Artificial intelligence is proving useful for teaching old dogs new tricks in the existing buildings sector, finding energy savings and emissions reductions in advance of comprehensive retrofits.

A small but noteworthy cohort of tenants will be leasing specialized space as the Ontario government moves toward granting licences for new independently operated surgical and diagnostic clinics.

Rooftop solar PV installations pack a potentially lethal electrical charge, necessitating vigilant monitoring and maintenance of the many system components.

Researchers and manufacturers have now done much of the work to prepare for the HFC phase-down, but codes and standards will need to catch up before a new generation of lower-GWP refrigerants can be used.

Commercial building operators could use a combination of air exchange, filtration and purification to comply with the industry-leading guidance for arresting airborne spread of pathogens and contaminants.

Leveraging appropriate service technology and integrated service tools can ensure buildings are safe and properly maintained. 

The flat license rate will penalize mid-rise and high-rise owners with extra costs if an elevator passes the periodic inspection and does not require a follow-up. It will be a bargain if just one follow-up inspection is required.

For Class A consumers, cost-saving potential will be diminished even if they successfully curtail demand during the five peak hours since those peaks are expected to be lower than usual.

Abandonment of the Sidewalk Labs project proposed for Toronto is unfortunate, but it serves as an important lesson that building a smart city from the top down is hard.

While climate change may have slipped somewhat from people’s consciousness and priorities right now, it’s noteworthy that the pandemic and climate crises are both problems of exponential growth against a limited capacity to cope.

The energy demand load has shifted in sync with much of Ontario’s workforce from commercial to home offices, prompting calls for suspension of time-of-use pricing during the current COVID-19 related upheaval

With mechanical systems nearing end of life, inadequate ventilation and other issues, the 50-year Ken Soble Tower was in critical need of an upgrade.

Like any other significant hire, there is a benefit to working with a facility maintenance team that can deliver tangible value to your operations.

Guidance related to natural ventilation, particulate filtration and compartmentalization of multi-residential HVAC systems are prominent in the list of identified "significant changes" compared to the incumbent 2016 version of the standards.

How can commercial property owners and managers “plug in” to the smart city revolution?

It was a mix of energy insights, incentives, and advanced controls that helped Briarlane Rental Property Management Inc. optimize its natural gas consumption and increase occupant comfort across selected buildings in its portfolio.

Carleton University expects to fire up a new co-generation plant at its Ottawa-based campus next spring as part of its sophomore energy master plan.