Author: MaintenX

What does it mean to be a “sustainable business?” The term seems ubiquitous, but its definition is often unclear. A sustainable business is one that strives for success in more than just the economic sense. It broadens its definition of success to include the so-called “triple bottom line” – social, economic and environmental. Three conditions, in general, must be met for a business to be considered sustainable.

Firstly, that compound bottom line of sustainability must be incorporated into the operational ethos. Every decision that the company makes must consider the impact not only on profit, but also the world around it. Companies that follow this tenet tend to make a stand on social justice issues like equal pay, living wage, and diversity in the workplace, as well as implementing green practices.

The second aspect of a sustainable business is that it must supply environmentally friendly products or services that replace non-green counterparts. An example of this would be a company that manufactures hand dryers for restrooms, a green alternative to wasteful paper products.

The third condition is that the company must be greener than their traditional competition. In some industries, a certain amount of waste and emissions is unavoidable, but it’s a relative rather than absolute measure. If a company can do the same work while producing fewer harmful byproducts than its competitors, it will meet this criterion.

Becoming a sustainable business is not only noble but also attainable for companies of all sizes. We at MaintenX believe in sustainability, and want to encourage others to do the same. Engage us to audit all your systems; we’ll recommend solutions that’ll save you time and money, while making you run leaner and greener. To learn more about the services we offer, please contact us anytime!

Natural disasters never hit at convenient times, so business owners and facility managers should be prepared all the time. Even if you escape property damage, power outages can bring business processes to a halt. You never want to find yourself in that situation, so prevent downtime by making sure that your backup generator is weatherproof and ready for anything.

Backup generators are excellent because they ensure that your business has the power it needs to function during and after a disaster event. Having the right kind of generator for your facility is vital to its success; it must be sized appropriately and weatherproof. If you keep it inside, it is essential that it be housed in a space designed for that purpose; generator use in poorly ventilated areas can cause lethal carbon monoxide buildup. If you keep it outside, make sure it is secured to code and appropriately protected from the elements.

Once you have a generator, inspect it regularly. Merely having a backup generator is useless if it hasn’t been properly maintained, and fails when it’s needed most. Comprehensive inspections include the belts, coolant levels, and fuel. If your business facility is at risk from hurricanes or other natural disasters, it is recommended that you inspect and service your backup generators at least twice a year. Preventative maintenance keeps cost low and constant, while providing you with peace of mind.

At MaintenX, we excel in preventative maintenance, and we’ve been helping businesses of all sizes prepare for and recover from natural disasters for over 30 years. To learn more about how we can assist your business and its facility, please feel free to contact us at any time!

Good facility maintenance starts with using the right tools. No matter what your business is, you must clean it regularly. The correct equipment allows your janitorial personnel to clean the facility and its contents as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Here are some tips to help ensure that you choose the proper cleaning equipment for your business or commercial facility.

First, consider the space that needs cleaning. Whether it is a small storefront or a large facility, suit your hardware to the size of the building. Bigger is not necessarily better, and large equipment is wasted cleaning a small area, wasting space and power. Also, consider the configuration; a large flat area accommodates bulkier equipment, while a more crowded space calls for nimbler tools.

Don’t forget to speak to your custodial staff. They do the work, so they know their needs best. If you think they’re taking too long, or if certain areas never get cleaned to your satisfaction, ask them what they need to get the job done.

At MaintenX, we strive for quality and efficiency in cleaning. To learn more about our janitorial services and how we can assist in all areas of facility maintenance, please contact us any time.

Businesses and individuals speak all the time about the desire to “go green,” or implement environmentally-friendly practices and infrastructure. This is usually referenced in the context of normal business processes, but is often overlooked when it comes to cleaning. Cleaning facilities and their contents is a necessary part of safe and healthy business operation, and should not be partitioned from other procedures. If you are unsure how to make your custodial practices more sustainable, then it is time to audit them and find out.

The first and easiest thing you can do to examine your business’s cleaning is to look at the products you use. Are there expired or unnecessarily toxic materials in your facility’s janitorial closet? Keep in mind the size of the rooms and the ventilation system when selecting products. Some cleaning agents require more open space to be safe, while others suit denser environments.

Don’t forget to look at your equipment, either. Use machines that are efficient with water and power, and that can target dirty areas most precisely. Service them regularly; leaks and clogs erase efficiency.

Finally, once you know what you need, follow through. Make the necessary changes to ensure that things are being done correctly, and stick to them. Sustainable cleaning is about forming good habits and you’ll be glad you did, both in terms of time and money.

MaintenX believes in green cleaning procedures and we want to help as many businesses as possible develop them. Our technicians are environmentally conscious and all our janitorial services are up to standard; join us. Feel free to contact us at any time to learn more about the services that we offer and how we can assist your business in going green.

Lighting levels are an important, yet often overlooked, part of facility management. If incorrectly controlled, they can increase energy costs and decrease productivity. Here are some reasons why lighting levels matter, and what you can do as a business owner or facility manager to optimize them.

A facility’s lighting affects its sustainability: the idea that a building should utilize the minimum amount of energy possible and, ideally, generate energy to offset what it does use. It’s good for the environment and the business, as lower energy usage means lower utility costs. Turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, or installing motion-activated lights, can help. Alternatively, install skylights to allow natural lighting to enter the room, instead of using electricity.

On the flipside, poorly-lit workspaces can negatively influence employee productivity; low light accelerates eye strain and decreases attentiveness. Dimmer switches allow you to set lighting precisely, at that happy medium.

MaintenX can help any business determine the optimal lighting strategy for their space. Our Energy Assessments will analyze your power use, then our technicians can install or reconfigure according to your needs. To learn more about how we can work with you, please contact us at any time.

New technologies are a great way for business leaders to improve performance and reduce costs. Innovation is booming, especially in the critical digital and energy sectors. Two emerging technologies being adopted in an increasing number of facilities could shake up how they run: piezoelectric power generation and Li-Fi.

Piezoelectric generation works because of the piezoelectric effect: the ability of certain materials to generate electricity when subjected to physical pressure. By placing piezoelectric material under the flooring in areas with high foot traffic, electricity is generated passively from people simply walking around. The energy is stored in graphene batteries, and then dispersed throughout the facility. It may sound too good to be true, but this kind of technology is already being employed in numerous large facilities, including the main concourse and playing field of Mercedes Benz Stadium, home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

Li-Fi, as the name suggests, is an alternative to Wi-Fi that transmits data through light waves instead of radio waves. It works by turning LED lights on and off very rapidly in a method similar to Morse Code. Li-Fi is faster than Wi-Fi, but Wi-Fi still predominates because it can encompass larger areas and penetrate walls. Li-Fi is more secure as well, since it does not cause any radio interference.

Both piezoelectric generation and Li-Fi could have huge implications for efficiency, productivity, and cost savings at facilities everywhere. To learn how the technicians of MaintenX can help you and your business explore and install these and other types of equipment, please contact us at any time.

The pursuit of energy efficiency is not isolated to the United States. Cities around the world are stepping up by reducing energy costs and usage, and five of the top 10 most efficient cities are in the US. It is encouraging that so many international companies are becoming more effective at cutting energy waste, and American corporations continue to join the trend.

As of a recent study, the most energy-efficient city in the world is Reykjavik, Iceland. It takes advantage of its renewable energy resources, mainly hydropower and geothermal energy. By using renewables that cause little to no pollution, Reykjavik has secured a sustainable energy future. The next three cities on the list, Vancouver (hydropower), Copenhagen (wind power, bikes, and green roofs), and Oslo (bio-methane and intelligent lights) are similarly committed to sustainability.

London holds the number five spot, with Malmo, Sweden following closely behind it. American cities currently round out the list: Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles.

These cities have worked hard to achieve spots on the top 10, but they’re not the only ones who’ve achieved strong sustainability; it’s a global race to the top that benefits everyone.

Every business and commercial facility can become more efficient and sustainable. MaintenX can help every step of the way, in assessment, planning, and implementation. Let us help you become your community’s leader in sustainability! Contact us any time.

Business owners love energy efficiency; it’s good for the environment as well as the bottom line. Though an increasing number of companies across the country are altering their equipment and practices to become more energy efficient, there are a few cities that really excel. Here is the Top-10 list, based on a scale developed by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Currently, the most energy-efficient city in the United States is Boston, Massachusetts. Truly taking the initiative to improve, Boston propelled itself to the top spot with the Renew Boston initiative and a focus on green buildings. The runner-up city is New York City, followed by Seattle. Tied for fourth place are Los Angeles and Portland; Austin is sixth, then Chicago, Washington, D.C., and finally Denver and San Francisco tied for ninth.

These cities all increased efficiency through public policy, whether Los Angeles’s Existing Building Energy and Water Efficiency program or San Diego’s Climate Action Plan. But if your city hasn’t implemented such an initiative, that’s no reason not to act! Lead by example to become more sustainable; it’ll save you money and help the environment. Call MaintenX; we provide services like our Energy Assessment that’ll help you optimize the way you use resources. For more information, please contact us any time.

A new initiative is sweeping the nation, succeeding in its goal of saving businesses money by helping them save energy. This bodes well for business owners and facility managers that are looking to make their facilities more sustainable.

The Better Buildings Challenge, issued by the United States Department of Energy (DOE), aims to make commercial and industrial facilities use less power by increasing their energy efficiency. More than 345 organizations and companies of all sizes have jumped on board. Combined, they represent more than 4.4 billion square feet of building space. By instituting more environmentally-friendly practices in these facilities, major progress can be made for the country overall.

It works by offering tools including implementation models, a financing navigator, webinars, and others to share good ideas and make sustainable choices easy. The results certainly show. Since the initiative’s launch, an estimated $1.9 billion has been saved in energy costs and usage. Some companies have even exceeded their goals of efficiency, including large corporations like General Motors and Macy’s.

Your business can join this initiative and accomplish what so many have already. By implementing the available solutions in your own facilities, you can cut down on energy costs, save your business money, and help save the environment as well.

We at MaintenX support the Better Building Challenge and want to help you and your business engage with it however we can. To learn about how we can help assess the energy usage in your facility, pinpoint areas of improvement, and help implement new equipment and processes, please feel free to contact us at any time.