Gauging Building Health

Jack McCarthy | December 1, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how building owners, managers, and occupants think about buildings and their importance in supporting human health. Properly constructed and operated buildings can support health, well-being, productivity and can even serve as a place of refuge from the increasing occurrence of adverse environmental events such as smoke from wildfires, or exposures...

Finding Balance: Risk & Goals in Ventilation

Jack McCarthy | July 19, 2022

As COVID-19 precautions fall away, with the suspension of masking and social distancing requirements indoors in most locations, facility managers (FMs) may find that the next stage of the pandemic brings new challenges. While COVID cases have been much lower in recent months than during the height of the pandemic, it’s unlikely that FMs will...

How COVID Has Taught Us to Make Air Travel Safer

Jack McCarthy | June 4, 2021

Airlines and airport operators are still trying to find their balance after the wallop the industry took due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as air travel continues to pick up in 2021, domestic air travel still remains below pre-pandemic levels. Perhaps the most frustrating part of this drop in passengers is airline and airport operators’...

Pandemic Building Commissioning: A Case-Specific Strategy for Reducing Infectious Risks

Jack McCarthy | March 30, 2021

Traditional processes for commissioning new buildings, or recommissioning existing buildings, follow a tactical approach to verifying the performance of HVAC systems and ensuring these energy-intensive systems continue to meet the building’s performance and energy efficiency expectations. It’s a process that provides tremendous value, with an average payback of 1.7 years for existing buildings through reduced...

Preparing Schools for a Safe Reopening: Recommendations and HVAC Maintenance and Support

Jack McCarthy | August 3, 2020

With the 2019-2020 school year cut dramatically short by the COVID-19 pandemic, public and private school systems and higher education institutions across the nation are exploring strategies today to prepare their buildings for a safe return to school this fall. EH&E Supports Rep. Auchincloss in Getting Kids Back to School Appropriately operating and maintained...

BERDO & BEUDO Compliance: What You Need to Know – and What You May Not Have Considered

Jack McCarthy | October 3, 2019

Boston and Cambridge are following the path laid by New York City’s landmark Local Law 84. In recent years, both Massachusetts cities passed legislation to require mandatory energy and water reporting for large buildings within their jurisdictions. You may think you know the details…but you might not have considered all the consequences. Boston’s Building Energy...