Schneider Electric Introduces Variable Speed HVAC Drives to Support Energy Savings
Schneider Electric launched two variable‑speed HVAC drives, the ATH200 and ATH600, promising more than 30% energy savings and robust operation in temperatures from –10 °F to 60 °F. The drives are built for OEMs serving commercial and mission‑critical buildings, featuring native Modbus and BACnet communication, integrated thermal protection, and electromagnetic‑compatibility filtering. They are part of Schneider’s Altivar ecosystem, which includes controllers and HMIs, and carry IEC 62443‑4‑2 Level 1 cybersecurity certification. Additionally, the drives support low‑GWP refrigerants up to 25 hp, aligning with emerging environmental regulations.
Canada's Bell Announces 300MW Data Center Campus in Saskatchewan, Names CoreWeave & Cerebras as Customers
Bell Canada announced a 300 MW data‑center campus near Regina, Saskatchewan, slated to begin construction this spring. The facility, Bell’s largest investment in the province, will be pre‑leased to AI cloud provider CoreWeave and wafer‑scale chip maker Cerebras. The first data...
Google Pledges $1bn Investment in North Carolina Data Centers
Google announced a $1 billion investment to expand its Lenoir, North Carolina data center, which already supports core services such as Maps, Photos, Search, Workspace, and YouTube. The expansion will add roughly 60 acres to the 337,000‑square‑foot campus, though detailed timelines...
Your Airbnb Is Empty Half the Year – This SA Start-Up Has a Fix
AirhostSwap, a South African startup, tackles the chronic low‑occupancy issue in short‑term rentals by letting Airbnb hosts exchange unused nights through a points‑based system. The platform, which syncs directly with Airbnb calendars, supports both one‑to‑one swaps and point‑earned stays at...
Light + Building 2026 Highlights Pace of Innovation
Light + Building 2026 in Frankfurt gathered 1,927 exhibitors from 49 nations, drawing 144,767 visitors from 143 countries. The fair showcased cutting‑edge technologies such as AI, bidirectional charging, and connected lighting, highlighting a shift toward electrified, data‑driven buildings and adaptive...
Segro Expands Data Centre Strategy with Slough Project and London Planning Approval
Segro, the UK industrial REIT, announced the next phase of its data centre expansion, adding a new facility in Slough to its existing 2.5GW‑plus programme. The developer also secured planning permission for a London‑based data centre, strengthening its presence in...
Building Smarter — by Putting People First
Singapore’s construction sector increasingly relies on Building Information Modelling (BIM) to design buildings before they rise. Digital construction firm AcePLP, with more than 200 BIM specialists, discovered that skill gaps hindered effective on‑site application of BIM data. Partnering with the...
Agents Urged to Help Shape the Future of the Property Market
The Smart Property Data Trust Framework sandbox, funded with a £742,700 government award, has launched to build a more efficient, transparent housing market. Delivered by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and the Open Property Data Association, the 12‑month pilot uses...
Success Stories: Eyeing Underground Utility
Common Ground Alliance estimates annual U.S. social costs of underground utility damage at about $30 billion. Purdue University engineers have created a patent‑pending method that combines ground‑penetrating radar with a Bayesian uncertainty‑aware model to pinpoint pipe location, orientation, and radius. The...
U.S. Bans Efficient Direct‑drive Elevators, Unlike the World
Fact the U.S. doesn’t allow direct drive elevators (where they’re powered by two motors connected to the cab, as opposed to a cable or hydraulic system) is completely stupid. They’re faster, as safe, take less space, and a lot cheaper....
Sponsored: Power-Ready Doesn’t Mean Shovel-Ready: Why Data Center Site Selection Is a Multi-Dimensional Problem
US data‑center investment is projected to reach $2.8 trillion by 2030, intensifying competition for viable sites. Power availability remains a visible constraint, but recent Q2 2025 data shows $98 billion in projects delayed or blocked due to regulatory, environmental, infrastructure, and community opposition....
Behind-the-Meter Data Center Proposed Outside Richmond, Virginia
LS Power is planning a 205‑acre, four‑building data‑center campus outside Richmond, Virginia, that could draw power directly from the adjacent Doswell natural‑gas plant via a behind‑the‑meter connection. The site will feature a GE Vernova LM6000 gas turbine and on‑site solar...
Are You Maximizing Technology to Improve Efficiency in Your Building?
Building automation systems generate massive data streams, yet many facilities lack tools to turn raw logs into actionable insight. Reliable Controls’ RC‑Reporter software lets owners visualize, automate, and share performance metrics without coding, freeing them from vendor lock‑in. The platform...
NFMT East 2026: Lowering Peak Energy Demand Can Provide Outsized Benefit
At NFMT East 2026, Sanalife Energy highlighted the growing burden of demand charges on commercial and industrial facilities, with rates climbing to nearly $70 per kilowatt in some regions. Richard Fox explained that trimming peak demand directly translates into substantial...
Trimble Announces Tekla 2026 Updates
Trimble introduced the Tekla 2026 software suite, embedding AI-driven drawing generation, cloud‑based project settings, and tighter integration with Trimble Connect. The update adds simultaneous model and drawing editing, an out‑of‑tolerance layout manager, and a natural‑language drawing assistant preview. Tekla Structural...
Smart Home Upgrades That Help Protect Your Home’s Structure
Smart home technology is now being leveraged to safeguard a house’s structural integrity. Devices such as moisture leak sensors, smart hygrometers, termite monitors, automated water shutoff valves, and foundation crack detectors provide real‑time alerts and even autonomous responses. By integrating...
Qualified Electronic Signatures in Conveyancing: Why QES Matters Now
HM Land Registry has officially embraced eIDAS Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES), enabling fully digital conveyancing in the UK. Traditional wet‑ink signing can add 3‑7 days to completion, risking chain breaks and financial loss, whereas QES provides cryptographic identity verification and...
ITB Berlin Insights: The Rise of AI Agents in Hospitality Operations
At ITB Berlin, Sirma showcased Vela, an AI agent that lets guests interact via voice or chat while silently linking to the hotel PMS. The event highlighted a broader industry shift from guest‑facing AI tools to operational agents that monitor...
New Core Fund Targets Berlin Tech Real Estate: Berlin Decks First Deal
Beos and Swiss Life have formed a joint venture to launch a premium core fund aimed at Berlin’s technology‑focused real estate sector. The fund’s inaugural transaction is the acquisition of the Berlin Deck property, marking its first deal. By targeting...
Factory-Built Homes Rise, yet Government Roadblocks Persist
"Bucking stigma, more places turn to factory-built for affordable housing" https://t.co/yeNauGByp5 As usual, governments stand in the way: https://t.co/MyFyCgTTjz
Mapping Tools Find High Demand Land: Complete Guide (2026)
Mapping tools powered by GIS and satellite data are reshaping land investing by delivering granular, visual insights into market trends, demographics, and property values. Investors can overlay zoning, environmental, and infrastructure layers to pinpoint high‑demand parcels with precision. Modern platforms...
Canary Technologies Introduces F&B Mobile Ordering to Boost Hotel Revenue
Canary Technologies launched F&B Mobile Ordering, a mobile‑first platform that lets hotel guests place food and beverage orders from their own devices. The solution integrates with major property management and point‑of‑sale systems, updating menus and availability in real time. Hotels...
Willmott Dixon Continues with Sypro Contract Management
Willmott Dixon has renewed its contract with Sypro for another five years, extending a 14‑year relationship. The Sypro platform, used on 244 projects, digitises risk management, communication and governance across NEC, JCT and bespoke contracts. The renewal underscores the contractor’s...
How Modern Hotel Technology Solutions Create a Connected Booking Journey
Hotels are grappling with fragmented digital booking journeys as legacy systems fail to communicate, leading to brand inconsistency and lost conversions. A recent report shows 48% of hoteliers view tech integration as essential to solve these friction points. Integrating property...
Behind the Idea: Bloxx
Bloxx is a fintech platform that lets buyers secure a home with just a one‑percent deposit and fixed monthly payments, eliminating the need for a traditional mortgage. The model creates equity for homeowners while linking renters, builders, and institutional investors...
Be Brave: A Conversation with Infor at ITB Berlin
At ITB Berlin, Infor innovation strategist David Poprawka warned that hospitality must first rebuild its fragmented data foundation before AI can deliver value. He argued that the industry’s AI disappointments stem from legacy systems, not the technology itself. Infor showcased...
Openreach Uses Fiber Network to Detect Water Leaks in UK Trials
Openreach has teamed with Affinity Water and Lightsonic to pilot Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) on its UK fiber‑optic network, converting cables into thousands of vibration sensors that locate water‑pipe leaks. The trial monitors 650 km of water infrastructure, identified more than...
19650 Review: Have Your Say on the Future of Information Management Standards
The British Standards Institution and NIMA have released draft revisions of ISO 19650 Parts 1, 2 and 3 for public consultation, with a deadline of 3 May. The updates remove the traditional delivery‑vs‑operational phase distinction, unifying the asset information management process across the entire lifecycle...
Aligned Tops Out Maryland Data Center
Aligned announced the topping out of its IAD‑06 data center in Frederick, Maryland, completing the structural phase of the 72 MW, 450,000 sq ft facility. The two‑story building is part of a 75‑acre campus within TPG’s Quantum Frederick park, where a total of...
Artificial Intelligence in Commercial Buildings: The Reality in 2026
The biggest obstacle to AI adoption in commercial buildings is the cost and complexity of integrating legacy systems, consuming up to 75% of engineering effort and budget. Memoori’s new report evaluates 69 AI use cases across 12 domains, finding energy...
EscaTEQ Develops Cleaning Framework
Netherlands‑based EscaTEQ unveiled the EscaTEQ Method, a voluntary structured framework for escalator tread cleaning. Refined over ten years and deployed globally, the low‑moisture, surface‑controlled approach uses an ABC condition classification and defined restoration paths. EscaTEQ estimates more than 500,000 cleaning...
Visibility as a Leadership Advantage: How Facility Data Supports Better Decisions
Facility leaders are under pressure from tight budgets, scarce labor and heightened ESG scrutiny. By adopting integrated, near‑real‑time dashboards, they move from reactive reporting to predictive management. Consolidated data streams—work orders, energy use, compliance and labor metrics—enable precise budgeting, risk...
Amey Deploys FYLD’s AI-Enabled Risk Assessment Tool
Amey is rolling out FYLD’s AI‑enabled risk assessment platform to more than 2,500 field workers after a three‑month pilot that covered over 500 jobs. The pilot showed 95% of tasks used AI‑driven risk assessments and 85% of users stayed consistently...
Illinois to Data Centers: Bring Your Own Renewables and Skip the Line
Illinois lawmakers have introduced the Protecting Our Water, Energy, and Ratepayers (POWER) Act, which would let data centers that procure their own clean power receive fast‑track grid interconnection and guaranteed service. The bill also obliges facilities to pay for transmission...
Estate Agents Expect AI to Transform How Buyers Find Homes
Estate agents recognize AI’s potential but see limited current impact, with only 7% reporting improved listing visibility. A GetAgent survey reveals 84% expect AI‑powered search to become the primary way buyers find homes, while 88% warn that firms ignoring AI...
Opendoor Simplifies Home Buying with Lower Costs, Speed
For a lot of Americans, it's never been harder to buy a home and never been harder to finance one. Opendoor is here to change that with lower costs, a faster process, and less friction at every step.
Estate Agents to Earn Commission From Out-of-Area Leads Under New Agreement
Homeflow has partnered with the Relocation Agent Network (RAN) to launch Homeflow Referrals, a one‑click add‑on to its Lead Manager that lets estate agents refer out‑of‑area enquiries to nearby RAN members and earn a share of the commission if the...
PROPTECH-X : TenderPRO Speeds Commercial Real Estate Procurement
TenderPRO, a new proptech platform, streamlines commercial‑real‑estate procurement by moving the entire tender workflow into a single, AI‑enabled system. The solution reduces the average 30‑plus hour manual process to a few minutes, standardizes contractor submissions, and automatically generates audit‑ready documentation....
STAKE Closes $8M Funding
Stake the Network for Renters closed an $8 million debt‑and‑equity round after reporting four‑fold revenue growth in 2025. The financing follows its acquisition of Lighthouse and UMoveFree, Texas’s largest apartment‑locating platform. Led by LAGO with participation from RET Ventures, Bluefield Capital, Hamilton...
6 Contech Firms Raise a Combined $126M
Six construction‑technology startups raised a combined $126 million in early 2026, underscoring AI’s surge in the sector. London‑based Fyld secured $41 million to expand its video‑based safety analytics, while Colorado’s Sensera Systems closed $27 million for its OSHA‑focused SiteCloud platform. San Francisco’s XBuild,...
This Startup Is Helping Tech Giants and Real Estate Developers Find Land for Data Centers—And Using Its Own GPU Cluster...
Acres, a 70‑person startup founded by Carter Malloy, has installed its own high‑end GPU cluster to power geospatial AI models. The cluster enables the company to process satellite imagery, LiDAR and parcel data in‑house, delivering generative‑AI land‑selection queries for data‑center...
9 Online Platforms That Make Home Hunting Easier
Home‑search platforms are rapidly adopting AI and collaborative tools to address buyer frustration. A Realtor.com survey shows 65% of buyers struggle to find homes based on personal priorities, prompting major sites like Zillow, Redfin, and Wahi to introduce natural‑language queries,...
ICON Launches Titan 3D Concrete Printer Designed for Two-Storey Building Construction
ICON has announced the commercial launch of Titan, its new 3D concrete printer built to construct two‑storey residential structures. The system uses ICON’s low‑carbon CarbonX material and fits inside a standard shipping container for easy site deployment. Customers can place...
ChatGPT For Selling Your Home
A recent video shows a TV reporter touting ChatGPT as a tool for selling homes, despite lacking real‑estate expertise. The article challenges this claim, arguing that AI may not capture the nuances needed to secure full retail value. It warns...
NFMT East 2026: How Building Operations Help Organizations’ Strategic Goals
The NFMT East 2026 conference highlighted how facilities managers are leveraging AI and other smart‑building technologies to meet strategic objectives. At the opening keynote, Hornets Sports & Entertainment detailed its $240 million Spectrum Center renovation, which combined new seating, LED upgrades,...
Agentic AI 'Cyber Hunting Machines' Coming to Global Real Estate
World Property Markets announced development of three AI-driven platforms aimed at fixing deep structural inefficiencies in the $600 trillion global real estate market. The dual‑platform "Matching Engine" will combine World Property Search, a planetary‑scale listing and buyer‑intent engine, with Global Listings,...
PROPTECH-X : Data & Digital Infrastructure (DDI) as a Project versus Treating It as a Platform
The article argues that commercial‑real‑estate owners should treat Data & Digital Infrastructure (DDI) as a long‑term platform rather than a one‑off project. A project mindset leads to isolated installations, vendor lock‑in, and limited ROI, while a platform approach creates a...
More Construction Companies Are Building a Technology-Focused C-Suite
Construction firms are adding tech-focused C‑suite roles as AI, robotics become mainstream. Barge Design Solutions appointed Laine Hiera as its first Chief Design Solutions Officer, a role designed to embed digital capability across operations. Hiera describes the position as evolving...
7 Proven Ways Digital Guest Directories Can Transform the Way Guests Interact with Hotel Amenities and Services
Digital guest directories are evolving from static print guides into interactive platforms that shape the modern hotel guest journey. By delivering real‑time content, integrated booking links, and QR‑code access, they enable instant upselling of rooms, amenities, and local experiences. The...
Landsec Reports Leasing Drive From AI and Tech Firms at MYO King’s Cross
Landsec reports that its premium flexible workspace MYO at King’s Cross has surpassed 60% occupancy within six months, driven primarily by AI and technology firms. More than ten tech companies, including Perplexity AI and PlanHat, have signed leases, and the...