Climate change is affecting many facets of facility management, including maintenance, as weather patterns continue to shift and change. From increased flooding to forest fires, maintenance managers need a strategy to protect their properties from damage, shutdowns, and unsafe conditions.
Studies show that by 2050, 90 per cent of the world’s largest companies will have buildings that are at risk due to climate change, so planning ahead helps maintenance managers stay prepared.
Depending on your location, you may be facing a variety of climate-related risks. For example, buildings in regions that experience prolonged heat waves may need to plan for greater amounts of air conditioning, which could involve upgrading your HVAC equipment to prolong the life of your system.
Similarly, in areas prone to flooding, maintenance managers could be facing damaged equipment and potential shutdowns. To combat this, many companies are relocating critical systems to stay dry or adding sump pumps, installing flood doors, or upgrading their drainage systems.
Investing in today’s technology can help maintenance managers predict, assess, and address, weather-related risks to their buildings:
AI can help predict weather activity with increasingly accurate data that benefits facility and maintenance managers looking to stay proactive and prepared for potential damage to the building. However, for the technology to be able to forecast weather, detect patterns, and suggest solutions, companies need to be vigilant in storing, managing, and analyzing their data effectively.
Drones are another tool that can be used to monitor weather patterns for predictive purposes. The drones are equipped with advanced sensors that measure temperature, humidity, air pressure, and wind speed in real-time, providing accurate forecasting that can help managers maintain a preventative approach to building maintenance.
Managers can also use sensors to collect and manage data to create a maintenance strategy specifically for their property. In groundskeeping, for example, sensors can measure everything from the current moisture in the soil to soil temperature. These insights can help managers know when their soil actually needs water for its health when a drought hits, or when to water again after flooding. These patterns can be used to create a plan for future irrigation that reduces water use, saves money, and helps the environment.
Tools like AI, drones, and sensors can provide effective weather forecasting solutions to help facility and maintenance managers better handle climate change by assessing upcoming risks, planning proactively, taking effective action, and allocating their resources, from budgeting to scheduling.
