Campus physical plants that have become internets of things — requiring cloud-based management, machine learning, and visualization tools — could serve as more than unseen controllers of the classroom environment. They could be the classroom.
University of Akron has more than 27,000 students and offers in excess of 300 undergraduate and graduate programs. Located in metropolitan Akron, the university has more than 80 buildings on 218 acres. Since 2000, it has added 22 buildings, completed 18 major additions, acquisitions and renovations, and created 34 acres of green space.
To kick off the event, Armstrong announced its “2 in 22” initiative: a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions among its installed customer base by 2 million tons by the year 2022.
Where DeLeo works, pushing the envelope of HVAC contracting is the way of business. He is currently working with a group of HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and construction employees in an effort to advance the home services division of the company.
On average, homeowners are coming to their HVAC decisions as better-informed consumers. That seems to be the consensus on the manufacturer side. That said, they are seeing not only more widespread interest in giving environmental concerns more priority in purchasing decisions, but also that this interest is more impervious to other circumstances than it might have been in past decades.
Energy represents the single fastest-growing operating cost in the lodging industry, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). Decisions on guest room equipment amplify by dozens or hundreds in a single property. The mechanical systems work on such a scale that any amount of waste can add up to a significant financial loss or missed opportunity while, on the other hand, minor savings in one area can accumulate to an appreciable gain.