Ingenieur Vol 71 ingenieur July 2017 | Page 49

● ● ● ● Drones – Offer a safer way to monitor or make repairs to building exteriors Big Data – Increased computer power and connectivity are providing FMs the ability to quickly collect and analyse all sorts of building data. This data can be used to show what equipment will need proactive maintenance and when, or to predict and manage energy consumption in different parts of a facility. Focus on Green & Wellness Going green is gaining traction in facilities maintenance. According to the US Green Building Council, commercial building owners will invest US$960 billion on greening existing buildings by 2023. In their daily operations, FMs look for ways to be environment-friendly through recycling, waste reduction and the use of green cleaning products. Besides cleanliness and comfort for building users, FMs will be further challenged with a higher standard in indoor environment quality, namely wellness. There is the added emphasis on wellness as big companies see a clear link between the workplace and productivity. In the US, there is a WELL Building Standard, a rating system offering a comprehensive set of criteria that measures indoor environment quality to improve the wellbeing of workers. WELL is administered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a public benefit corporation launched in 2013 whose mission is to improve human health and wellbeing through the built environment. The standard is based on seven years of research in partnership with scientists, doctors and architects exploring the connection between the buildings where people spend a lot of their time, and the health and wellbeing impacts those buildings have on their occupants. It is third-party certified by Green Business Certification Inc. 47