Askthefm’s Weblog

Courtesy of Today’s Facility Manager magazine and Jeff Crane, P.E., Leed, AP and his Fm Frequency Column:

“This is an intriguing philosophical inquiry, Mr. Crane. Let’s consider the parallels between facility management and ‘religious employment.’ Perhaps it will lead us to a proper conclusion.”

Non-profit?

Check

On call 24×7?

Check

Servitude and sacrifice?

Check

Frequent weekend work?

Check

Faith in your fellow man is tested daily?

Check

Frequently brought to your knees by your job?

Check

Many years of education and training required for effectiveness?

Check

Must wear stuffy attire while those served dress in casual clothing?

Check

Physical appearance of the facility is often more important than what actually takes place inside?

Check

Responsibilities include arbitrating silly disputes, sympathetic listening to constant whining, and begging for money?

Check

Except when forced to admit errors while cornered in small rooms, your ‘customers’ are known sinners living in unrepentant denial?

Check

Must preside over multiple weekly gatherings of people who attend out of a sense of duty but are rarely prepared and usually forget everything they’ve heard the moment they walk out the door?

Check

Although seeking to follow the wishes of a majestic being who reigns from up on high, the actual chain of command is a confused tangle of reporting relationships with multiple supervisors, committees, and administrators who are all subordinate to the whimsical desires of fickle facility occupants?

Check

The ultimate reward for your life of service is a triumphant welcome into paradise?

TO BE DETERMINED

“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe this will pass the IRS ‘smell test.’ But may you find peace in your journey, grasshopper.”

This is too on target not to post. In case you didn’t realize the “fm” part of the blog’s title stands for facility manager….. The full article can be found here: http://www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/tfm_08_05_fmfrequency.php

Hope you liked this as well as I did and will post it to Digg or any other social networking sites of your choice to help me spread the word. As always thank you for your time and interest and you can forward any questions or suggestions for future posts to askthefm@gmail.com

Sorry I didn’t post last night as I didn’t get back from Sacramento into Long Beach until 10pm.

However going green was a big topic at the conference with one institute on Monday, five sessions on Tuesday, and three on Wednesday. That over 10% of the conference sessions! Not to mention that they had a new section of the vendor area, called the solar spot which was a tent outside on the patio with several well versed green technology vendors ready to share their expertise.

I have several of the presentations from one of Tuesday’s sessions, “New Programs for funding Solar Power on Existing Buildings” that can be found here:

http://askthefm.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=11

http://askthefm.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=10

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However in my opinion the most informative of the “green” sessions was the last one on Wed. that finished out the conference, “Residential Green Building Programs -Putting them all together”.

It featured representatives from the Heschong Mahone Group, a consulting firm who has been administering the investor owned utilities (IOU) energy effciency and rebate plans for the last several years and who has also been retained for the 2009 programs. Also there where speakers from PG&E, Green Point Rated and Davis Energy, the LEED for Homes Consultant for California and Nevada.

They were all very well informed and presented well. I have the matrix which shows a snapshot of all of the green rating and a good selection of the energy rebate programs.

http://askthefm.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=12

It seemed to me that these certification programs are coming of age very quickly and that even some or most of the cost for these certifications can be covered by utility rebate programs, at least in the case of Green Point Rated’s program. Especially since most of the requirements for the certification are a direct match to most of the tax credit financing (TCAC) requirements. I apologize in advance that the links in the matrix above are not active, however I have inserted a few of the more important below for you:

Utility Energy Efficiency Site: www.flexyourpower.com

Heschong Mahone Group: www.h-m-g.com

California Solar Energy Site: www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/

Green Point Rated’s Site: www.greenpointrated.org

Davis Energy(LEED Consultant): www.davisenergy.com

Well I have covered quite a bit of information in this post. There is certainly a great deal more about green technology and especially solar power that has been in the news lately and I feel I have only just scratched the surface. If any of you have specific topics in this area you are interested in please drop me a note at askthefm@gmail.com and I will get busy trying to bring that to you!