As organizations plan and execute facility management related projects at the end of the year—and into the new year—those who are responsible for making key decisions regarding these projects may be in the market for fresh ideas. With that in mind, this SOLUTIONS feature from the November/December 2016 issue highlights a number of products and services poised to meet the needs of various facility operations, in a range of categories.
Throughout this SOLUTIONS section, there is an overview of innovative and interesting offerings tailored to the needs of facility management for 2017. The questions were posed by Facility Executive editors, and the resulting Q&A articles explain how and why these products or services are solutions to be considered by facility management executives. The accompanying contact information makes it easy for you to continue your research into these solutions for your facilities.
Energy Products/Services
Siemens Industry, Inc.
Navigator Analytics Platform, and Intelligent Infrastructure Solutions (I2S)
What is a notable product or service Siemens will introduce to facility management professionals in 2017?
Already available is our Navigator cloud-based data management platform designed to help facility management leaders optimize the performance of their buildings. The platform is customizable, allowing users to achieve energy, sustainability, and system performance targets. It seamlessly integrates complex sources of data from energy procurement, energy consumption, system performance, and sustainability—helping you make sense of it all.
Transparency is the key to greater energy and operational efficiency. Siemens’ powerful Navigator analytics platform acquires and analyzes performance data for every building in a portfolio. The result: comprehensive insights in an easy-to-use cloud-based platform that tells you—and our service experts—exactly what your building needs to deliver peak performance.
New for 2017 from Siemens—and related to the Navigator platform—is Intelligent Infrastructure Solutions (I2S), a customer-centric approach to solve a business’ unique operational challenges and needs. I2S is centered around three core components: Integrated Building Management System (IBMS), Advanced Analytics, and Digital Services. This combination leads to substantial operational and energy efficiencies, reduced capex and opex costs, enhanced productivity, elevated performance, and adaptability.
How will these offerings from Siemens help facility management leaders in their work during 2017 and beyond?
The foundation of I2S is integration using an IBMS—a smart, robust, and open platform to connect disparate building systems such as HVAC, fire, security, lighting, and more—resulting in smart building command, control, and communication.
It is this foundation that is critical to the second core component, Advanced Analytics. It is leveraging a platform like Navigator to monitor energy consumption, system performance, energy supply, and many other components that go into optimizing building performance.
Wrapped around the IBMS and advanced analytics solution sits the third component—Digital Services. This is where our highly skilled building experts come together to build a better customer experience utilizing a vast portfolio of solutions, services, and data to support the life cycle of your systems and the building itself.
I2S from Siemens is the solution to deliver and operate digital buildings. It converges building systems and integrates advanced analytics, opening up more efficient ways to design, construct, and operate buildings for reduced first costs and life cycle costs.
Siemens Industry, Inc.
1000 Deerfield Parkway, Buffalo Grove, IL 60689
Phone: 847-215-1000
Web: www.usa.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies
Darcy Otis, director of analytics and fault detection for the Building Technologies division at Siemens provides further insight into the Navigator Analytics Platform and Intelligent Infrastructure Solutions (I2S). Click below to listen.
Furniture
Varidesk
Height-Adjustable Desks for the Active Office
Why have height-adjustable desk solutions become so popular?
The human body wasn’t designed to sit all day, but the current office environment heavily promotes this. Once employees start working at height-adjustable desks, they begin to feel better, become more productive, and are happier at work. Companies we work with are seeing these improvements in their workforce, so smart facility executives are beginning to integrate height-adjustable desks into their current office environment. All of this momentum is starting to change the way offices are designed. We hear from those same facility executives that height-adjustable desks are a key component to building an active office environment.
Many facility executives like the simplicity of VARIDESK. Why is that?
Facility executives are constantly struggling to satisfy employee wants and needs while being held to strict budgets and tight timelines. VARIDESK provides them with the best height-adjustable desk solutions and accessories at a great price point, and because we carry our products in stock, these usually ship within 24 hours. We’ve listened to our customers and have built a system that makes it easy to order, and even easier to receive and set up.
Almost all VARIDESK products come fully assembled, so setting up a VARIDESK unit takes minutes and doesn’t require a separate installation crew. Plus, we have various models that can fit almost any office/desk configuration.
What should facility executives expect to see from VARIDESK in 2017 and beyond?
New office spaces are being designed and built with movement and activity in mind, but with the old constraints that make furniture flexibility an issue. Facility executives in every organization will be challenged to help create an office environment that promotes health and happiness while also increasing productivity. More than ever, facility executives can make an impact by helping their organizations in reducing healthcare costs, increasing recruiting and retention, decreasing absenteeism, and returning an impressive ROI on the infrastructure of an office. You can expect to see VARIDESK remain committed to helping our partners achieve these goals.
VARIDESK
1221 S. Belt Line Road, #500, Coppell, TX 75019
Phone: 877-731-7164
Web: www.varidesk.com
Jason McCann, CEO of VARIDESK, provides further insight into the role height-adjustable desks can play in today’s workplaces. Click below to listen.
Lighting
LG Electronics
Sensor Connect LED Troffer, and Lighting Commissioning App
What is a notable product or service that LG Electronics is introducing to facility management professionals in 2017?
A big focus for 2017 is around LED lighting and lighting controls. We’ve launched the Sensor Connect LED troffer that includes sensors embedded in the troffer, and the wireless lighting controls package to go with it. Out of the box, this provides daylight sensing and occupant sensing capabilities. Additionally, using the LG Lighting Commissioning App facility executives can configure these troffers into groups. And they can set the parameters—dimming lights to a certain level, or dimming at set intervals, for instance. There is also the capability to customize lighting controls schedules—for after hours when cleaning crews are in a facility, for instance.
The ability to group the troffers drives installation and energy costs. Facilities can install a sensor in the fixture on the end of a row, group them all together down the row, and attach those all to that one sensor.
LG uses Zigbee wireless open protocol for these connected troffers, which provides some future proofing for the facility executive. They can configure a space for the lighting, and if they want to later integrate that with an energy management solution there is the open protocol communication strategy. The fixtures would already be communicating and these can be controlled with a traditional building management solution. So there is BACnet integration there as well.
Meanwhile, LG works with partners like DaintreeNetworks and others that we collaborate with to provide dashboard analytics, which is an overlay to the lighting solution we are providing.
How are these offerings from LG Electronics helping facility management leaders in their work during 2017 and beyond?
With our offerings, we’re focused on energy savings. When facilities install LED lighting, there is immediate savings from higher efficiency compared to traditional light sources. When lighting controls are added, there is another significant boost in terms of savings potential. This drives an enormous amount of value for the facility executive, as well as opening up projects to potential rebates. LG fixtures all qualify for maximum rebates in most markets because we are DLC or DLC premium listed.
And with lighting controls, not only are facilities contributing to energy savings, building occupants will be more satisfied with their environments. The controls provide the flexibility to set light levels how they want them, which can be expected to positively impact productivity.
LG Electronics
Contact: Sean Lafferty, Senior Director, LED Lighting Sales
920 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
Phone: 201-294-4614 E-mail: sean.lafferty@lge.com
Web: www.lglightingus.com
Sean Lafferty, senior director of LED lighting sales for LG Electronics, provides further insight into the company’s LED offerings, including Sensor Connect LED Troffer and the Lighting Commissioning App. Click below to listen.
Lighting
Revolution Lighting
T8 SEP LED Nano Tube
What is a notable product or service Revolution Lighting will introduce to facility management professionals in 2017?
Revolution Lighting continues to offer the latest and most advanced high-quality LED solutions on the market, making it easier to achieve facility management goals. The launch of our exclusive LED Nano Tube solutions represents an ongoing commitment to bring together the best products in the market with an experienced and knowledgeable team that is focused on helping our customers maximize the return on their lighting investments.
Integrated with our cutting-edge “Nano” lens technology, Revolution Lighting’s latest T8 LED tube—the T8 single-end-power (SEP) LED Nano Tube—will achieve superior performance and light output (162 lumens/ watt (LmW)) at only 10.5 watts. The integration of “Nano” lens technology achieves superior optic performance through its unique material composition to deliver unmatched performance and light output.
Delivering the most efficient LED linear tube solution available, retrofitting the lighting in your facilities with LEDs can improve energy efficiency by 68%, significantly lowering lifetime operating and maintenance costs. This direct-wire LED tube requires no ballast, and will work with any non-shunted socket at 120 to 277VAC. This is coupled with Revolution Lighting’s industry-leading 10-year warranty, and 70,000-hour rated lamp life to surpass its competition.
How will this new offering from Revolution Lighting help facility management leaders with their work in 2017 and beyond?
Maximizing the return on a lighting investment depends on the quality of the products you use. That means choosing durable products that perform efficiently, provide a satisfying quality of light, and are reasonably priced. We put all our expertise and experience into ensuring that the quality of Revolution Lighting products is second to none.
Our company’s LED products offer key benefits related to business concerns, operations, safety, and sustainability. For instance, LEDs offer the quickest return on investment opportunity available.
As with the new T8 SEP LED Nano Tube, all Revolution Lighting LED products deliver improved lighting efficiency, exceeding 60%, for facilities. Installing LEDs also positively impacts costly peak electric kW demand charges. Facility operations are improved, with two to three times greater lamp life compared to conventional lighting. The efficiency of LEDs helps to optimize staff utilization, eliminating lighting replacement to address other key operational needs. Revolution Lighting LEDs also significantly lower amperage, freeing up critical building capacity, while helping reduce emergency back-up generation load requirements.
And when it comes to safety and sustainability concerns, increased light output improves security and visibility, with negligible light depreciation over time. And the new T8 LED tube from Revolution Lighting eliminates glass from its design, providing a safer lighting technology. At end of life, the product is 100% recyclable for reduced waste generation, and its design also eliminates mercury, which helps facility managers avoid costly disposal fees.
Revolution Lighting
177 Broad Street, Stamford, CT 06901
Phone: 805-578-2536 E-mail: support@rvlti.com
Web: www.rvlti.com
Brian Daley, senior vice president, sales and marketing for Revolution Lighting, provides further insight into the company’s LED offerings, including the T8 SEP (single-end-power) LED Nano Tube. Click below to listen.
Security
HID Global
Seos Credential Technology
What is a notable product or service HID Global will introduce to facility management professionals in 2017?
HID Global’s breakthrough Seos® credential technology provides a new level of flexibility and choice to smart devices for accessing doors, data, and cloud apps, along with a growing range of extended applications for a secure and connected environment. From building access and computer login, to secure print collection and closed-looped payments, Seos secures more applications for physical, logical, and extended access applications than ever before. And, multi-tech Seos credentials and readers make it possible for organizations to maintain a mixed technology environment while upgrading to Seos at their own pace and as appropriate for the business.
The credential technology also offers the freedom to choose the right mix of platforms, communications protocols, operating systems, and use cases that fit the specific needs of an organization. As a standards-based technology delivering best-in-class security and privacy protection, Seos provides the highest level of security and privacy protection in the industry, with the flexibility to dynamically address evolving security requirements, over time.
How will this offering from HID Global help facility management leaders in their work during 2017 and beyond?
Deciding whether and when to make the transition to new access control technology can be challenging. Transitions are often delayed over budget concerns or because of worries that the process will adversely impact productivity and workflow.
At the same time, there are many positive reasons to take a proactive approach to embracing change. These include enhancing investment value, improving user convenience, and paving a more flexible path to future capabilities. HID Global’s award-winning Seos credential technology and iCLASS SE reader platform meet today’s requirements for streamlined and efficient upgrades to higher security, convenience, and interoperability.
Seos enables business leaders to preserve investments in their current infrastructure as they transition to new technologies and capabilities, making it possible to choose the right mix of smart cards, smartphones, wearables, and other mobile devices for access control. Additionally, security challenges continue to grow in the smart facility and throughout today’s increasingly connected world.
The flexibility and advanced security of Seos meets these challenges in ways that combat threats while delivering a more satisfying and convenient, on-the-go experience.
HID Global
Contact: 611 Center Ridge Drive, Austin TX 75783
Phone: 800-237-7769
E-mail: insidesales@hidglobal.com
Web: www.hidglobal.com
Daniel Bailin, director of strategic business development and innovation for HID Global, provides further insight into the company’s range of offerings for a secure and connected facility, including its Seos credential technology. Click below to listen.
Leak Detection
Reliance Detection Technologies
Plumbing Leak Detection & Automatic Water Shut-Off Systems
Why should plumbing leaks concern facility management executives?
In 2010, water damage was the number one source of property insurance claims for owners of retail establishments, commercial properties, high-rise residences, hotels, and other structures, according to Zurich Insurance. Plumbing leaks occur in buildings of all shapes, sizes, and ages. Every facility is vulnerable—especially common-risk properties, where water can spread into neighboring units/floors. Water damage costs commercial property owners billions of dollars in structural, operational, reputational, and financial losses annually. The key is to implement systems to stop uncontrolled water flow before damage is catastrophic.
How can Reliance Detection Technologies help protect these buildings?
RDT’s plumbing leak detection systems automatically shut off the water supply when a leak is detected. From low-cost, appliance-specific kits to state-of-the-art wireless systems for entire facilities, we offer solutions for every space and budget. Systems integrate with security/automation systems, and automatic leak notification is available. RDT advises executives on leak detection as part of comprehensive asset management, tenant engagement, and net zero energy strategies.