Industry News



 

09/03/2010

Construction Projects Decline By 20%

Hospitality and retail facilities shy away from construction projects

 
Construction Projects Decline By 20%

2010 has been a rough year for construction, with spending decreasing by over 20%. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) found that a troublesome combination of low demand, a surplus of facilities, and declining property values has stunted construction projects.

“There are a number of factors at play here that are contributing to one of the steepest construction downturns in generations,” says AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. “We have businesses nervous about expanding their facilities, a fragile financial sector, excess commercial space, and general unease in the international economy.” 

Declining by 43%, the hospitality industry has been hit the hardest, according to AIA’s semi-annual Consensus Construction Forecast. Spending has also slowed for retail properties (25%) and office buildings (29%). Education fell by 13% while healthcare only dropped to 6.5%.

Despite one of the sharpest declines in recent years, a marginal increase of 3.1% is expected in 2011 in inflation adjusted terms. According to Baker, “Things should begin to turn around midway through next year with retail and hotels expected to see the strongest growth, along with health care and amusement and recreation facilities.”

To view the full report, visit http://www.aia.org/press/AIAB085343

 

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Sloan Performance Also Comes in White

Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating is transforming HVAC with advanced Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning solutions that totally redefine efficiency. VRF zoning systems offer lower lifecycle costs, less maintenance, better performance and reliability which lead to increased overall building efficiency. And all at a price that fits within your budget. Let Mitsubishi Electric help you redefine your HVAC efficiency as well as what you can achieve in your buildings.
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Lower costs. Increase operational efficiency. Detect problems before they're problems. Johnson Controls is reinventing building efficiency.

Learn more .

Lower costs. Increase operational efficiency. Detect problems before they're problems. Johnson Controls is reinventing building efficiency.

Learn more .

Lower costs. Increase operational efficiency. Detect problems before they're problems. Johnson Controls is reinventing building efficiency.

Learn more .

We Can Help You Reduce Energy by 30%

Our mission is to help our customers manage their buildings' energy costs, improve reliability, and enhance performance while having a positive impact on the environment.
CLICK HERE to find out how.

Need portable cooling?

Rent or buy spot coolers from full-service locations nationwide. On call “24/7”. Primary, supplemental or emergency cooling. Atlas Sales & Rentals, Inc., or call (800) 972-6600.

Click here for more info

Sloan Performance Also Comes in White

Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating is transforming HVAC with advanced Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning solutions that totally redefine efficiency. VRF zoning systems offer lower lifecycle costs, less maintenance, better performance and reliability which lead to increased overall building efficiency. And all at a price that fits within your budget. Let Mitsubishi Electric help you redefine your HVAC efficiency as well as what you can achieve in your buildings.
Learn more www.mitsubishipro.com/redefined
05/16/2013
Net-zero is often on the facility management radar as technology allows for increasingly efficient energy management strategies and techniques.  But could net-zero become the real deal for homeowners as well?
05/15/2013
Walmart has announced that it will conduct in-depth safety inspections at 100% of the factories in Bangladesh that produce goods for the retailer. The company will complete all reviews within six months and will publicly release the names and inspection information on all 279 factories. As a result, workers in these facilities can be assured of safer working conditions, and the entire market will be lifted to a new standard.
05/09/2013

The struggle to obtain maximum temperature comfort for building tenants at an affordable cost has long been a challenge in the commercial real estate market. With new commercial HVAC technology coming into the marketplace every day, the innovative performance of two-stage water source heat pumps are starting to become more widely accepted for achieving maximum comfort at minimum cost. 

05/08/2013
A longtime concern of the facility manager, electrical fires are a persistent issue for home structures and buildings. 

The Home Electrical Fires report estimates that an electrical failure or malfunction factored in 45,000 to 55,000 home structure fires reported to the U.S. fire departments every year since 2000.
05/06/2013

An old microwave oven headed for the dumpster may lead to significant developments on the solar energy front.  Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction.
05/01/2013
Do You Smell That? Odor complaints are the most challenging problems I am asked to solve as an Indoor Air Quality Professional.  Often only one or two of the building’s occupants out of 50 or 100 can detect the odor
04/29/2013
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the winner of its third-annual Energy Star National Building Competition. More than 3,000 schools, businesses, and government buildings across the country competed to see which could reduce its energy use the most in one year—and a New Jersey elementary school emerged victorious.
04/25/2013
The microbial population in the air of the New York City subway system is nearly identical to that of ambient air on the city streets.
04/25/2013

The United States ranked first among 21 countries most actively using the tax code to influence sustainable corporate activity, according to the inaugural edition of the KPMG Green Tax Index, reflecting the country's extensive and long-established program of federal tax incentives for energy generally, including specific incentives for energy efficiency, renewable energy and green buildings.

04/24/2013

Let this stat sink in: 98% of lamp's energy goes to lighting the street instead of the night sky. 

Streetlights illuminate the night, shining upon roadways and sidewalks across the world, but these ubiquitous elements of the urban environment are notoriously inefficient and major contributors to light pollution that washes out the night sky. Recent innovations in light emitting diodes (LEDs) have improved the energy efficiency of streetlights, but, until now, their glow still wastefully radiated beyond the intended area.

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