This session will provide information about infrared thermography, and about practical applications for the testing of electrical systems, pumps, bearings, motors, steam traps, tank levels, roofs and building envelopes. Learn about the energy-saving/maintenance improvement benefits of infrared, and ways in which infrared testing can also improve safety, product quality and process performance.

Because of its unique geography, Northern Nevada is a center for geothermal resources in the country, and as renewable energy has become increasingly attractive to U.S. facilities, Reno-area companies have investigated tapping into the ground’s heat for building heating. This session will describe the geothermal success story of Peppermill Resort in Reno, a 2.1-million-sq-ft facility that includes 1,621 guest rooms, a large casino, and spa and fitness centers. Hear how the facility drilled a geothermal well into a hot water aquifer, and now uses the geothermal energy for 100% of the resort’s domestic water and mechanical heating needs, replacing the natural-gas boilers formerly used. Find out what this means for energy savings, plumbing and HVAC systems. The first-hand details of this award-winning project will be truly fascinating for everyone working in facilities.  

In this informative presentation, the speaker will describe the requirements of testing and inspection of fire systems. Learn about fire sprinklers, fire alarms, suppression systems and portable fire extinguishers, and find out why they are an important part of maintaining a safe and secure facility. This session will provide an overview of What, When and Why fire and life safety systems testing and inspections are required.

Facility managers are required by OSHA to have a written emergency response plan for their buildings.  But is your plan up-to-date regarding building employees who are disabled or with reduced mobility? You may have purchased stairway evacuation chairs or lightweight transport wheelchairs for emergencies.  If so, do people know where they are stored and how to use them?  And what about other planning? Do you have lists of the employees in your buildings who will require assistance in the case of an emergency, with details on what assistance they will need? Are these lists updated on a regular basis, to take into account employee accidents (broken legs, etc.) or other reduced mobility?  What about disabled people working overtime, outside of regular building hours – are these situations part of the planning? Learn about this important topic in this informative presentation.

Lighting accounts for between 35% to 70% of a building’s total energy consumption but also contributes to the wellbeing of building occupants. This session will look at solutions and programs that will enable you to evaluate and implement an energy-management initiative, as well as the strategies that should be considered to focus on occupant wellbeing specific to lighting, with a focus on lighting controls. With this knowledge you can identify your facility’s energy savings potential and determine ways to proceed in the initial lighting system design or in doing a lighting retrofit.

This presentation will describe the wide range of facility retrofit projects accomplished over the past two decades at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in the passenger terminal and the landside facilities. The goal of the retrofits was to improve energy efficiency and extend the useful life of the facilities, while plans were being drafted for the $1 billion redevelopment program, MoreRNO, the largest capital investment in the airport’s history. The speaker will describe how the retrofit projects were accomplished, and the variety of benefits for the airport. This session will be of value to facilities engineers and managers working in existing buildings where energy and mechanical upgrades – rather than purchase of new equipment – are the most practical ways to proceed in making improvements.

Standby power system testing, although often misunderstood and misapplied, is critical to the reliability of a modern power system. This session will walk attendees through the final part of the four major stages of testing that takes place for a generator set: maintenance testing. This review of best practices will empower facility owners and managers to administer appropriate test strategies in an effort to maintain a reliable power system.

With the myriad of regulations employers face, many tend to fly under the radar.  This presentation will address necessary but at times overlooked regulations that must be researched and complied with. The speaker will discuss OSHA’s Heat Illness Standard, which applies to all employees who work outdoors or indoors during times of excessive heat, and also the OSHA guidelines for employees working in cold environments, particularly focused on industrial freezers and refrigerated buildings.  Also discussed will be details on OSHA’s SB 29 CFR 1926.21 (b) (4), which is focused on potential hazards from injurious plants or animals that employees may encounter on a site.