Newman Consulting Group

Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change – and Pandemics

jimn@newmanconsultinggroup.us (Jim Newman) — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 18:09:55 GMT

The need to address sustainability in the built environment is being accelerated by external concerns. Some of these are environmental and resource issues, rising energy prices, climate change, indoor environmental quality, international pressure, energy security, and natural disasters that seem to be happening more frequently than ever before. Sustainability focuses on the distant future. Resiliency focuses more on the present, e.g. How do we keep our buildings functioning during floods, long power outages, or protect building occupants from smoke and odors during wildfires?

How to Claim the 179D Deduction for 2021 and Beyond

jimn@newmanconsultinggroup.us (Jim Newman) — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 12:52:12 GMT

Popular energy efficiency tax incentive, 179D, made permanent. Indoor air quality improvements may qualify.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), Section 179D, established a tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot for qualifying structures, including a retroactive deduction for existing facilities that meet specific requirements. After several extensions, this beneficial tax credit was finally made permanent.

Critical Strategies for Safely Reopening Buildings after COVID

jimn@newmanconsultinggroup.us (Jim Newman) — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 14:12:51 GMT

With entire buildings, and even campuses, being shuttered for months on end, you can’t simply reopen a closed building and assume it will be business as usual. In reopening closed buildings during – or after – the pandemic, how building owners and maintenance staff manage the essential building functions of indoor air quality and potable water can have an enormous impact on the health and safety of tenants and visitors.

What if You Don't Have a Ventilation System in Your Building?

Guest Post by Simon Ren, P.E., CEM — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 17:46:44 GMT

Note: Simon Ren, P.E., CEM, serves on the Detroit ASHRAE COVID-19 Task Force with Jim Newman, Sonya Pouncy and others. This article comes from a similar piece written for the Task Force. Members of the Task Force have been speaking to various business and building owner groups on their expertise as it pertains to mitigating the effects of the coronavirus in buildings. Find additional resources at DetroitAshrae.org/COVID_19_task_force.

IAQ and COVID - Moving from What Now? To What Next?

jimn@newmanconsultinggroup.us (Jim Newman) — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 22:34:01 GMT

Three steps to take now to improve Indoor Air Quality in the Age of Coronavirus.

(Updated chart 2/25/21) Whether your building is open, opening soon or closed until next year, you are behind if you’re not already planning to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) at your facility. (See “Why Good IAQ Matters in the Age of COVID-19.”) If you made changes to improve safety back in May or June (as we transitioned out of total lockdown), new information, products and tools that we discuss here may mean you’re looking at making changes again.

The good news is that there’s a lot of useful information out there. Some of it, however, gives conflicting messages. (See “100% Outside Air - Is it Really One of the Best Solutions for Flushing Buildings?”) Don’t jump in and grasp at the first shiny penny. Study the options, talk to experts, and then do what makes the most sense for your people and your bottom line.

100% Outside Air - Is it Really One of the Best Solutions for Flushing Buildings?

jimn@newmanconsultinggroup.us (Jim Newman) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 21:16:39 GMT

In the age of COVID, we have to look at all available - and viable - options for occupant safety.

To help slow the spread of the coronavirus, ASHRAE, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and WHO (the World Health Organization) currently recommend running HVAC systems for a minimum of 4 hours (but preferably more) on a daily basis with 100% outside air (OA) to “flush out” the virus. I would love to be 100% on board with this recommendation all year round. But I’m not.

Why Good IAQ Matters in the Age of COVID-19

jimn@newmanconsultinggroup.us (Jim Newman) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 20:11:12 GMT

Some estimates place the cost of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) to the United States' economy at $200 Billion in today’s dollars. In the age of COVID-19, good IAQ as we have known it is no longer enough. (Updated chart, 2/25/21)

Three Coronavirus Prevention Techniques for Your Building - a Comparison

jimn@newmanconsultinggroup.us (Jim Newman) — Tue, 19 May 2020 21:27:42 GMT

(updated chart, 2/25/21) As those of us in the building management and maintenance field prepare to “re-open” buildings, the health and safety of our tenants, guests, patients, staff and residents remains top-of-mind. Soon the general public will leave the comfort and safety of their homes where they have been limiting human contact for weeks, and venture out into the world with other people.

We must be prepared for them so they can feel safe when returning to shop, work and play in “the new normal.”

Nothing about building maintenance will be normal – perhaps for quite a while. Every commercial building in the US and probably in most industrial nations, is now taking – or should be taking – extra precautions to ensure safety. People should feel safe going back to work, and building owners and managers must enact measures to both ensure safety and prevent, or at least minimize, potential litigation.

Battling ANTs of COVID-19, Four Tips for Powering Through Tough Times

jimn@newmanconsultinggroup.us (Jim Newman) — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 21:28:31 GMT

Spring is supposed to be a time of growth, renewal and hope. Many cultures and religions celebrate sacred holidays, most of which take place communally, with family and friends.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year many of us are observing these special occasions alone or with family and friends but only virtually.

While we are celebrating with social distancing, we can pause to give thanks for what we have, and offer immense gratitude to the doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery store workers, maintenance and sanitation workers and all those other front-line workers who are giving so much of themselves to help others.

Two weeks ago I shared on our social media pages (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn), an article by one of my favorite local speakers and writers, Josh Linkner. He wrote about ANTs. Not the kind that are the bane of any facility manager or building owner, but Automatic Negative Thoughts as described by psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen.

Breathe Deeply, or Don’t: Why IAQ Matters Today

jimn@newmanconsultinggroup.us (Jim Newman) — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 17:28:08 GMT

When giving a talk on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in 1991, I was discussing one of the consequences of poor IAQ – Sick Building Syndrome. A woman raised her hand and said, “I have that.” The room went silent. She continued, “I was teaching at school and they started painting. By the time I left that first day I had tingling in my fingers. The second day I had tingling all the way up to my elbows. On the third day I went home very sick. I went to several doctors in the area who weren’t able to diagnose it – they all said it was in my head. I finally found a holistic doctor who diagnosed it as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).”

With the proper diagnosis, she could finally start treatment. To this day she is still hyper-sensitive to the VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) such as the odors from fresh paint, carpet and glue found in many buildings.

VOCs. Viruses. Stale air. Mold

They spread through the air and can lead to Sick Building Syndrome. Left unchecked, they can cause serious health issues.

Sometimes the underlying source is easily seen, detected and mitigated. Sometimes exposure causes long-term health issues for those exposed.

Most often, especially in flu season or as a result of adverse events such as flooding or an epidemic like COVID 19, it pays to monitor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).