With half of 2024 already behind us, facility managers and building owners are implementing 2025 standards and initiatives today ahead of Q4. Below we've listed some of the key trends and standards that facility managers should be aware of and prepare for as we approach 2025. By staying ahead of these trends, facility managers can ensure that their buildings are not only compliant with the latest standards but also provide a safe, efficient, and sustainable environment for their occupants.
Facility managers should consider the following actions to align with the 2025 building standards:
Adopt ISO 41001: This is a fairly newrt standard for facility management introduced in 2018 that provides guidelines for achieving optimum efficiency. It establishes a common approach and a set of processes that can be referred to around the world.
Embrace Technology: The new paradigms of the Internet of Things (IoT) and data-driven operations are opening up new avenues to innovation Facility managers can use these capabilities to improve performance, reduce cost, and enhance service quality.
Focus on Sustainability: Facility management has emerged as a facilitator in realizing sustainability goals. On the environmental sustainability side, the impetus will be on assisting businesses to save energy and reduce their carbon footprint. In terms of business sustainability, facility managers will be more focused on bringing improvements in profitability, operational effectiveness, and team efficiency.
Improve Communication: Facility managers need to constantly deal with ever-changing demands and rising stakeholder expectations. To ensure consistent tenant experience, they need to constantly communicate with building occupiers.
There are several new standards for building management coming into effect in 2025:
2025 Building Energy Efficiency Standards: These standards will apply to newly constructed buildings, additions, and alterations. The standards are proposed to be adopted in 2024 with an effective date of January 1, 2026. The California Energy Commission updates these standards every three years.
LEED v5: The full implementation of new LEED standards is happening in 2025. LEED v5 will include a more targeted focus on four main areas: occupant health, carbon, equity, and resilience.
Future Homes Standard (FHS): Compliance with the FHS will become mandatory in 2025. The aim of FHS is to ensure that new homes built from 2025 will produce 75-80% less carbon emissions than homes built under the current Building Regulations. The FHS aims to decarbonize new homes by focusing on improving heating, hot water systems, and reducing heat waste.
Federal Sustainability Plan: This plan establishes an ambitious path to achieve a net-zero emissions buildings goal by 2045. The Federal Government will work across new building construction, major renovations, and existing real property to electrify systems, decrease energy use, reduce water consumption, and cut waste.
National Initiative to Advance Building Codes: Launched by the Biden-Harris Administration, this initiative will help state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments adopt the latest, current building codes and standards. This will enable communities to be more resilient to hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and other extreme weather events that are intensifying due to climate change.
Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007: This act requires federal agencies to phase out fossil fuel usage in new federal building construction or major renovation by achieving a 90% reduction in fossil fuel use for new projects started between fiscal years 2025 and 2029. It also mandates completely eliminating on-site fossil fuel usage in new projects beginning in 2030.
These standards are part of a broader effort to reduce the environmental impact of buildings, improve energy efficiency, and promote sustainability.
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