Driving Down Operational Costs with Effective Water Treatment
Programs
When it comes to managing operational budgets, operating and
maintenance (O&M) managers face more challenges than ever in
today’s economic climate. O&M budgets are constantly scrutinized
to balance the cost of maintenance with replacement of aging
capital equipment. The requirements of balancing reduced budgets
often result in reducing the frequency of critical maintenance
tasks which cause operational inefficiencies. As funds continue
to be reallocated, at times it probably seems hard to imagine
making it through the fiscal year.
The energy spend to operate
facilities is a significant cost that can be
controlled.
Effectively managing the critical components that consume
electricity can result in reducing energy spend and operational
costs. In most facilities chillers are the single largest
energy-using components and can typically account for up to 50
percent of the facility’s electrical usage. Effective water
treatment programs have a direct impact on chiller efficiency,
saving energy and paying back big dividends. Implementing
effective water treatment programs that extend the life of
critical capital equipment and maximize its operational
efficiency can offer businesses a competitive advantage. The
following six questions will help determine whether your water
treatment program is operating at peak efficiency.
... READ MORE
Coping with Rooftop Penetrations Through Standing-Seam Metal
Roofs
Standing seam metal roofing represents the state-of the art when
it comes to durable, sustainable, eco-friendly roofing
alternatives, providing three or four decades of reliable
service life. Unfortunately, this high tech roofing option and
the maintenance freedom it affords is often sabotaged when it
comes to mounting essential rooftop equipment and ancillary
mechanicals.
Regardless of the roof type, the best
way to prevent rooftop problems is to clear the roof of any
unnecessary equipment. While everyone would prefer an
uncluttered roof, it is sometimes necessary or convenient to
mount HVAC equipment – as well as screens to hide it, piping to
fuel it, scuttles to access it and walkways to service it. There
may also be a need for satellite dishes, lightning protection,
solar panels, advertising signage, fall protection systems – and
the list goes on. However, with some basic understanding of the
“do’s and don’ts,” rooftop equipment mounting, while
unavoidable, can be made simple and trouble-free on low-slope
metal roofing.
... READ MORE
Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Masonry Construction
For reasons both aesthetic and pragmatic, masonry has long been
a popular material choice for school and hospital construction.
It is adaptable to either traditional or contemporary design,
comes in a range of attractive colors, and its discrete units
communicate a comfortable, human scale. Masonry is also strong
enough to resist hard use, offers good sound-control properties,
and can serve as both structure and finish.
In the twenty-first century, though,
these desirable characteristics alone are not enough to
recommend the use of a building product. We now have to consider
a product’s environmental impact, both short- and long-term, in
order to make responsible choices. Furthermore, the decision to
build green has become not only a matter of sound policy or
economic advantage, but in many instances a legal mandate.
Federal, state and local governments across the U.S. have begun
requiring LEED Certification for publicly-owned or subsidized
building projects, including many schools and healthcare
facilities.
... READ MORE
Computerized Maintenance Management
Systems Made Easy
Select the Computerized Maintenance
Management System That Meets Your Specific
Plant and Equipment Operations Needs.
Written by a world-renowned CMMS expert,
Computerized Maintenance Management Systems
Made Easy presents a clear, step-by-step
approach for evaluating a company’s
maintenance operational needs — selecting
the right CMMS — and implementing the system
for optimal efficiency and
cost-effectiveness.
...
READ MORE
