Implementing new products into hotel green programs

Hotels throughout North America have been adopting sustainability strategies for several years now. How well these programs succeed, however, is dependent on a variety of issues. For instance, success is more attainable if there is strong support from top management who understand the value of these strategies.

Those who do grasp this value may also wish to implement various new technologies to improve the effectiveness of these programs. But executing this new technology and measuring its performance also means getting staff on board, training them and inspiring them with what value it will bring to an organization or green program.

Here, Michael Wilson, vice-president of AFFLINK, a provider of strategic procurement and supply chain solutions that also develops such technologies, illustrates how new technologies can be more smoothly adopted within a hotel’s green program.

What are the first steps to implementing new technology and products?

Whenever an organization decides to implement a big change in their operations, the first thing they have to do is what I call “sell the brand inside.” This is the way you get buy-in and can convince staff that the change is being made for reasons that will benefit the hotel in many ways. And because change can often be disruptive to an organization, the better the reasons and the better it is sold to employees, the more likely it is to succeed.

How can management sell these elements of a program to employees?

There are software and online technologies, some of which are free and available to hotel managers who ask a series of questions to help answer the whys of all kinds of initiatives, including green and sustainability initiatives. Some of these questions include the following:

Is the initiative being implemented to enhance the corporate image?
Does this initiative comply with new regulations?
Is the goal to help create a healthier hotel for guests and staff?
Is another goal to increase occupancy rates?
Are we trying to reduce overall operating costs?

After going through these questions, these technologies essentially rank the results, identifying the top priorities so that managers can have a clearer picture of why a program is being initiated and its goals. With this information, the initiative is now ready to be sold inside.

Once everyone is sold on the initiative, now what?

Steps must be taken to implement the program. What I suggest is forming a team. The team should be made up of upper management, an operations manager, the restaurant or food service manager and members of the custodial crew. Their job is to establish goals and deadlines, deciding, for instance, what steps can be taken now at no or minimal cost, which items can be addressed in the next six months at moderate cost and which items may need a year to be accomplished and may be costly.

Using cleaning as an example, a very simple step would be to stop selecting ready-to-use cleaning solutions. While some may be green, these products fall short when it comes to sustainability; plus they are costly. Selecting concentrated cleaning solutions is less expensive, requires less packaging and generates less waste, along with requiring less fuel for delivery.

Your last point brings up another question: how do we select products that are green and also promote sustainability?

The first thing to do is figuratively “peel the roof” off the hotel property. A hotel is made up of guest rooms, meeting rooms, a laundry area, a lobby, a food service area, offices, a fitness centre, a pool, recreation areas, and so on. Continuing with our cleaning example, the green cleaning products used in one area are not necessarily those that would be used in another. Here is where technology can help. For each area, some of these systems can recommend various products that work well and fall into the realm of our green and sustainability initiatives.

What criteria is used to suggest these products?

Again continuing with our cleaning example, the technology first separates green from traditional cleaning solutions. It then narrows down selections depending on where the product will be used—in a guest room, for instance, or in the kitchen—and for what reasons. It then offers choices based on costs—for instance, as we mentioned earlier, more expensive ready-to-use products versus less expensive cleaning solutions in large concentrated containers. But word to the wise: before making any product selection, call in a distributor marketing these products. While the technology does the heavy work, the distributor will help managers fine-tune the selection process to ensure that the most effective and cost-effective products are selected for each area of the hotel.

How can the green team help to reduce water consumption, fuel, electricity, and so on?

There are several dashboard systems now available that can prove invaluable for such issues. For instance, say we want to reduce water consumption. The first step in the process is to determine how much water the hotel is now using. Some dashboards and utility companies allow this information to be downloaded directly. Be sure to collect two years of data to establish a solid benchmark. If possible, it may also be good to determine how much water is consumed per guest room. This is where most of the water is likely being used in your property, and this information can prove very valuable.

Now use the same step-by-step approach we discussed earlier. Determine what steps can be taken to reduce water consumption now at little cost, what should be done in six months, what should be done in a year, and so on. For instance, a first step, and one that can result in significant water savings, is for the green team to ensure that aerators, which are very inexpensive, are installed in all faucets and showerheads. Next, hotel engineers should go on a “water leaks expedition.” Water leaks are very common and, with all the bathrooms in a hotel, result in a lot of water waste.

And I should add that all of the suggestions here are not one-time projects. The projects and steps taken must be continually reevaluated. Managers should view green and sustainable initiatives as a journey with no end point. New technologies, new products and new procedures are always being introduced that can help hotels operate in more efficient, cost-effective, green and sustainable ways.

Robert Kravitz is a frequent writer for the green, cleaning, and professional building industries.

How to maintain commercial carpets during winter

With proper maintenance and care, commercial carpets can withstand a harsh winter and overcome the slush and snow that is currently finding its way into facilities across Canada.

To prevent such outside elements from spreading throughout a building, an effective dirt trekking system in the form of entrance matting is a common tactic that facilities depend upon. Such considerations prolong the life cycle of all other floor finishes susceptible to salt damage. High priority areas include front and side entrances, along with parking levels, which attract the highest amount due to foot traffic. However, some industry experts in the building services sector notice that not all facilities properly maintain matting, even after spending thousands of dollars on the product.

Here are some factors to consider when thinking about cleaning and maintenance issues inherent to winter matting and carpeting in general.

Winter matting goals

Various companies have different ideas on how much dirt is trekked into a building, but according to Michael Chisholm, sales consultant at Vifloor Canada Ltd., a Toronto-based company that supplies custom flooring solutions for property management, a minimum of 15 feet of carpet located at an entrance will trap as much as 85 per cent of dirt brought into a facility. He also states about 90 per cent of the foot traffic travels from a front door to a reception area or to and from a mailroom, so such areas should be given close consideration.

While all buildings may have similar matting goals—safety, function, design and, ultimately, budget —priority levels change according to asset type. For instance, school boards often consider budget and safety at the top of their list, whereas matting design is just as important in Class A office or condo towers in order to make a valuable impression to visitors and occupants.

In terms of maintenance cost, this will vary depending on which carpet is selected and, especially, what fibre is used to make the carpet. Either way, facility managers and owners must practice due diligence when it comes to ensuring proper matting during winter. Slip and falls are usually prevented when carpet is covering a floor from entrance to elevator.

Carpet cleaning and maintenance

Vacuuming

Jonathan Lewis, senior account manager at Spectrum Building Services, based in Toronto, says vacuuming is the best way to maintain winter matting because once salt gets into a carpet, it becomes very difficult to clean. This should occur on a day-to-day basis for high-traffic areas, or depending on the harshness of the season. For mild winters, carpets may only need to be vacuumed and then cleaned just before storing for the season.

He has seen cases where a lot of money is spent on matting that looks “beat up” after a year.

“Some buildings spend $5000 to $6000 on runners, but when it comes to cleaning them, they don’t want to spend the money on maintenance,” he says.

Hot water extraction

For salt and slush stain removal, Chisholm says most matting manufacturers concur that hot water extraction is the best and most effective method for cleaning and prolonging a carpet’s life cycle, and that frequency depends on the amount of foot traffic within a building and the severity of weather.

Robert Kravitz, former building services contractor and frequent writer for the professional cleaning industry across North America, says that heat helps activate the cleaning chemicals, allowing them to work more efficiently.

“According to some studies, for every 18 degrees above 118 degrees that the water is heated, the cleaning chemical becomes twice as effective,” he notes. “Most hot water extractors heat water to 160 to 180 degrees. By the time this hot water hits the fiber, it is about 150 degrees, a temperature that some carpet manufacturers recommend.”

Hot-water extraction is also recommended in medical facilities because it is the only method that can help remove biological contaminants and chemical residue from carpet. Kravitz says a few downsides to this cleaning method include higher energy use as opposed to a cold water machine, possible chemical fumes released into the air, which may mar indoor air quality, and hot water extractors cost slightly more than cold water systems.

However, he says this is still the best method for cleaning salt and other difficult elements from a carpet.

Cleaning frequency depends on the building or season. After a severe winter with increased salt and slush, extraction might be monthly.

“Some AAA buildings have a maintenance budget we all dream of, and image is very important to them, so extraction around immediate doorways could even be weekly or every second night, as soon as a bit of salt is detected,” adds Chisholm. “A building with less foot traffic, however, might wait till the spring.”

Encapsulation technology

For olefin and nylon carpets, encapsulation technology is recommended for spot removal. Even though this technology has been around for more than 15 years, advancements in the field have increased its performance level.

According to Lewis, an encapsulator is designed with an innovative polymer technology to form a distinct crystal when it dries. The crystal helps a good encapsulator capture soil so it can be extracted through post-vacuuming. Since most of the soil in a carpet is dry soil, the carpet should be well vacuumed before any cleaning so mud doesn’t form when a solution is added.

Cimex scrubbing machines are recommended due to their high level of agitation. Work the scrubber at a moderate pace and make a wet pass by holding the solution valve open. Return over the same pass without releasing more solution.

Lewis says in most cases one wet-pass followed with one dry-pass is all that is needed. If the carpet needs a little more scrubbing because it’s heavily soiled, simply make additional dry passes. This process has very little moisture and will completely dry within the hour. Since it takes about 24 hours for an encapsulator to cure and for crystallization to occur, post vacuuming could be performed the following day.

Selecting winter matting

There are two options when looking for entrance matting: rentals and purchases. With rental matting, a facility pays for convenience, and someone needs to switch the mat every week or more often during harsher weather. Chisholm suggests that a facility may see a cost savings as great as 50 per cent when owning certain mats versus renting over a three-year life-cycle.

Another selection factor, according to Lewis, is matting that will try to clean your shoes when you walk on it and absorb dirt and water.

If sustainability is a consideration when choosing carpets, some companies focus on job specific reclamation, where they recycle old matting and divert it from landfill, whether it be a small mat or a whole floor of carpeting.

When ordering winter matting, if it is desired for the first week of October, a contractor should know by the first week of August. Commercial properties are often more proactive than the residential sector, where Chisholm sees a more reactive approach, with matting being a priority as soon as winter weather strikes.

From Vifloor’s perspective, Chisholm says the biggest issue is that quality labour is at a premium, which leads to longer lead-times once winter weather arrives. If matting is ordered well in advance, a facility can book their installation when desired, for instance, the first week of October. But if matting is ordered during the first week of October, a facility is realistically looking at longer lead-times of up to four weeks.

Post-winter matting care and storage

Before storing for the summer, matting should be clean and dry. Chisholm says, at least for Vifloor matting, that the product should be stored upright, as opposed to rolled up and stored on its side. Often, if a mat is stored on its side for the season, items tend to be thrown on top of the product, crushing it and creating what Chisholm calls an “ocean effect,” with wave-like designs, making re-installation more difficult, costly and time-consuming.

Teknion receives seven 2016 Good Design Awards

Seven Teknion products have been honoured with 2016 Good Design Awards. The awards, which are presented annually by The Chicago Athenaeum, recognize the world’s most innovative industrial, product and graphic designs.

The Zones furniture collection was designed by PearsonLloyd and Teknion, offering various workplace applications with a consistent design language. Tek Pier is the first product of its kind to offer height adjustability and easily positioned monitors for a seamless office setup. The Teknion Community Table, designed by Michael Vanderbyl and Teknion, was designed to work in a community workplace setting. The Focus demountable glass wall system delivers high level acoustic performance with a clean aesthetic in various finish options.

Teknion added to its educational product offerings with the Thesis Flip-Top Table and Marker Board. The Around Task Chair, designed by Justus Kolberg, features a minimalist design with many hidden innovations. The Teknion Sanna by Pablo collection of LED lamps and task lighting was designed by Pablo Pardo.

“We are honoured that a jury of distinguished design professionals and leading industry specialists selected many of Teknion’s latest contract furnishing products to receive these international awards for design excellence,” said David Feldberg, Teknion president and CEO, in a press release. “Our Good Design Awards would not have been possible without our talented international partners – Justus Kolberg, Tom Lloyd, Luke Pearson, Pablo Pardo and Michael Vanderbyl – plus members of our own in-house design team.”

Fortress receives OMB approval for two project proposals

The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) has approved two future residential housing development proposals submitted by Fortress Real Developments (Fortress).

Lamb Development Corporation (LDC), Hyde Park Homes (Hyde Park) and Fortress are working together on a condominium development located at 53, 61 and 65 Ontario Street and 102 Berkley Street in Toronto. The proposed 25-storey, 276-unit development will be marketed as East Fifty Five, a high-rise building designed by Peter Clewes of ArchitectsAlliance. The OMB approved the Zoning By-Law Amendment and granted Site Plan Approval, subject to approval conditions, in November 2016.

Since the project is already more than 65 per cent sold, LDC, Hyde Park and Fortress hope to begin construction on the project in early 2017.

Fortress is also working with Tercot Communities and Cityzen Developments on a ground-oriented housing development in Nobleton, located within the Township of King. The 52-acre property will include 34 net developable acres to accommodate 150 single-detached homes at an average size of 3,500 square feet. In November 2016, the OMB stated that the project would provide a reasonable, logical and suitable expansion of the urban area boundary for greenfield development in Nobleton.

“The approval of these two projects is a testament to the experience of our in-house planning and stakeholder management team, and the vision and persistence of our development partners,” said Vince Petrozza, COO of Fortress Real Developments, in a press release. “This is just the first step in delivering high-quality housing to over 400 GTA homebuyers.”

Fengate breaks ground on Oak West Corporate Centre

Construction has begun on the Oak West Corporate Centre in Oakville, Ontario, a new flex office development located just south of the Q.E.W., near the intersection of Burloak Drive and Great Lakes Boulevard.

Phase one will consist of two flex office buildings totaling more than 71,000 square feet and one industrial/flex office building totaling more than 100,000 square feet. Phase two is expected to accommodate about 500,000 square feet, with a combination of flex office and service retail.

Fengate Real Asset Investments (Fengate) is focusing on the development of flex space, which provides flexibility, the ability to create unique, customized spaces and a greater density of occupancy. The amount of flex space has been rising in Oakville over the past few years.

“The Oak West Corporate Centre is an exciting development opportunity that enhances the quality and return profile of our portfolio for the benefit of our investors,” said John Bartkiw, managing director of real estate at Fengate.”

Nearby amenities, such as the 530,000 square foot Power Centre, public transportation through municipal and GO transit, and access to several green spaces with walking trails, also provide a well-balanced location for prospective tenants.

3M Canada now ISO 50001 Enterprise Level Certified

3M Canada has become the first organization in Canada to receive ISO 50001 Enterprise Level Certification as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, including energy management initiatives to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions.

This milestone was achieved after two more 3M Canada facilities received their ISO 50001 certifications earlier this year – a manufacturing plant in Morden, Manitoba (the first ISO 50001 certification in the province) and a commercial building in Montreal, Quebec – joining four other 3M Canada facilities already certified.

“The enterprise certification allows us to better coordinate the various energy management initiatives we already had in place that are helping us significantly reduce our energy use and the effects on the environment,” said Andrew Hejnar, energy manager at 3M Canada. “ISO 50001 ensures that we have a very structured system in place that touches all aspects of our operations and allows us to replicate good ideas from one facility to the others.”

Early adopter

3M was an early adopter of the ISO 50001 standard, with its Brockville, Ontario tape plant receiving one of the first certifications in North America, along with Superior Energy Performance (SEP) platinum certification, in 2011. Since then, 3M Canada facilities in London, Ontario and Perth, Ontario have also been ISO 50001 certified, while the company’s Personal Safety Division plant in Brockville is expected to achieve ISO 50001 and SEP certification early next year.

“It’s through initiatives like ISO 50001 and SEP certification that 3M can achieve its ambitious global sustainability objectives,” said Richard Chartrand, executive director of energy and electronics business group and executive sponsor, sustainability. “The energy management systems we develop and use will play a large part in reaching our goal of reducing our energy consumption by three per cent a year over each of the next 10 years, which means an overall reduction of 30 per cent by 2025.”

Certification benefits

Hejnar notes that facilities which have implemented ISO 50001 have achieved energy savings that are, on average, 25 per cent greater than other 3M facilities with energy management systems but are no certification. In the case of the Brockville tape plant, energy costs were reduced by $350,000 in the first two years after certification.

“Everyone at every level in the company undergoes basic energy management training as part of ISO 50001, so we all understand we have a role to play in helping 3M be even more energy efficient and a greener corporate citizen,” said Hejnar.

Advances in fire alarm technology

Fire alarm technology is an important consideration for any apartment building owner today. By installing a current system featuring the latest advances, facility owners and managers can better commit to the safety of an apartment building’s occupants and help to increase operational efficiency. Addressable notification technology for fire alarm systems uses targeted audio messaging that guides apartment residents to safety and offers directional assistance in a range of emergency situations, including weather related issues or external threats. This technology helps ensure the safety of the residents by providing clear communication and direction, whether that be to shelter in place or move to a different location.

To find out more about the many benefits of this technology, read the following insights from industry expert Peter Redfern, Commercial Sales Leader at Tyco Integrated Fire & Security, Canada.

How has the technology changed?

Gone are the days where building owners needed to wire each device with conventional systems. Addressable notification systems leverage “smart” technology that differentiates them from conventional systems that are hardware-based. Facility managers are now able to access and test systems remotely from a central location without causing loud, time consuming maintenance disruptions for apartment occupants. With conventional systems, only the wiring to each device is supervised, so manual tests must be done to determine operational readiness of a notification appliance. Addressable technology helps protect residents while giving facility managers a convenient and cost effective method for notification.

What are the benefits?

Although addressable notification is not a new technology its value can be unprecedented, particularly for fire alarm systems. Some of the top benefits include:

• Targeted messaging for enhanced emergency communication. Addressable speakers have the capability to deliver targeted audio messages to specific areas within an apartment building, including in stairways, main lobbies and outside apartments depending on where the concern is. In times of emergency, this targeted audio-messaging enables the delivery of critical, time-sensitive and event-specific information to designated areas of an apartment building.

• Improved audibility and intelligibility. Emergency situations can be uneasy and concerning, and residents may not always know the next best steps. Improved, targeted messaging technology in offers guidance and clear direction to help guide residents to safety and so they do not have to think twice about where to go in the case of an emergency.

• Easier testing and maintenance (appliance self-testing). As today’s lifestyle is more on-the-go than ever, self-testing capability allows devices to be remotely activated and tested, saving residents the aggravation of disturbances and apartment owners time. Furthermore, self-tests can either be run manually, or scheduled to run automatically, allowing testing to be done at the most convenient time for building occupants.

• Flexible design and improved aesthetics. The wiring architecture of addressable speakers is extremely flexible, which means easier, more efficient design for building engineers and owners. The system is also highly scalable, allowing facility managers to easily accommodate a growing amount of work as apartments grow and the safety needs of residents evolve.

• Cost-efficient installation and ownership. Apartment building budgets are an ongoing task and can be a challenge when thinking about integrating security, which is why it’s important for apartment owners to focus on cutting costs while not skimping on security technology. The system’s easy, cost-efficient installation, increased wiring efficiency and reduction in equipment result in lower maintenance costs and ultimately a lower cost of ownership. These systems can help to save time and money for building owners, while providing residents with the safety they deserve and expect.

What’s in it for you?

Addressable fire alarm notification systems help to ensure the highest level of safety for apartment occupants through intelligent messaging that enhances emergency communication, offering residents guidance in the event of an emergency. Additionally, easy and cost-effective integration, and remote access increase the operational efficiency for facility managers and building owners, keeping apartment residents happy as a result of less disturbance and better upkeep.

These benefits allow both the residents of the apartment and those in charge of building operations to profit from addressable fire alarm technology. Choosing to invest in the latest addressable technology the industry has to offer is an investment in running a smooth and efficient business, while also offering the most robust safety and cost-effective solutions available.

Improving condo management with analytics

What is the average response time of managers in getting back to residents’ requests? For condo directors or managers that don’t know the answer, this is a must-read.

This article will go over what analytics means in the condo management world, but more importantly, why it matters and how it can benefit management companies and condo corporations.

What is analytics?

If a person has high cholesterol, what do they do about it? First of all, how did that person even know he or she has high cholesterol? Thanks to advances in medical technology, it’s now possible to measure cholesterol levels through blood samples. Now, how does this relate to condo management? They have more in common than one might think.

Data flows through day-to-day condo management operations like blood flows through the body. A person’s blood offers an immense amount of information that can be used to help measure and improve his or her health. So does data for the well-being of condo communities.

Analytics is the process of capturing, interpreting and communicating useful information for better decision making. Done correctly, it’s possible to harness the data that is available today to measure and optimize day-to-day condo management going forward.

Why it matters

Peter F. Drucker, who has been called the inventor of modern management, once famously said, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” It’s like guessing how much flour to add while baking a cake. Except, in this example, the worst case scenario is an ugly or inedible cake. In condo management, however, there’s more at stake. It can cost management firms and condominium communities alike a lot of time and money.

Here are five reasons to do analytics for condo communities, depicted through a fictional property manager called Bob.

1. Better decision-making

Bob needs to figure out when the peak days for package deliveries are so that he can better prepare the concierge to receive them. With analytics, Bob is able to visualize the pattern of peak days through a chart using the data captured from package deliveries over the past 12 months.

2. Better management culture

With analytics in place, Bob can use the information captured to set achievable goals and show measureable results. As a result, the monthly meetings he leads are now driven by wins such as issue resolution. For example, with analytics Bob now knows what the average response time is to resolve a work order — his team can now strive to reduce that average response time. This helps Bob build a collaborative culture that facilitates faster, more productive monthly meetings with more consensus among board members.

3. Predict and prevent emergencies

When a one-time power outage happens in a single unit, it’s not such a big deal. But when it happens regularly, building-wide, within the span of a few months, it is a big deal.

Bob needs to get on top of the situation pronto before it gets any worse. Analytics let Bob see into the future and take action before major system failures happen.

Lucky for Bob, he is able to fix the aging and leaking watermain, which adverted a huge cost and otherwise would have led to a catastrophe.

4. Prioritize for better planning

Bob has 101 things to do each day, so he needs to spend his limited time wisely. With analytics, he is able to prioritize the leaking watermain over the slow elevator based on a visualization of the frequency of issues that has been reported relating to them.

5. Better AGMs

To some, the AGM is a dreaded day — depending on what’s on the agenda. With analytics supported by data captured throughout the year, Bob can confidently present the thousands of service requests that he and his team have resolved, along with the hundreds of works orders that need to be brought forward to this year.

The potential debate over converting the billiards room into a party room is rendered unnecessary by stats. Bob shares that the billiards room was booked a mere three times over the past 12 months — in other words, it’s hardly used.

Numbers keep condominium corporations and their managers moving towards common goals. They also keep people on the same page, whether it’s board members or residents at large. This unity is really what analytics is all about. It ensures communities are well-managed and maintained based on facts and figures.

Adrian Teh is co-founder and CTO of condo management software Evercondo. He is an entrepreneur, software engineer and business process optimization consultant with years of experience in optimizing business processes using data and technology.

Report finds smart surface technologies could save U.S. city billions

A new report, Achieving Urban Resilience: Washington D.C., documents how D.C. could save $5 billion with smart surface strategies, such as cool roofs, green roofs, solar PV and porous pavements, while enhancing health and livability and cutting summer peak temperature.

Partners in this Capital E report include the American Institute of Architects, the National League of Cities, Downtown D.C. BID, USGBC, the National Housing Trust and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

“This report represents a major step in understanding and quantifying the benefits of adopting cost-effective strategies to manage sun and rainfall at a city level,” said Greg Kats, lead author of the report. “Increasing summer heat and smog threaten city livability and summer tourists. This report provides a powerful framework to combat climate change while improving public health and saving money.”

Cities and city planners undermanage rainfall and the effects of sunlight, which costs cities billions in avoidable health-, energy- and stormwater-related costs, undermines livability and resilience, and contributes to climate change. The 61 square miles of surface in Washington, D.C. include 16 per cent roofs and more than 24 per cent paved area. As a result, D.C., like most cities, suffers from higher summer temperatures and lower air quality than surrounding suburban and rural areas.

“What this report convincingly demonstrates is that there are cost-effective technologies and strategies for managing sun and water that will deliver billions of dollars in financial benefits to the city and its residents,” said Dan Tangherlini, former Washington, D.C., city administrator and former administrator of the U.S. General Service Administration. “Delaying this transition would impose large financial and social costs, particularly on places of lower economic opportunity [and on] the elderly and children. We now have the roadmap—now we must follow it.”

According to the USGBC, report found that implementing these smart surface solutions city-wide would cost-effectively achieve a range of sustainability, livability and competitiveness objectives, including:
• Energy: Reduce electricity purchases from the grid by 8.5 per cent, relative to 2013 consumption levels.
• Water: Reduce stormwater runoff to protect local water bodies while reducing potable water use.
• Climate and Environment: By full implementation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 5.5 percent of 2013 emissions, while enhancing resilience to climate change through reduced city temperatures
• Built Environment: Improve sustainability performance of new and existing buildings.
• Nature: Expand tree canopy and other green landscape to enhance the city-wide ecosystem.
• Jobs and Economy: Create more than 2,400 well-paying green jobs in the D.C. over 40 years.

Five things new condo directors need to know now

What do new condo directors need to know right away?

Congratulations on getting elected to the condo board! Now the fun begins. For first-time directors, there is an overwhelming amount of new information to digest. While it may seem like everything has to be learned at once, it may be more realistic to take a gradual approach. Here are five need-to-know topics to get the journey started:

1. Preserve the corporate record

This might seem like a bizarre idea, but consider the condominium corporation like a living being; the records serve as its memory. No living being can survive without a memory; the corporation likewise cannot function effectively without complete records.

Directors and property managers are the key creators of the corporation’s memory, but change on a regular basis. Directors leave at the end of their term, resign because of ill-health or sell their unit and move. In some cases, an entire board gets removed by a vote of the owners. Relying completely on property management companies and their managers is not a good idea, either. Managers may similarly leave, get replaced or retire.

It is the board’s responsibility to make sure the corporate memory is always up-to-date. Property managers have an important role to play in creating and preserving corporate memory, but the board must provide oversight and make sure this memory is created and immediately accessible. Start preparing now because changes are difficult to predict! If directors and managers wait until these events occur, it may be too late. Memories fail, emails remain in personal inboxes, and handwritten notes get misplaced.

New directors and managers rely on good records to provide this memory. Poor or missing records leave directors and managers floundering in the dark, wasting time trying to understand why a particular decision was made and wasting money because a high-value renovation contract has gone awry.

2. Act in the corporation’s best interests

From the very first meeting new directors attend, they must make decisions based on the principle of fiduciary responsibility. What does this mean? Simply put, directors must act in the best interest of the condominium corporation and not in their own self-interest.

This is an incredibly important distinction to understand. It’s normal for people to act in their own self-interest. However, for directors, the corporation’s interest replaces self-interest. The corporation is like a living entity and continues to exist as directors and property managers come and go. Directors serve the corporation and must ensure that the corporation stays financially and physically healthy.

An example will help explain.

The board of Green Condos is preparing to undertake a much-needed window replacement project. After reviewing finances, the board realizes that a special assessment will be needed to pay for the work.

One of the directors votes against the project because he does not have the money to pay for the special assessment. Another director also votes against the project because she is planning on selling her condo and doesn’t want to have to spend money on a special assessment at this point in time.

The decision has been made; the window replacement project is postponed for another year. This is a very poor decision for the condominium corporation as a whole and a good example of directors failing in their fiduciary responsibility.

3. Review the status certificate regularly

After making an offer to purchase a condominium, potential buyers receive lots of documents to review. One of them is the status certificate. It provides a snapshot of the financial and physical status of the corporation as well as details pertaining to the specific unit being considered for purchase.

Potential condo buyers usually leave the review of this document to their lawyer. Most condo buyers, especially first-time buyers, are unlikely to fully understand the implications of this document. However, it is critical for directors to understand now exactly what a status certificate represents and how to use it to mitigate risk for the corporation.

Condominium corporations are required to provide status certificates on request. The corporation usually delegates this task to its property management company. However, because the corporation remains responsible for the content, it’s good practice to review the status certificate at every board meeting. This ensures that the status certificate stays up-to-date and incorporates any new issues as the board addresses them.

Potential buyers need to know any financial or physical problems facing the corporation. If these details are missing from the current status certificate, the corporation is at risk of unhappy new condo owners who could sue the corporation if they find out, for example, that a substantial special assessment is due. Ensuring that the content of the status certificate is up-to-date helps mitigate this risk.

Potential buyers need to know that their status certificate is valid only for the date issued (as per section 76(6) of the current (1998) Condominium Act) and ask for an update before closing on their new home. This is especially relevant if the purchase date is months in the future, as the financial or physical status may change in the interim.

4. Manage the corporation’s money responsibly

Looking after money is obviously very important. New directors need to know how the corporation’s finances have been managed in the past and consider whether this is an acceptable process to continue. Just because a board has done it in a certain way before doesn’t mean that it is the right way or that it can’t be improved.

Directors are responsible for making independent decisions and not simply following along with past practices. Ask about the process of signing checks. Who signs? It’s best practice to require more than one signature. What is the process for approving quotes on small projects and more formal processes (tender) for larger projects? An excellent review of overseeing tenders appeared in the July 2016 issue of CondoBusiness magazine.

Improper management of corporate funds has significant consequences and could result in fines (as per section 137 (1) of the act).

5. Follow the legislative hierarchy

The Ontario Human Rights Code, Condominium Act and condo corporation documents are long, complicated and difficult to read. Understanding the content and intent of these documents is a core requirement for directors. Directors are not expected to understand the full legal implications of these documents, as this type of expert-level knowledge is the responsibility of their lawyer. However, there are a few key points directors should understand.

Condominiums are governed by provincial or territorial legislation. In Ontario, condominiums are subject to the Condominium Act and also the Human Rights Code, among other relevant provincial legislation. Remember that there is a hierarchy: the Humans Rights Code comes first; the Condominium Act is next and the condominium corporation’s declaration, bylaws, and rules follow. In other words, none of the many clauses contained in the declaration, bylaws, or rules can contravene the Human Rights Code, nor can they contradict the Condominium Act.

This is just a quick introduction to what new condo directors need to know now. To recap: Begin the habit of creating the corporation memory; always act in the best interests of the condo corporation; review the status certificate every board meeting; manage the corporation’s funds responsibly; and follow the legislative hierarchy. If a new director does these five things well, he or she is off to a good start in becoming an effective director.

Pat Crosscombe is the founder and CEO of BoardSpace, a company that provides software for condo boards and property managers. She is back on her condo board as president after a three-year break. She can be reached at 613-790-0225 or [email protected].

A certification for condominium management firms

What does it mean to be an ACMO 2000-certified condominium management company?

There are currently about 600 property management companies operating in Ontario. At the time of writing, only 39 of them possessed the Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario’s ACMO 2000 certification.

The ACMO 2000 certification predates the provincial government’s plans to regulate the condominium management industry. In fact, the association representing condominium managers in Ontario lobbied for licensing as a way to raise professional standards.

Bill 106, which introduced the Condominium Management Services Act, has been passed but it has not been proclaimed into force. For now, the industry remains unregulated.

In this unregulated environment, the ACMO 2000 certification recognizes condominium management firms who meet its core operational standards. These standards are designed to ensure the consistent delivery of high quality service to condominium corporations and provide benchmarks against which to measure ongoing performance. The ACMO 2000 certification is based on eight principles: Customer focus, leadership, involvement of people, process approach, systems approach to management, continual improvement, management by facts and supplier relationship.

The ACMO 2000 program provides credibility to participating ACMO members, who are supervised by ACMO’s Condominium Management Standards Council. The council includes a lawyer, an accountant and Registered Condominium Manager (RCM), an Associated of the Canadian Condominium Institute (ACCI) representative, an engineer or architect, corporate member and/or experienced condominium board member.

A management company must meet the following eligibility criteria to obtain ACMO 2000 certification:

1. Legal status

The management company can be an incorporated company, registered partnership or a registered sole proprietor. It cannot be a condominium corporation or employee thereof.

2. Organization of the firm

The management company must manage a minimum of three condominiums or a total of more than 500 units, and have an office, equipment and personnel to operate its business.

3. Experience

A senior operating manager or the owner must have at least five years of condominium management experience and possess the RCM designation.

4. Financial reference

The management company must provide a financial reference from its bank.

5. Membership

The management company must be a corporate ACMO member in good standing and actively engaged in managing at least one condominium in Ontario.

Initial certification involves an audit of the management company’s standards and procedures. The compliance audit is done through sampling, meaning it is not necessarily a full review of the company’s standards, procedures and policies. The audit, which takes place over two days, focuses on eight quality management principles to ensure that the management company meets all the ACMO 2000 requirements.

On the first day, the auditor meets with and interviews management executives regarding the firm’s ACMO 2000 policy and strategic objectives and how they meet ACMO standards. The auditor then reviews the firm’s ACMO 2000 manual and associated, documented policies and procedures. This includes management responsibility, board relations, purchaser and supplier relationships, accounting, administration and insurance, human resources and the measurement and improvement.

The auditor also selects fives properties from a list of properties under management provided by the company. The auditor then reviews their monthly operating reports, which includes the income and expense statement, cash disbursements and cheque register, accounts receivable, investment of the reserve funds, list of accrued invoices, bank statements, statements of reserve fund as well as actual financial statements and budgets.

On the second day, the auditor inspects any two out of the five properties that were chosen on the first day of the audit. These visits include a tour of the building’s interior, exterior, all facilities and common elements. The auditor also interviews site staff and reviews the building’s operations manual and associated records. If the condominium corporation does not have an on-site office, the auditor tours the exterior of the property.

The auditor prepares and sends his or her report directly to the Condominium Management Standards Council (CMSC). Their report is then submitted to ACMO, who notifies the management company of the outcome.

There are two possible outcomes. One is that the auditor found no non-conformities and issued a clean report; the other is that the auditor identified deficiencies. If there are deficiencies, the management company must rectify them within 90 days from the date of notification.

Since management companies pay for these audits, it’s in their interest to ensure that they are in compliance — not only for the audit purposes, but also to ensure that their day-to-day operations maintain ACMO 2000 standards. Once certified, the company must undergo compliance audits every three years to ensure that it continues to meet ACMO’s standards.

Just as management companies benefit from this certification, so do condominium corporations and their boards. Knowing the management company is ACMO 2000-certified gives the board additional security that the management company is expected to provide an assessable standard and consistent level of service to the corporation.

For more information on ACMO 2000 certification, contact ACMO’s executive director, Amanda Curtis, at [email protected].

National home sales slow in November

Canadian home sales fell 5.3 per cent from October to November, according to statistics recently released by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). This represents the largest monthly drop in activity since August 2012.

Activity was down month-over-month in about two-thirds of all local markets, including in Toronto and Vancouver, which are Canada’s most active markets.

“November was the first full month in which the expanded stress-test was in effect for home buyers with less than a twenty percent down payment,” said CREA President Cliff Iverson in a press release. “The government’s newly tightened mortgage regulations have dampened a wide swath of housing markets, including places not targeted directly by the government’s latest regulatory measures. The extent to which they pushed first-time home buyers to the sidelines varies among housing markets. “

“Canadian housing market results for November suggest that Canada’s housing sector is unlikely to be as strong a source for economic growth as compared to before mortgage regulations were recently tightened,” added Gregory Klump, CREA chief economist. “Housing activity generates a lot of spin-off spending, which makes its weakened prospects an additional source of uncertainty as regards the outlooks for Canadian economic and job growth.”

Actual (not seasonally adjusted) sales activity remained 1.6 per cent higher than November 2015 levels, which represents the smallest year-over-year increase since October 2015. Heightened activity in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and vicinity were dampened by declines in the Lower Mainland of B.C.

The number of newly listed homes fell 0.4 per cent in November 2016 compared to October. New listings increased from the previous month in nearly half of all local markets, led by the GTA.

The national sales-to-new listings ratio fell to 59.8 per cent in November, down from 62.9 per cent in October, representing a more balanced housing market than in previous months. However, the ratio was over 60 per cent in almost half of all local housing markets in November, most of which are located in British Columbia, in and around the GTA and across Southwestern Ontario.

The Aggregate Composite MLS home price index increased by 14.4 per cent year-over-year in November 2016, down from 14.6 per cent in October. This reflects a slowdown in single family home price appreciation.

Benchmark prices for two-storey single family homes and townhouse units posted gains of 16.3 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively, representing the largest year-over-year gains in November 2016. Meanwhile, the average price for a one-storey single family home increased by 13.7 per cent, while the price of an apartment unit climbed 11.5 per cent.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in November 2016 increased by 7.3 per cent year-over-year to $489,591. The price continues to be inflated due to the active housing markets of the Grater Vancouver and Greater Toronto Areas, despite Greater Vancouver’s recently diminished sales activity. With the Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto Areas are removed from the equation, the average price of a home sits at a more reasonable $361,260.

IESBC call for 2017 Vision Awards

On January 1, 2017, the Illuminating Engineering Society of British Columbia (IESBC) will be accepting lighting project submissions for their 2017 Vision Awards. All B.C. based interior designers, architects, engineers, landscape architects, and lighting designers with projects completed between January 2014 and December 31, 2016, can apply. The submission deadline is February 17, 2017.

“The IESBC Vision Awards is the perfect platform for lighting industry participants to share their passion for lighting,” states Sunny Ghataurah, president and CEO of AES Engineering Ltd. “The Vision Awards further stimulates the lighting design community to strive for creativity and it was an honour to be recognized in 2016. We look forward to participating next year.”

IESBC is a not-for-profit that celebrates outstanding B.C. lighting engineers and designers, and provides an environment for sharing knowledge to advance the career paths of its members. The IESBC Vision Awards is stage one leading up to IES’s National Illumination Awards. This is not a competition and submissions will be judged based on how well the lighting design meets the program criteria.

The Vision Awards categories include:

• Illumination Award for Lighting Control Innovation, sponsored by the Lighting Controls Association

• Illumination Award for Interior Lighting Design, sponsored by Edwin Guth

• Illumination Award for Outdoor Lighting Design, sponsored by Eaton

• Illumination Award for Energy and Environmental Lighting Design, sponsored by Osram Sylvania

• The Lighting Redesign Award, sponsored by BC Hydro

To apply to the IESBC Vision Awards, visit www.iesbc.org/about-iesbc/awards.

TREB hopes City Council halts proposed LTT increase

The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) wants Toronto City Council to act early to stop a potential significant Land Transfer Tax (LTT) increase, which is currently in the proposal stage and working its way through the City’s approval and budget process.

Recently, Toronto City Council formally asked the City’s budget committee to consider increasing the amount that home buyers pay City Council for an average-priced property by another $750, on top of the current $11,000 in LTT that they already pay City Hall as an upfront closing cost. This is in addition to another upfront fee of $12,000 in LTT homeowners must pay to the Province. The proposed changes would also at worse see first-time home buyers paying up to $475 more, or, at best, being no better off than they are now, although Ontario recently doubled its rebate in recognition of the needs of first-time buyers.

“Toronto’s housing prices are top of mind for many Torontonians,” said Larry Cerqua, TREB president, in a press release. “Simply put, housing affordability is water-cooler talk in Toronto. The last thing people want to hear is that City Hall wants them to dish out another $750, on top of the $11,000 they already pay. City Hall should be looking for ways to make housing affordability in Toronto better, not worse; especially for first-time buyers who, under these proposals, will be going backwards, or at best be no better off.”

The proposed changes would include increasing the LTT rates by adding an additional LTT rate on the portion of a property valued from $250,000 to $400,000; changing the maximum allowed rebate for first-time home buyers to either $4,000, which is higher than it is currently but would not offset the tax increase for those buyers, or a maximum rebate of $4,475, which would leave first-time buyers as no better off than they are today; eliminating the first-time buyer rebate entirely for first-time home buyers purchasing a home above a certain price to be determined by Council; and increasing the LTT rate on the value of a home over $2 million from two per cent to 2.5 per cent.

“Time and time again, we have heard City Hall talk about the importance of housing affordability, and yet here is another proposal that will make this great city less affordable,” added Von Palmer, chief communications and government affairs officer at TREB. “It simply doesn’t make sense. City Council should stop this proposal in its tracks and refuse to refer it for consideration during the upcoming budget process.”

Largest mass timber building in the USA is complete

T3, the largest mass timber building in the USA, is now complete. Designed by Vancouver based Michael Green Architecture (MGA) in conjunction with Architect-of-Record DLR Group, the seven storey high-rise in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighbourhood is envisioned as a unique model of new-office building.

The project is an investment in both the past and future of Minneapolis and in the warehouse district’s rich history. The design objective for T3 was to build on the character of the past with a modern perspective. As businesses look to new competitive models for attracting and retaining staff, the goal for T3 was to provide a warm and inviting environment that would attract potential employers and employees.

T3, which stands for ‘Timber, Technology, Transit,” offers 224,000 sq ft of office and retail space. Over 3,600 cubic metres of exposed mass timber columns, beams, and floor slabs recall the heavy timber construction of the building’s predecessors. T3’s modern technological approach uses engineered wood components (chiefly glulam and nail laminated timber) for the roof, floors, columns and beams, and furniture. A significant amount of the lumber used to fabricate the NLT comes from trees killed by the mountain pine beetle. These modern materials bring the warmth and beauty of wood to the interior, and promote a healthy indoor environment for occupants.

As a result of its wood structure, T3 was erected at a speed exceeding conventional steel-framed or concrete buildings. In less than 10 weeks, 180,000 sq ft of timber framing went up, averaging 30,000 sq ft of floor area installed per week. It is also lighter than comparable steel or concrete structures, reducing the depth and extent of excavation and foundations. Additionally, the embodied carbon in the building’s wood structural system is lower than that found in conventional buildings found throughout most of downtown Minneapolis and the North Loop.

The building’s aesthetic success can also be attributed to the mass timber construction. Candice Nichol, MGA associate and T3 project lead, says “the texture of the exposed NLT is quite beautiful. The small imperfections in the lumber and slight variation in colour of the mountain pine beetle wood only add to the warmth and character of the new space.” Extensive exterior glazing at every level as well as views into the ground level social workspace with wood furniture, booths, and a feature stair, allow the public to experience the building.

The use of wood is celebrated throughout the building. “The entire timber structure of T3 was left exposed and illuminated with a percentage of the interior lighting directed up to the ceiling,” says Nicho. At night, “the illuminated wood glows from the exterior similar to a lantern.”

T3 is currently the largest completed mass timber building in the U.S. With changing building codes throughout North America, tall wood buildings will become more common. A pioneer in this building type, T3 has broken new ground and is perhaps a prototype for future commercial mass timber buildings.

Stricter rules ahead for GTA apartment owners

Toronto city council has approved a plan that will impose stricter rules on apartment building owners, but may inadvertently lead to higher rents for tenants.

The new regulatory program, which is expected to cost $5 million and aims to be in place by the summer of 2017, will require rental property owners to register their buildings with the city for an annual registration fee of $10.60 per rental unit and comply with an ongoing inspection regiment.

While intended to be a solution to tenant dissatisfaction, over-taxed landlords and building owners in the GTA are seeing the program as just another penalty that will impede affordability.

“The real question tenants should be asking is, will this new registration fee increase the quality and quantity of rental housing in the city? The answer is no,” says Scott Andison, president and CEO of The Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO). “The city already has the necessary powers to enforce sanctions on landlords operating poor quality buildings—instead of taking action to help tenants in poorly run apartment buildings, council is focused on simply raising costs on tenants. We think council’s approach is wrong.”

On the flipside, city councillor Josh Matlow and tenant advocacy group, Acorn, have been pushing for an apartment licensing program all year and are positive the new plan will only improve conditions for tenants, requiring that landlords maintain better properties.

“For far too long, too many landlords have been able to keep their buildings in disrepair, leaving renters in shameful conditions without as much accountability and consequences as we need,” Matlow told the Toronto Star on Wednesday following the vote. “This demonstrates that Toronto councillors as a whole recognize that tenants need us to take substantive action to make sure that they are better protected.”

To kick start regulatory efforts, city staff will be performing a city-wide audit of the 3,500-plus rental buildings and 200,000 rental units that currently house about half of Toronto’s population.

Apartment buildings and management will need to meet specific criteria to be eligible for the license—including, having a comprehensive pest management plan that employs only licensed professionals; using licensed contractors for all building repairs; and having a state of good repair capital plan. It will also require a process to track tenant complaints, and ask for hard targets so city staff can ensure issues are being identified and resolved.

While the aim is to penalize bad landlords who aren’t already providing these services, Andison believes the approach is wrong. “The city has now turned its focus on tenants to raise money to finance a bloated bureaucracy. Council is focused on its own well-being, not the well-being of tenants,” he asserts.

As a GTA landlord and property manager with over 500 units in his portfolio, Adam Kitchener echoes Andison’s sentiments and sees the proposed solution as redundant. “There are already a variety of resources that exist for tenants with long standing complaints, like the Landlord Tenant Board and Public Health,” he says. “Tenants should use these resources if they are in a poorly managed building rather than have the government create yet another program that already exists. Penalties and fines should be given out to individual landlords based on the merit of the complaint or long standing issue. But the majority of landlords, including myself, run quality buildings and address issues in a timely fashion. This is just an added expense to the operator that will inevitably be passed along to the renter.”

Kitchener adds that at a time when affordable housing is lacking in the GTA, landlords should be given more incentives to lower their rents—not reasons to increase them. “We have essentially created a service that already exists,” he says.

Ranking rental buildings

As part of the proposal, a ranking system similar to the city’s DineSafe program, is under consideration. This might consist of a colour-graded sign that apartment building owners would be required to post in their lobbies, indicating their rating within the system.

City staff will have until March to draft the bylaw, which would also include the recommended staffing levels and program costs as part of 2017 budget discussions, with the aim of launching the program by next summer.

Four reasons LED lamps fail prematurely

LEDs make big claims about savings potential (up to 90-per-cent energy savings compared to other lamps, such as fluorescents, HIDs, etc.). But how much of this is marketing hype?

There are LEDs that hold true to the financial and energy savings they promise. But LEDs are only worth the investment if they actually do what they say they can.

The industry standard for LED lamp failure is three per cent. But many building owners and facilities managers are experiencing failure rates of up to 20 per cent or higher. With a failure rate that high, 20 out of every 100 lamps purchased can be expected to fail and require replacement. (And the failed lamps will likely be scattered throughout a building, adding to the amount of time it takes to replace them.)

High failure rates occur for several reasons, but can often be attributed to a few factors. Here are four reasons LED lamps fail — and ways to prevent it.

1. Use of poor-quality materials

Commercially available LEDs comprise several components; LED performance is typically a result of how these components work together. From the type of lens to the heat sink and the chips and power supplies that generate light, LED components must be built to last if the lamp is expected to function properly and provide acceptable light output.

Quality materials matter; if a lamp doesn’t have them, failure is likely. Take LED drivers, for example. A driver converts AC power into DC power so an LED can operate. (Incandescent lighting operates using either AC or DC power, but LEDs must obtain power from direct current.) If poor-quality components are used to construct the driver, the LED may fail — requiring the purchase of a new lamp to replace one that was supposed to last for years (or decades). If the correct driver isn’t used, the heat generated by the driver may be difficult to dissipate and cause failure. This is often why LEDs flash or flicker — it’s an early sign of driver failure.

What are indicators that an LED lamp is made of quality materials?

LEDs that offer sufficient heat dissipation may weigh (and cost) a little more.
Ask about chip size; a larger chip provides more light and good stability against current variations while smaller chips provide less light and poor stability.
Examine the lamp’s paint or powder coating; if it’s not well applied, the other components (the ones that aren’t visible) are likely cheap and thrown together quickly.

2. Inadequate lamp testing

Ask the manufacturer about its LED lamp-testing procedures. Some manufacturers fully test completed LED lamps before shipping.

For up to 10 days at a time, diligent manufacturers will place LED lamps and fixtures in a specially designed room and test them by repeatedly turning them on and off, and by leaving them on for extended periods of time.

As solid-state electronic devices, LEDs are similar to TVs or other consumer electronics: They tend to fail early if they’re going to fail at all. By properly testing LEDs, manufacturers can catch failures before the lamps are shipped.

3. Temperatures are too high (or too low)

When installing an LED in an enclosed fixture, check the lamp first. LEDs shouldn’t be placed in tightly enclosed fixtures unless they’re approved for enclosed spaces. When heat can’t dissipate from the heat sink, it can cause lamps to fail prematurely.

Also keep the surrounding environment in mind. The hotter the room is, the earlier an LED light may degrade. Why? Because LEDs emit light that decreases exponentially as a function of time and temperature.

Adequate thermal management is key to making sure that LEDs will last in hot environments. LED lamps are available with extra-low thermal protection, which helps them resist cracking due to cold temperatures.

4. Lamps are counterfeit

Some LED lighting products are made to look similar to reputable brands, sometimes even using identical markings, part numbers, logos, and packaging. These cheap imitations are often developed and designed without regard for patents, trademarks, or safety.

How is it possible to determine whether an LED lamp is what it claims to be?

Verify its Underwriters Laboratories (UL) mark.

A UL mark means the LED has been tested, inspected, and validated for safety. But just because a product has the UL mark doesn’t mean the mark is real. Some LEDs carry a counterfeit UL mark, or a UL registration number that doesn’t belong to that manufacturer or product. Verify the UL mark by visiting the free UL Online Certifications Directory.

Confirm a Design Lights Consortium (DLC) Qualification.

A project of the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, DLC is a non-profit organization created with the goal of preventing LED lighting failure. Commercial LED luminaires, retrofit kits, linear replacement lamps, and E39 screw-base and other LED replacement lamps qualified by DLC have been tested and evaluated to specific performance requirements. They are manufactured with high-quality components, held to such high standards that a five-year warranty is offered on the LED products as a symbol of their quality.

Make sure lamps last by following the guidelines listed above. Reduced replacement time and costs, decreased cooling loads, lower risk of electrical shock during replacement, and 50 to 90-per-cent savings on lighting energy are all possible with high-quality LEDs.

Jody Cloud is a lighting consultant who is officially certified to offer continuing education credits in LED lighting to members of the American Institute of Architects, the Building Owners and Managers Association, the American Hospital Association, the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association, and Community Associations Institute. He is also owner and founder of YES LED Lighting, as well as the author of the bestselling book Say YES to LED Lighting. He can be reached at [email protected].