Few factors will delay or derail plans to invest in the energy efficiency, safety and reliability of institutional and commercial facilities than a lack of funding. Whether it’s an HVAC upgrade, a restroom renovation or a reroofing project, funding is critical to success.
While many maintenance and engineering managers face tough challenges making the case to executives to finance such projects, other sources of funding can help them move from planning to upgrading. Consider these updates:
Net zero. The U.S. Department of Energy announced $250 million in funding to help federal agencies implement net-zero building projects. The funding program — Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) — aims to address the climate crisis in a way that creates good-paying jobs, grows industries and makes the country more economically competitive.
IAQ. The state of Illinois is launching a $29.6 million program to distribute more than 60,000 high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifiers to schools to help reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The program is targeting school districts that serve lower-income communities and counties that have elevated air pollution counts. IDPH estimates almost 3,000 schools will be eligible for the program, covering 68 percent of school districts in the state.
Training. New York’s Building Operations and Maintenance Training Program is providing up to $400,000 for training building and operations staff to properly operate and maintain building systems. Proposals must be for buildings or groups of buildings with annual energy expenditures of $1 million or more. Activities currently eligible for funding include curriculum development, in-person and/or virtual training, on-site training laboratories, on-the-job training, coaching/mentorships, apprenticeships, and training trainers within an organization.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor of the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
