital role in driving the project's success.
Our experts highlight real-world case studies and technologies in this presentation. Participants will gain valuable insights into the key challenges faced by facility professionals and the specific measures implemented to address these challenges. Attendees will leave this session equipped with practical knowledge and strategies for navigating the overall cost of ownership in the context of emerging technologies, ultimately paving the way for smarter and more sustainable buildings of the future.
As the cost of construction has been skyrocketing, modular and pre-fab construction has been quickly gaining traction. Overcast Innovations is a construction manufacturer focused on integrated ceiling assemblies delivered as finished goods we call "Clouds". Of the many benefits of working with us we help lower the overall cost of construction and ownership, speed up the project schedule, and offer BIM modeling services at no additional charge. In addition to this, pre-fab construction is inherently more sustainable and enhance worker safety as we reduce the amount of waste on the construction site as well as reduce the need for the amount of trade labor on site (which is also expensive). As higher education is one of our primary market verticals we also have a case study for a project we collaborated with Eastern Washington University that resulted in a net carbon zero building.
Our facilities team was all reaching retirement age at the same time and we recognized immediately that we were losing significant institutional knowledge that was never going to be replaced. At the same time, we also recognized the need to implement an FCI software to help manage our deferred maintenance backlog. Implementing this software not only helped us manage our FCI, but also created a way to capture the knowledge of our retiring facility masters, journeymen and techs.
Based on our work together at North Idaho College, we share how we leveraged the Ameresco Asset Manager to create a meaningful plan forward to prioritize deferred maintenance and create significant buy-in for investment from the Idaho Permanent Building Fund Advisory Committee. We also share how implementing this software and using our internal team to create the baseline data helped engage our entire facilities team and capture so much of the invaluable knowledge of our retiring staff on our systems and facility histories.
Learning Objectives:
Using the Metropolitan State University – Health Institute Simulation & Skills Lab Project as a case study, we will delve into the innovative design of this state-of-the-art teaching and learning facility, dedicated to preparing future health professionals and leaders. Our exploration will focus on emerging trends in simulation and experiential design, along with the meticulous pre-project planning required to facilitate multiple departmental relocations and the subsequent supplemental projects aimed at creating space for the primary Simulation Lab project.
Learning Objectives:
A fundamental shift is underway in the expectations for campus thermal energy systems. Students, Administrators and lawmakers expect systems to heat and cool buildings without burning fuel on site. How can campuses hundreds of millions of dollars invested into district and building heating move toward electrification without stranding all of those investments? How much electrification can campus electrical systems support? This presentation will share information from several leading edge studies on electrification and the options for leveraging district thermal systems to enable more efficient and beneficial electrification.
Learning Objectives:
Without the collaboration and integration of environmental health and safety concerns during the building design and construction process, potential public health risks and future liability to campus occupants, staff, and operators exist. This presentation will identify established, emerging, and future hazards of which audience members should be aware. We’ll review cases that have emerged related to contaminants in building materials, including formaldehyde-emitting composite flooring, flame retardants, hazards in recycled materials, nano-sized dust particulates, and even asbestos-containing materials in buildings constructed decades after its usage was banned in most domestic building materials.
The presentation will also address concepts related to planning and monitoring of construction-related Indoor Air Quality issues, Safety Data Sheets and Global Harmonized System-Based evaluations for Hazardous Constituents, Measurement and Verification for Building Commissioning, Occupant Engagement programs, and best practices for how to “red-list” chemicals or specific building products. Participants planning new construction or renovations will learn critical information and actionable steps as part of their building design and construction process to enhance public safety and reduce health risks and potential liabilities.
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Facilities Maintenance Operations Department is experiencing increased competition to obtain and retain qualified technicians and zone maintenance personnel. We have difficulty in hiring qualified individuals in both trades and zone maintenance positions. To offset these problems we created a partnership with local vocational schools to create an internship program that leads into full time trades and zones maintenance apprenticeship programs. In doing so, we created eight approved apprenticeship programs and are currently working on three new ones.
Learning objectives:
1. Define the expectation of the internship program:
2. Define the expectations of the approved apprenticeship programs:
3. Review the next apprenticeship programs.
4. Status and Outcome of the programs.
Colorado School of Mines
McKinstry – The ESCO partner perspective for the turn-key engineering and project management:
Our facilities teams were tired, overwhelmed and often feeling slighted for their work during the Covid-19 Pandemic when others were working from home and our teams were essential workers on the front lines of every issue and challenge. This session outlines our efforts around change management and engaging our staff in the work of building a culture of togetherness. This session shares our wins, our misses, and our sometimes-hard lessons learned.
Based on our work together as two new leaders coming into the organization, this session outlines our lessons learned from a year of change management that included a re-organization of the facilities team and an overhaul of our custodial services team. The theme of our work this year has been focused on building a culture of togetherness for a division built around specific teams and silos. This session shares our communication plan used throughout the year and the strategies used to create a new culture, including hosting a division wide Facilities Fun Day to bring the team together. This session will also include our mistakes and lessons learned throughout the year as well as participant engagement to share best practices from around the region.
Learning Objectives:
