As facilities teams plan for the new year and beyond, those responsible for implementing and maintaining projects of all shapes and sizes are in the market for new and innovative solutions. With that in mind, this SOLUTIONS 2020 feature highlights products and services poised to deliver desired results in myriad aspects of facility operations.
Throughout this SOLUTIONS 2020 section, you’ll find an overview of innovative offerings tailored to the needs of facility executives and their teams in 2020. The questions were posed by Facility Executive, and the resulting Q&A articles below provide a look into how and why these products and services are solutions to consider for your facilities. The accompanying contact information makes it easy for you to find out more.
Energy Products
LOCHINVAR
Micro CHP XRGI25
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
In 2019, Lochinvar partnered with EC POWER to launch a revolutionary cogeneration system in North America, Micro CHP (XRGI25) is already taking off across the country. The XRGI25 is designed to be an efficient and easy to install cogeneration system for light commercial applications. Using an internal combustion, natural gas engine, the XRGI25 produces both hot water for domestic or hydronic applications while simultaneously generating 24kW of electricity. This concept reduces grid dependency and can lower the overall environmental impact of a facility.
This technology has proven its effectiveness throughout Europe with more than 10,000 installations. The XRGI25 is currently providing savings in agricultural, multi-family, academic institutions, and government buildings throughout North America.
How is this offering relevant to the work of facility management leaders? How will it help them achieve their goals?
Micro CHP technology is remarkably efficient. It avoids the transmission and distribution (T&D) losses that occur when electricity travels over power lines. The average T&D loss in the U.S. is now about 4.5%, but it can increase to 10% when the grid is burdened and temperatures are high. Organizations that would benefit most from Micro CHP technology have a high hot water load that lasts for extensive periods of time, e.g., hotels, hospitals, colleges, restaurants, and swimming pools. Whether it’s a hotel in San Francisco, a college in upstate New York, or a restaurant in Hawaii, Micro CHP technology can offer dramatic savings. Lochinvar is already seeing multiple installations and immediate savings for colleges like Finger Lakes Community College, as well as unique rural farm applications.
In a follow up interview, Jeff Vallett, segment market manager at Lochinvar, provided further insight into the capabilities of the Micro CHP XRGI25 system and related facilities trends. Please click below to listen.
Lochinvar
Contact: 300 Maddox Simpson Parkway, Lebanon, TN 37090
Phone: 615-889-8900
Web: www.Lochinvar.com
Facility Management Services
CLUB CAR
LSV Fleet Solutions
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
The Club Car compact line of LSVs (low speed vehicles) is equipped to meet a variety of challenges, because we know life for a facility manager means that no two days are the same. Our LSVs come with features like enclosed cabs, easy maneuverability, onboard chargers (in electric models), light packages, a tight turning radius with high ground clearance, and more. These vehicles are street legal, and engineered to expand access to narrow paths and other areas where standard trucks or vans can’t go.
When daily tasks range from moving people and equipment to landscaping, medical transport, and general upkeep—and when you tack on the importance of vehicle sustainability and safety—efficient fleet management becomes even more critical.
Additionally, reliable and efficient people-movers will always be crucial to your facility management team’s success. Whether offering rides or helping people with unique needs, the Club Car Transporter, Tempo 2+2, and Villager models are safe, comfortable, and spacious. And, they’re nimble enough to maneuver pedestrian thoroughfares with ease.
How is this offering relevant to the work of facility management leaders? How will it help them achieve their goals?
We believe that we’re solving a problem on two important fronts—time and money. Facility management leaders have, for too long, used fleets of vehicles from different manufacturers and sources, which makes upkeep and maintenance unnecessarily laborious (and expensive). When you have a mix of manufacturers in your fleet, it can be a tall task to maintain vehicles in a cost-effective manner—and that doesn’t factor in the time; certain parts may not be available or they may take varying amounts of time to arrive based on what’s needed.
This is where a customized, single-source fleet becomes a facility management team’s strongest ally. With Club Car as a partner, teams will benefit from the forward-thinking approach of our design team and the hands-on, customer-focused support of our sales team. We’ll provide a single point of contact, one that is ready and able to help with your entire fleet.
In a follow up interview, Kathryn Sterba, strategy leader at Club Car, discussed the company’s electric vehicle offerings and other industry trends. Please click below to listen.
Club Car
Contact: 4125 Washington Road, Augusta, GA 30917
Phone: 800-258-2227
Web: www.ClubCar.com
Fire/Life Safety
EDWARDS
Signature Optica Smoke Detector
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
Introducing the Signature Optica smoke detector from Edwards™, part of a next-generation detection system engineered for modern materials and environments. Already certified to UL 268 7th Edition requirements, Optica’s state-of-the-art sensor technology differentiates between burning food, steam, or multiple types of fires, and responds appropriately. Delivering smart detection that alarms faster and more accurately than ever before, Optica sets the standard for intelligent response to today’s threats.
How is this product designed to help facility management professionals achieve their goals?
The new UL 268 7th edition standard includes 250 technical changes, including increased immunity to sources that result in nuisance alarms, and all new system-connected smoke detectors must pass new standards by May 2020. (Update: In December 2019, UL released a bulletin announcing that the effective date for ANSI/UL 268, Standard for Smoke Detectors for Fire Alarm Systems, 7th Ed. had been extended from May 29, 2020 to June 30, 2021.)
The most important part of managing any facility is keeping the building safe and compliant with safety standards. That’s why the Signature Optica™ from Edwards is the best choice: It’s a cost-effective, maintenance-friendly solution for all building types.
The Edwards Signature Optica™ works by implementing state-of-the-art technology that measures the shape, size, mass, reflectivity, and density of particles—only reacting to those that pose a serious threat. The result is a drastic reduction in nuisance alarms.
In a follow up interview, Jonathon Hughes, vice president of marketing and product strategy at Edwards, provided further insight into the company’s high bay lighting solutions and related facilities trends. Please click below to listen.
Edwards
Contact: Timm Weber
E-mail: timm.weber@carrier.com
Web: www.EdwardsFireSafety.com
HVAC
BUILDINGREPORTS
HVACScan
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
BuildingReports is the industry leader in fire and life safety mobile inspection and web-based compliance reporting technology. And, we’ve recently expanded our portfolio to include HVAC and refrigeration preventative maintenance service reporting and asset management. In 2020, we’ll be making an even bigger push to generate more awareness in the marketplace while adding features and functionality to further enhance the value proposition.
HVACScan is one of six mobile inspection applications in our ScanSeries suite. During preventative maintenance services, each device is barcoded and scanned using a mobile device, and key details are recorded—such as manufacturer, model number, device type, warranty and installation date, among other device-specific attributes. Once the service call is complete, the data is synced to a secure SaaS portal and automatically formatted into a detailed report for customers to access at their convenience, 24/7.
Not only can device and panel images be attached to the device-level data in the report, but locations of those systems and devices can be mapped on an interactive digital floor plan. Everything from manufacturer recalls to proposed solutions are available, providing a complete and detailed inventory of HVAC assets and their current statuses.
How is this offering relevant to the work of facility management leaders? How will it help them achieve their goals?
Based on conversations with both service providers and FM leaders, a gap existed between what field service management solutions and digital forms could provide, and what facility professionals wanted to see.
Because compliance reporting is so demanding, with significant risk and liability involved, our platform was designed to provide verifiable proof of compliance that meets very stringent codes and standards. With fire and life safety, there’s no margin for error because lives are at stake. That same principle allowed us to provide FM professionals with the same visibility, verifiability, and peace of mind for their HVAC assets.
The net result is that FM leaders now have access to system intelligence and asset management capabilities they’ve likely never had before. This allows them to be more effective in decision-making, more accurate in budgeting, and more opportunistic in planning projects. Ultimately, our goal is to make FM leaders more informed, efficient, and ahead of the next curve than ever before.
In a follow up interview, Jason Kronz, President & Chief Technology Officer of BuildingReports, provided further insight into the company’s HVACScan tool and related facilities trends. Please click below to listen.
BuildingReports
Contact: Jason Kronz, President & Chief Technology Officer
1325 Satellite Blvd., Suite 1607, Suwanee, GA 30024
Phone: 770-495-1993
E-mail: info@buildingreports.com
Web: www.BuildingReports.com
Power Supply
LIFESAFETY POWER
ProWire Unified Power
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
LifeSafety Power has effectively shifted the trajectory of the power supply industry with the creation of a new category of intelligent, power management solutions that provide proactive analytics to mission-critical physical security devices. ProWire Unified Power is a pre-wired, UL/ULC power solution that’s ready to install, simplifying and standardizing access control solutions across an enterprise.
ProWire Unified Power Systems bring enterprise-wide efficiency to facility managers’ specifications. ProWire systems eliminate panel wiring variability so facility security executives can establish equipment installation standards for uniform operation, maintenance, and servicing of the physical security system. ProWire’s precision wiring design shaves off hours of internal panel wiring with fewer wiring components. For facility executives and managers, that translates into the ability to easily simplify access control installations across all their locations.
ProWire is UL/ULC listed and features quick-connect terminal strips that incorporate Authentic Mercury, Software House, AMAG Technology, and other access control hardware from leading security industry providers. Direct-drop shipment brings pre-wired equipment to the job site at time of installation, saving end-users the time and expense of ordering, expediting, and coordinating components necessary for field-wired installations. In addition, ProWire models come standard, or networked to allow remote monitoring of power supplies, battery sets, and connected devices such as locks or access panels.
How is this offering relevant to the work of facility management leaders? How will it help them achieve their goals?
LifeSafety Power understands the challenges of today’s end-user. We know that labor savings, standardization, and being able to generate real-time data and status on the health and viability of locks, access control panels, batteries, and other connected components is vital to the reliability and resiliency of connected systems.
Facility executives are looking for added value, lower total cost of ownership, a healthy return on investment for all their security solutions, and guaranteed system uptime with proactive maintenance and monitoring. With the increasing ability to integrate a wide range of systems—from security to building operations and energy management, it’s critical to have the kind of solution that will notify users, ahead of time, of any problems or issues with their networked products.
Network-connected ProWire systems can interface directly into Mercury Security or Software House C•Cure 9000 platforms, allowing users to receive, manage, and control alerts and notifications. ProWire is compatible with Multi-Site Manager (MSM) Enterprise, which yields advanced analytics so end-users can actively network, monitor, and manage power solutions for greater uptime and dependability.
In a follow up interview, Matt Virga, Regional Sales Director for LifeSafety Power, provided further insight into the features of ProWire Unified Power and related facilities trends. Please click below to listen.
LifeSafety Power
Contact: Michael Bone, Marketing Manager
899 E. Park Avenue, Libertyville, IL 60048
Phone: 888-577-2898
E-mail: mbone@lifesafetypower.com
Web: www.LifeSafetyPower.com/
Security
2N, AN AXIS COMPANY
The 2N LTE Verso
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
The 2N® LTE Verso is the world’s first LTE intercom. It’s an ideal retrofit solution that does not depend on existing wires or answering units, cutting down significantly on installation costs and offering a full range of features including video calls to mobile phones and answering units with 2N® Mobile Video. Supported by an HD camera, configuration can be selected to unlock a breadth of features including a RFID reader, Bluetooth, an optical fingerprint reader, a capacitive touchscreen display, and more. All components and materials are industry grade and will provide excellent performance in any condition, including outdoor elements. Additionally, integrators can connect the 2N® LTE Verso to LTE networks, using the My2N.com portal to configure all its features from anywhere in the world via secured VPN connection.
How is this offering relevant to the work of facility management leaders? How will it help them achieve their goals?
The 2N® LTE Verso, the first access control solution using LTE technology, is an ideal retrofit solution for older buildings or remote sites because it does not rely on existing wires or answering units. With 14 modules available, the units and technology can be customized to suit the needs of a variety of installations, even in an outdoor setting. SIP protocol support makes it easy to link the intercom to IP phones without having to connect to a server. And, achieving a greater level of security is possible with night vision cameras hidden from normal view. The device can be fitted with an induction loop and pictograms suitable for communication with the hearing impaired, making the intercom suitable for a variety of security needs. The ease of integration and installation, ability to customize the solution with a variety of modules, and configuring features with My2N.com portal helps facility managers lower costs and increase security.
In a follow up interview, Craig Szmania, business development manager for intercoms at Axis Communications, discussed the LTE Verso intercom and other industry trends. Please click below to listen.
Axis Communications, Inc.
Contact: Kristin Albano, Public Relations Specialist
300 Apollo Drive, Chelmsford, MA 01824
E-mail: Kristin.albano@axis.com
Web: www.Axis-Communications.com/2n-product-spotlight
Security
HID GLOBAL
HID FARGO Connect
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
Through a secure cloud-based platform, HID FARGO Connect™ does away with the old paradigm of stand-alone card printers tied to dedicated PC workstations and allows real time management of a distributed printing environment in a secure and centralized manner.
HID Global’s FARGO Connect™ is a revolutionary way to issue ID cards, and other secure credentials — both physical and virtual. HID FARGO Connect brings together all of the elements of a card issuance program into a centralized integrated system. By combining hardware, software, consumables, and services, the solution simplifies the operation and support of a high volume ID card issuance office while increasing control and security.
The platform ensures security while also providing the simplicity and versatility of a web-enabled issuance solution.
Cards can be issued from anywhere and from any device via a web interface. Credential management becomes a centralized function that gives control and visibility to the administrator while eliminating the need for the management of software and other IT resources typically required for card issuance.
How is this offering relevant to the work of facility management leaders? How will it help them achieve their goals?
Everyone is looking to do more with less. HID FARGO Connect™ will dramatically reduce the cost, time and personnel required to manage the secure credentialing of employees, guests, or tenants in any facility via a flexible and scalable cloud based solution.
Using our SDK to create a seamless interface with virtually any application or leveraging an existing integration to an Access Control System the user can create new cards, encode data, issue replacements, and manage print queues all in one trusted system. HID FARGO printers now become smart, secure, web-enabled printers capable of leveraging all of the functionality of the platform. Card printers can be installed anywhere, including remote offices and satellite campuses, and cards can be sent to any of these printers with security and privacy of data top of mind.
In a follow up interview, David O’Driscoll, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives for HID Global, provided further insight into the features of HID FARGO Connect and related facilities trends. Please click below to listen.
HID Global
Contact: David O’Driscoll
City, Province: Ottawa, Ontario
Phone: 613-355-9739
E-mail: dodriscoll@hidglobal.com
Web: www.HIDGlobal.com
Security
MERCURY SECURITY, PART OF HID GLOBAL
Open Architecture For Access Control
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
Since 1992, Mercury has been the forerunner in access control hardware and solutions built on open standards for interoperability, such as MQTT, PSIA, OSDP, and BACnet. These standards enable extreme scalability and make it possible to manage disparate systems more efficiently via a common infrastructure. This freedom to choose coupled with a comprehensive approach on cybersecurity best practices, provides end customers a strong foundation for any access control deployment.
The open model is the lynchpin for easily adopting the latest technologies in access control to meet these constantly changing requirements; it addresses the need to incorporate building automation and other smart building capabilities into a single, streamlined infrastructure as more connected environments become the norm.
Standards-based open architecture also ensures that solutions can be easily upgraded to support changes in technology and applications—without ripping and replacing existing systems. Open hardware provides a streamlined path to move organizations from proprietary and/or obsolete systems to an open, flexible, and interoperable platform for systematic access control.
How is this offering relevant to the work of facility management leaders? How will it help them achieve their goals?
Consultants, integrators, and end-user organizations are increasingly demanding cybersecure systems that utilize industry-leading solutions that are optimized to meet the full range of their evolving technology requirements for access control. Open architecture hardware is the first critical step in making this possible. Additionally, open, access control systems are interoperable with widely available hardware platforms, so organizations can utilize a broad range of applications, software, technologies, and solutions from a variety of different manufacturers to achieve best of breed building security. This freedom of choice and flexibility is why organizations are increasingly moving to an open model—the key for ensuring increased ROI, scalability, and cybersecurity throughout the lifecycle of their access control system.
Embracing open architecture components at the controller hardware level will drive access control infrastructures that are scalable to meet current and future needs as the security industry evolves. This will be especially important for end user organizations seeking to simplify the integration of new access control technologies, elevator control, building automation, IoT applications, and third-party solutions into a common platform.
When trying to choose the right access control system, start by evaluating software providers that focus on cybersecurity and incorporate security-by-design practices. Mercury Security partners are best of breed technology companies that provide a wide range of solutions solving the most pressing security business challenges while maintaining best practices in IT and cybersecurity.
In a follow up interview, Matt Barnette, President of Mercury Security, provided further insight into his company’s Open Architecture for Access Controls and related facilities trends. Please click below to listen.
Mercury Security
Contact: 2355 Mira Mar Ave., Long Beach, CA 90815
Phone: 562-986-9105
Web: www.Mercury-Security.com
Software
SPACEIQ
StackIQ
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
In 2020, SpaceIQ will release StackIQ™, a cloud-based, AI-driven technology that provides workplace managers with the best seating configurations—or stacks of buildings or campuses—by department or team.
Does the C-Suite want offices adjacent to Legal? Is Product Development asking for space near IT? Are Sales and Marketing looking to share an area on the first floor? StackIQ™ gives workplace managers the power to—
- See a high-level view of a building’s floors and the current locations for each department and employee team.
- Drag-and-drop entire departments and teams from one floor to another.
- Choose seating preferences—and with a click let the system identify the most optimized and cost-efficient seating options in a matter of seconds.
- Dynamically create and compare unlimited stack plans using live data from all parts of enterprise—hire a new employee and they’ll be part of your future plans.
Initially, StackIQ™ will be available for single-building stacks. SpaceIQ will expand the technology in future releases to allow stack planning across multiple properties, entire campuses, and global real estate portfolios.
How is this offering relevant to the work of facility management leaders? How will it help them achieve their goals?
Google’s 111 Eighth Avenue campus in New York City covers an entire city block. The 18-story complex is 2.9 million square feet of workspace that houses 7,000 employees. Imagine moving employees or entire departments in that cavernous space. Not an easy task, even for the most seasoned workplace manager.
Currently, space planners do their best to create optimal seating configurations—or stacks—using manual processes, spreadsheets, printouts, and basic workplace technologies. When a practical solution is found, there’s no way to evaluate whether it’s the best option, or merely “good enough.”
That’s why SpaceIQ developed StackIQ™ to take the guesswork out of stack planning. This unique, AI-driven technology will help facility management leaders:
- Use enterprise-wide data to create seating configurations that reduce the time employees waste traveling to meetings and finding colleagues.
- Show company executives how optimized floor plans can make more out of existing square footage—and possibly defer workplace expansion or new leases.
- Better plan for employee and department moves, and when additional workspace is needed as the company grows.
In a follow up interview, Jeff Revoy, Chief Operations Officer and Co-Founder of SpaceIQ, provided further insight into the capabilities of StackIQ and related facilities trends. Please click below to listen.
SpaceIQ
Contact: Nai Kanell, Director of Marketing
1400 Terra Bella Ave., Suite E, Mountain View, CA 94043
Phone: 650-772-4997
E-mail: info@spaceiq.com
Web: https://SpaceIQ.com
Lighting
LEDVANCE
SYLVANIA ValueLED UFO High Bay
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
The SYLVANIA ValueLED UFO High Bay is a DLC Premium LED fixture that has a lightweight, impact resistant design, offers up to 78% energy savings compared to traditional luminaires, and has a long life of up to 150,000 hours. With various wattage, color temperature, mounting, optics and sensor options, it offers the flexibility to meet the specific needs of warehouses and other industrial application projects.
How will this offering help facility management leaders to achieve their goals?
Facility executives aim to manage a desirable property for their occupants while controlling overhead and maintaining a profit margin. Their choice of lighting can contribute to the success of their building occupants as well as their own overhead, energy and disposal/recycling costs. The new SYLVANIA ValueLED UFO High Bay joins LEDVANCE’s growing portfolio of SYLVANIA LED luminaires, which help facility executives deliver an optimal environment for occupants and benefit from energy and labor savings.
In a follow up interview, Rich Rattray, specification sales engineer with LEDVANCE, provided further insight into the company’s high bay lighting solutions and related facilities trends. Please click below to listen.
LEDVANCE
Contact: Customer Service
200 Ballardvale St., Wilmington, MA 01887
Phone: 1-800-Lightbulb
E-mail: lightbulb@ledvance.com
Web: www.Sylvania.com
Roofing
DURO-LAST, INC.
Duro-Shield Silicone
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
Duro-Shield Silicone is a silicone-based roof coating that is designed to resist natural weathering while providing long-lasting watertight protection on a variety of substrates. Its brilliant white finish offers superior reflectivity and energy savings for building owners and facility managers, and available warranties include 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-Year Limited Warranty options.
Additional Duro-Shield Silicone materials include Duro-Shield Silicone Brush Grade Sealant, Polyester Reinforcement Scrim, Duro-Shield Silicone Roof Primer: Universal 2-Part Epoxy, and Duro-Shield Silicone Roof Primer: TPO.
How is this offering relevant to the work of facility management leaders? How will it help them achieve their goals?
This new line of Duro-Shield Silicone products complements Duro-Last’s commitment to providing complete commercial roofing solutions. Roofing systems are a significant investment for owners and managers, and Duro-Last is proud to offer additional solutions to protect the life cycle of that investment with our new line of Duro-Shield Silicone products.
Duro-Last, Inc.
Contact: Melissa Lee, 525 Morley Dr., Saginaw, MI 48601
Phone: 989-758-1076
E-mail: mlee@duro-last.com
Web: www.Duro-Last.com
Safety
NEW PIG
Reducing Slip/Fall and Managing Leaks & Spills
What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
2020 will see many new, innovative products from New Pig targeted at solving water problems that occur in all facilities. This includes new offerings of our Pig® Grippy Floor Mats, which can dramatically reduce slips and falls at entrances and hallways. Also, our new line of water absorbent mats, pads and strips are available. These are powerful tools to help stop water from seeping under doors, catching drips from roof leaks, or pipe bursts.
How will this offering help facility management leaders to achieve their goals?
It’s clear wet weather is becoming more frequent and severe. This creates a host of problems for facility managers to deal with. As the leading resource for handling leaks, drips, and spills, New Pig pointed our innovation efforts towards managing water problems from roof leaks, flooding, pipe bursts, overflows, and seepage. For example, our new water absorbent mats pad pull in large volumes of water on contact to quickly return floors to safe, dry conditions.
New Pig
Contact: Kristie Carruthers, Public Relations
One Pork Avenue, Tipton PA 16684
Phone: 814-684-0101
E-mail: kristiem@newpig.com
Web: www.NewPig.com
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