Operations
Rapid data center buildout can create site risks, property service CEO says
As AI data center construction enters a white-hot phase, the industry faces new challenges from the disconnect between site quality and operational management. Kade Thomas, CEO of Cerv Property Solutions, points out that rapidly launched projects commonly have infrastructure oversights, while inexperienced management teams and supplier systems further amplify risk exposure. An Allianz report shows that water damage has become the most common cause of data center claims, with losses from a single external cooling system or hot work fire ranging from $50 million to $100 million.
Universities using offices and classrooms more: report
The latest Occuspace report shows that university space utilization has begun to recover after a decline in 2025, with classroom and office usage rates up 6 to 8 basis points year-over-year, but still well below the 70%-85% targets set by institutions. The report also notes that small and medium-sized meeting rooms are vacant 73% of the time during the workweek, and classrooms are unused for nearly one-third of regular working hours.
Houston City College wants more funding to manage $80M maintenance backlog
Houston Community College (HCC) system leaders will present a report at Wednesday's board meeting, calling for increased funding for deferred maintenance. The college currently has a backlog of about 450 repair and upgrade projects, with total costs slightly under $80 million. Although existing facilities are in good condition, the backlog far exceeds annual funding levels.
Home Depot express service targets 3 hour deliveries, nationwide
On August 18, Home Depot announced the expansion of its express delivery service nationwide, with eligible orders delivered within 3 hours. The service utilizes its supply chain network and over 2,000 U.S. stores as fulfillment centers, charging a flat fee of $7 in most major markets and $10 in the Los Angeles area, with no subscription or membership required.
Lego leans on renewable energy to cut operational emissions
Lego Group is leveraging renewable energy and efficiency measures to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions, including solar installations and district heating, while targeting net-zero by 2050.
Trane, Eaton release DC-focused reference design for data centers
Trane Technologies and Eaton today jointly released a medium-voltage DC reference design for data centers, claiming it can reduce copper usage by up to 80%, lower installation costs by 30%, and improve energy efficiency by up to 15% compared to traditional low-voltage solutions. The design is compatible with the NVIDIA Omniverse DSX blueprint, aiming to simplify the coordinated deployment of power, cooling, and control in AI data centers.
Shrinking the energy challenge: From small steps to big impacts
With electricity prices climbing and long-term demand shifts from data centers and electrification, facilities managers are under pressure to cut costs. NORESCO experts Kevin McCarthy and Jeff Ottaviano explain why starting with retro-commissioning and energy audits — rather than jumping straight to large-scale generation — can make the energy challenge more manageable, and how financing structures like ESPC, P3 and EaaS can support bigger upgrades.