How should your facilities team deal with evolving building codes and performance standards?

In this one-hour recorded webinar, Banner Health’s Josh Brackett, system regulatory director of facilities, joins host Rob Tanner, Johnson Controls, for a candid chat on how building codes affect facility owners and operators. Hear his practical insights on what’s shaping the future of high-performance buildings in healthcare and other sectors, and what you can do today to support your mission.

[6:46] What’s the current state of building codes and performance standards?
Josh describes the differences between “best practice” guidelines and enforced government codes. He notes that even with a shift in federal focus, state and local jurisdictions continue to emphasize energy efficiency and electrification—and that codes and standards cover much more. Owners and operators need to look at the data behind creating a high-performance building and anchor changes in the organization’s mission.

[19:40] How do building codes look in practice – from construction to day-to-day operations?
With 31 hospitals and about 400 buildings, Banner Health has moved to a centralized approach to address codes and avoid energy penalties. Josh describes Banner’s remote operations center for building management, their continuous commissioning process, and the use of chiller surge algorithms. He notes that empowering local and regional teams to collaborate also helps address the skilled labor shortage.

[22:41] How can facility managers do a better job of telling their story?
Facility management is often framed as a cost center versus a revenue generator. Josh argues that it’s a “dollar protection department” that directly impacts the organization’s ability to carry out its mission. He recommends demonstrating how, for example, energy penalties will affect a hospital’s bottom line and thus its ability to care for patients. Managing facilities to eliminate waste saves money, time and labor. Rob adds that it’s worthwhile to focus on incremental improvements, revealing opportunities while avoiding disruption. This can be a valuable approach to implementing building performance standards.

[28:46] How can you leverage codes and standards to offset unnecessary spend?
Josh notes that there are hundreds of codes and standards to consider when designing a building, and owners should make sure they’re educated enough to make informed decisions. By asking architects, engineers and contractors for alternative compliance options up front, he says, Banner has saved more than $100M in lifecycle costs. Josh suggests owners see building codes not as a black-and-white baseline, but rather another tool for performance optimization. He offers an example using energy use intensity (EUI) penalties.

[36:27] What are some current trends related to codes and standards?
Referring to the impact of Medicare/Medicaid cuts on hospitals, Josh says that cost pressure can lead to innovation, citing recent developments in healthcare microgrids, electrification and hydrogen fuel cells. He’s seeing more collaboration among hospitals, accrediting agencies and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as building systems grow more complex. Rob notes that AI-fueled solutions are not replacing skilled technicians but rather requiring more knowledge, which makes those collaborations more powerful.

[44:29] What are practical takeaways for facility owners and operators?

• Think about how you tell the story of facility management. Tie the consequences of specific actions to the organization’s mission, making it personal and practical.
• When you discuss spending, include the impact on the mission. If equipment goes down, how does that affect revenue? What’s the effect on customers?
• Think of building performance standards as a continuous improvement model. Turn hot and cold calls into opportunities to dig deeper and resolve issues that ultimately have a bottom-line impact.
• Consider using AI tools to stay on top of changing codes and standards, using prompts such as “What are the top five changes in XYZ?”