The speaker will examine the changes to the nonresidential Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6, Lighting/Electrical) for 2022 that were implemented on January 1, 2023, which apply to lighting and controls. Included will be information on occupancy sensors, wattage, demand response, daylighting, and outdoor lighting controls.  Also, details on acceptance testing for lighting controls, for both new buildings and alteration projects, and how acceptance testing is different than commissioning, Make sure you are compliant at your facility.

Facility managers are required by OSHA to have a written emergency response plan for their buildings.  But is your plan up-to-date regarding building employees who are disabled or with reduced mobility? You may have purchased stairway evacuation chairs or lightweight transport wheelchairs for emergencies.  If so, do people know where they are stored and how to use them?  And what about other planning? Do you have lists of the employees in your buildings who will require assistance in the case of an emergency, with details on what assistance they will need? Are these lists updated on a regular basis, to take into account employee accidents (broken legs, etc.) or other reduced mobility?  What about disabled people working overtime, outside of regular building hours – are these situations part of the planning? Learn about this important topic in this informative presentation.

This session will provide a look at the impressive sustainable buildings and operations of the Port of San Francisco. The Port is the landlord of 25 million square feet of leasable space, managing close to 200 buildings. Through the renovation and construction processes, the Port implements the latest and greenest technologies that are suitable for each project. Some of the buildings date back to the 1920s, such as the historic Pier 29.  Others are new additions, such as the neighboring James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27, which received LEED Gold Certification. The EcoCenter is an educational community center that uses sustainable on-site power, water and wastewater systems, and is the first LEED Platinum - Zero Net Energy Building in San Francisco. Facility managers will learn about the challenges of implementing sustainable best practices with old infrastructure and resource challenges.

Boiler predictive monitoring (PM) allows operators to gain visibility of critical equipment in the boiler room and provide a holistic dashboard of the entire system application. PM controls provide actionable insights to increase efficiency and reduce unplanned downtime. Users can remotely monitor their boiler system, view key performance indicators, receive alerts, utilize an asset diagnostic tool, and review trend reports, moving from a reactive to a predictive stance to reduce boiler maintenance costs and improve uptime. This session will help you to identify operational trends to help address issues before they arise for efficient troubleshooting.

Electric vehicle (EV) charging at the workplace is imperative when attracting and retaining job seekers who want to work for environmentally friendly employers. The right charging solution is also mutually beneficial for employers, employees, and visitors to your property. This panel discussion will present the basics of EVs and EV charging, why you need to be considering EV charging at your properties, how to plan for a future where 30% of new vehicles sold are electric, criteria for choosing charging infrastructure and site design, permitting considerations, awareness of what incentives are available to you, and tips for implementing a successful EV charging program.

Hundreds of worker deaths and thousands of injuries could be prevented each year by following the latest edition of NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®. Originally developed at OSHA's request, NFPA 70E provisions are applied to identify electrical safety hazards and reduce employee exposure to those hazards.  This presentation will focus on safety related work practices, safety related maintenance requirements and safety requirements for special equipment. Also learn about additional resources for electrical safety in the workplace. This session will advance the on the job safety for you, your staff members, and contracted people.

Standard building HVAC practice includes custom control sequences of operations (SOO). The SOO is often dumbed down to “keep it simple,” to the point that the SOO is not compliant with codes and standards such as Standard 90.1/Title 24 (energy codes) and Standard 62.1/Title 24 (ventilation codes). ASHRAE Guideline 36-2021, High-Performance Sequences of Operation for HVAC Systems, is created to address these issues. It includes best-in-class control SOO, optimized to minimize energy use, maximize comfort and indoor air quality, and is intended to be preprogrammed and pre-debugged by control system manufacturers. ASHRAE Guideline 36 has the potential to have a larger impact on building energy use than any other ASHRAE standard or guideline. Find out the details in this valuable presentation.

In this informative session, the speakers will share their tried and true methods for how to anticipate and respond to change to projects that are outside your control.  They will share how project management fundamentals, thoughtful change management and communication can help you better manage your departments’s projects in the face of unpredictable variables.

California has a very large solar footprint when it comes to power generation, and accordingly utility companies and facilities need energy storage on a large scale.  Current energy storage lags current needs in the state and as more and more solar is added, this situation within the power grid will exacerbate. Facilities managers need to consider energy storage options sooner rather than later, in order to meet the electrical needs of their buildings and to efficiently control costs. This session will provide an overview of the topic.

Regardless of what type of facility you work in, you can benefit from the earthquake best practices practiced by hospital facilities. In California, a state law requires that hospitals stay open after an earthquake. In order to achieve that, there are simple things hospitals must do that are above and beyond the California building code. That being said, the code is not intended to keep businesses open after a disaster; it only allows people to get out of their building safely.  This session will introduce attendees to the simple steps they can take to keep their businesses open and viable following an earthquake. It only makes sense, if you have a business, you want it to stay open, even after an earthquake. So learn how to do what hospitals do in this valuable presentation.

The University of California-Berkeley Energy Office has developed a homegrown retrocommissioning (RCx) program that analyzes energy data, operations, schedules and sequences to show how RCx benefits occupants, maintenance staff, and equipment life – beyond energy savings and carbon reduction. The Energy Office team also tamed a high-energy building by designing and installing a pony chiller. Through the RCx team effort, the EO has revealed a gold mine of RCx and capital improvements that address all the representative stakeholders’ goals. The UCB Energy Office team will also discuss their ambitious Clean Energy Campus project. Berkeley currently depends on steam and electricity from its natural-gas-fired cogeneration plant that serves over 100 buildings and 12 million square feet. The plant is nearing the end of its useful life and is responsible for 71% of the 190,00 metric tons of CO2e produced by the campus every year. The Berkeley speakers will discuss plans to replace the plant with a combination of electric heat pumps, on-site and utility-distributed clean electricity, efficiency measures, and battery and thermal storage.

You are in charge of safety.  Now what? This presentation is an overview of the key elements of an effective safety and health program based on OSHA recommendations. You will learn about the benefits of implementing a safety and health program as well as the importance of hazard identification, prevention and control.

To save energy through improved building operations requires determining frequent problems that have the largest savings potential. Most operations- and maintenance-related energy waste falls into four major categories. First, equipment scheduling – equipment runs when it is not needed. Second, outside air usage: economizer does not function optimally, or excessive outside air causes increased heating and/or mechanical cooling. Sometimes too little outdoor air compromises indoor air quality. This presentation will focus on these two topics, but will also address a third problem – sensor error:  erroneous sensor data causes increased heating, cooling, or equipment operation which can affect occupant comfort. The session also will include details on a fourth problem – simultaneous heating and cooling: the same air gets heated and cooled, or hot and cold air streams get mixed together to achieve the correct supply temperature. Gain information to help tune-up your building effectively. 

This session will focus on how facilities should conduct a threat assessment for possible criminal or ideological (terrorist) incidents, including active shooter. ASIS/ANSI Standards and Guidelines will be discussed as part of a holistic protection strategy. Prevention and mitigation techniques for various types of facilities, including schools, office buildings, multi-tenant buildings, and houses of worship will also be discussed. Information will include details on ASIS Guideline for General Security Risk Assessment and ASIS Guideline for Facility Physical Security.

The heat pumps are coming! Heat pumps provide outstanding energy efficiency, and support decarbonization goals. But converting existing commercial facilities designed to burn fossil fuels demands an informed approach. This presentation describes the key principles behind heat pumps, their pros and cons, and outlines the steps needed to decarbonize facilities using heat pumps today. 

CAL-OSHA requires continued inspection and testing of façade access equipment, verifying that it is in accordance with the requirements of general industry safety orders.  Façade access equipment includes maintenance scaffolding and rigging, including that needed for window cleaning. The requirement extends beyond any single piece of equipment to include the complete façade access system.  The speaker will discuss what is required, steps involved to make and keep equipment/systems compliant and how California is different than the rest of the US.  Learn how to ensure that your contractor is asking the right questions, make sure they are doing the job correctly; and also make sure you are covered from a liability standpoint and are keeping workers safe.