The Forward-Looking Contributions of Our Facility Engineers
This week marks National Engineers Week, and this year’s theme, “Design Your Future,” is particularly fitting for UG2’s facility engineers, who consistently operate at the leading edge of their industry at a time when preparing for the future could not be more critical.
At any given moment, UG2’s outstanding facility engineers are working tirelessly, behind the scenes, to keep facilities all over the country working properly and efficiently to support the countless people and processes that rely on them.
Following is a mere sampling of the extraordinary breadth of their work to ensure facilities meet constantly changing demands with next-generation technology, resources, practices and protocols.
Elevating a University’s CMMS to Boost Efficiency and Productivity. In higher education, and also other industries, a streamlined and effective computer maintenance management system (CMMS) is essential for operations, but the process of transitioning systems can pose risks and difficulties. One of UG2’s longtime customers, a leading university, entrusted us with a complex and time-sensitive project to upgrade their CMMS to a system that dramatically streamlined operations, reporting and problem-solving. UG2’s facility engineers accomplished the task seamlessly and the outcome exceeded all expectations.
Retrofitting a Cooling Tower with Engineering Excellence. Through a thorough capital planning process in partnership with UG2, a customer identified repairs to the cooling towers of a 1980s-era high rise as a priority. UG2’s team first completed a full upgrade of the chiller plant with state-of-the-art equipment before taking on the cooling towers. Our on-site facility engineers, seasoned experts, agreed that a retrofit approach would be ideal, allowing the main structural components to stay in place while the interior underwent a complete overhaul. The team carefully managed the critical programming, sequencing and testing that set the facility up for long-term success.
Partnering With a Customer to Secure LEED Gold Certification. Achieving LEED Gold is a complex prospect that not only requires niche expertise, but also demands excellency in collaboration, communication, and unwavering attention to detail. UG2 brought all of those qualities and more to a project involving a 213,000-square-foot facility that had earned LEED Silver in the past. The property owner wanted to go above and beyond, and their research told them – correctly – that UG2 would be the partner to take them there.
Retro-Commissioning to Conserve Costs and Energy. New and emerging technology and automation have made retro-commissioning the approach of choice when it comes to bringing aging buildings into the present and equipping them for the long term. UG2 benefits from a deep bench of experts in facility engineering who are working at the forefront of the industry, and our approach to training and information-sharing accessed through our Centers of Excellence and Training and Innovation Lab means their insights and guidance are supporting our facility engineers across the country as they lead complex, collaborative retro-commissioning projects.
I am tremendously fortunate to work alongside facility engineers who add value to every facility they touch, who share and seek knowledge and go above and beyond in all they do. Their expertise is unrivalled, and the generosity of their approach to mentoring and managing the next generation of talent is serving facilities across all industries, preparing our buildings to meet the demands of the future.