2026 Sustainability Trends Every Facility Manager Needs to Know

Discover the top 5 sustainability trends facility managers need to know in 2026—from performance standards to IAQ, refrigerants, and more.

Ava Montini

Jan 20, 2026

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A new year, new pressures

For facility and energy managers, 2026 is not just another lap around the operations cycle. The stakes are rising across the built environment: carbon targets are evolving from voluntary goals to enforceable standards, utility grids are growing more dynamic, and your systems are being asked to deliver more than comfort—they’re being asked to demonstrate climate performance.

This change comes at a moment when global energy demand is accelerating. In 2024, energy demand rose 2.2% globally (faster than the decade-long average), while electricity demand jumped 4.3%, driven by electrification, extreme weather, and digital growth. IEA In the buildings sector alone, electricity use increased by over 600 TWh (5%), accounting for nearly 60% of total growth in global electricity use. IEA Blob Storage And forecasts suggest this upward trend will continue: the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that global energy consumption will grow through 2050, outpacing efficiency gains unless stronger policies intervene. EIA

The challenge is that these changes don’t arrive all at once or in obvious ways. They show up gradually—through updated codes, shifting tariffs, new equipment standards, and increasing expectations from tenants and investors. The upside is that facility and energy managers, once working mostly behind the scenes, are now central to turning sustainability commitments into measurable results.

Here are five sustainability trends shaping 2026, and why each matters for the decisions you’ll make in your mechanical rooms, dashboards, and boardrooms.

1. Building Performance Standards Move from Paper to Practice

A decade ago, sustainability reporting was a quarterly or annual exercise filed internally or sent to corporate. Today, Building Performance Standards (BPS) are shifting that paradigm: they tie a building’s actual energy use and emissions to regulatory thresholds, making performance more than just a nice-to-have.

Across the U.S., BPS and similar mandates now exist in nine localities and three states, with penalties or compliance mechanisms for underperforming buildings. (ACEEE) In Canada, cities like Vancouver have already adopted performance standards, and other municipalities are actively exploring similar rules. (Efficiency Canada) Natural Resources Canada also recognizes that BPS policies enable jurisdictions to regulate energy or emissions in existing buildings. (Natural Resources Canada)

Europe is several steps ahead. Through the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, member states are required to set minimum energy performance standards for existing buildings and align them with long-term decarbonization goals. That trajectory suggests North America is likely to follow a similar path, with more cities and provinces phasing in binding performance requirements over the next decade.

For facility teams, this is a shift in mindset: hitting a design target isn’t enough. What matters now is day-to-day performance. Keeping HVAC systems tuned, filters low-pressure, ventilation right-sized, and carbon data tracked continuously.

Treat compliance not as a one-off capital project, but as a persistent operations program. Teams that build strong discipline in data, trending, and low-cost O&M measures (filter swaps, economizer tuning, drift checks) will free up budget (and carbon headroom) to take on higher-stakes retrofits later.

2. Grid-interactive buildings become the norm

The grid you’re tied into is no longer a fixed backdrop. It’s dynamic. As renewables rise, carbon intensity swings hour by hour. In many regions, the grid’s carbon intensity can vary by over 1,000 g CO₂/kWh between low and high hours. EnergyTag

This variability is why hourly accounting, not annual averages, is becoming the standard: studies find that relying solely on yearly emission factors can bias carbon inventories by as much as 35 %, especially in areas with high grid variability. itspubs.ucdavis.edu

For facility managers, your job isn’t just to reduce consumption, but rather to shift it. Running air handlers or pushing large loads at 3 p.m. on a carbon-intensive grid can erase much of the value of your efficiency gains. But shifting that same load to cleaner hours can multiply your CO₂e savings.

Buildings that provide demand flexibility (the ability to curtail, shift, or modulate loads) not only ease grid stress but also help integrate renewables and reduce emissions. ScienceDirect The U.S. DOE’s Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB) initiative explicitly frames buildings as potential distributed energy resources (DERs) that can respond to grid signals. The Department of Energy's Energy

Facilities that align their systems with grid conditions will capture more carbon value, reduce costs, and position themselves for utility incentives and grid services.

3. Indoor Air Quality and Energy Are No Longer Trade-Offs

The pandemic showed that “just add more outside air” is not a sustainable strategy. It drove home the fact that healthier air doesn’t have to mean higher energy bills. In 2023, ASHRAE Standard 241 introduced the concept of Equivalent Clean Airflow (ECAi): a performance-based framework that lets you meet air quality targets with the right combination of ventilation, filtration, and air cleaning instead of defaulting to maximum outdoor air. (ASHRAE)

This matters even more in 2026 because the carbon penalty of over-ventilation is steep. Conditioning excess outside air can account for a significant share of building energy use, especially in regions with temperature or humidity extremes. U.S. EPA modelling has shown that raising outdoor air rates from 5 to 20 cfm per person can sharply increase HVAC energy costs, depending on the climate and system type. (EPA)

The opportunity is to deliver the same (or better) air quality at a lower energy cost. Low-pressure, high-efficiency filtration plays a central role here. Studies show that filter design, not just MERV rating, dictates pressure drop and energy impact. Well-engineered filters with optimized media and geometry can deliver higher capture efficiency at lower resistance than standard pleated filters, reducing fan energy while still supporting ASHRAE 241 clean-air goals. (ScienceDirect)

The play in 2026: pair low-pressure filtration with calibrated demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) and proven air cleaning technologies. Together, they provide safe indoor air with the lowest possible energy penalty. IAQ and carbon goals don’t have to compete. They can reinforce each other when filtration efficiency and system pressure are managed by design.

4. Refrigerant rules shift the replacement playbook

If you’re spec’ing new HVAC or refrigeration equipment in 2026, refrigerant selection matters just as much as capacity. Under the U.S. AIM Act, the EPA is phasing down production and consumption of high-GWP HFCs—aiming to cut them to just 15% of historic baseline levels by mid-2030s. US EPA That transition is pushing the market toward A2L (mildly flammable, low-GWP) alternatives like R-32 and R-454B. Energy Codes

For facility teams, two priorities stand out:

(1) Safety, training & codes readiness

A2L refrigerants bring new safety nuances. Contractors and service teams must be trained, and local codes (leak detection, ventilation, charge limits) must be understood and enforced. Manufacturers are already shifting product lines to A2Ls to align with the 2025 compliance timelines. Energy Codes

(2) Leak management as carbon strategy

Refrigerant emissions are Scope 1 emissions—direct, onsite greenhouse gas releases that come from leaks, servicing losses, or disposal. ASHE Because many HFCs have very high global warming potentials (GWP) (often hundreds to thousands of times higher than CO₂)a pound of refrigerant lost can translate into a large carbon penalty. GHG Protocol

Legacy systems may lose 20–30% of their refrigerant charge over time without an obvious performance impact. U.S. General Services Administration These silent leaks are hidden carbon drains, often overlooked in efficiency planning.

5. From Projects to Performance

Retrofitting systems may win attention, but the real win in 2026 is locking in performance over time. Field studies and commissioning guides show that, without sustained monitoring and correction, buildings can lose 10–30 % of their efficiency gains within a few years, due to drift, sensor faults, coil fouling, or control logic degradation.

Enter Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) and Fault Detection & Diagnostics (FDD). These aren’t big capital projects—they’re everyday practices that keep systems efficient. Research from ASME shows that automated fault detection in RTUs and HVAC systems can cut significant energy waste.

In one office building study, trend analytics flagged simultaneous heating and cooling, broken economizers, and poor control sequencing. Once fixed, the building’s energy use dropped by 10%. The takeaway is simple: continuous monitoring finds waste fast, and fixing it pays off immediately.

What this means for facility leaders in 2026:

Move away from treating projects as one-and-done.
Build dashboards that track energy, ventilation, fan motor indices, and carbon in parallel.
Use automated alerts to flag deviations in real time.
Make MBCx + FDD the standard part of your operations budget—not a side project.

Utility bills stay low, carbon footprints shrink, and your buildings stay compliant and efficient—without waiting for the next big retrofit.

2026 rewards operators

In 2026, sustainability progress will come from strong day-to-day operations. Facility and energy managers who focus on performance standards, grid-smart scheduling, healthy air, refrigerant planning, and continuous monitoring will find they already have the tools to deliver real results.

The equipment in your building doesn’t need to change overnight. What matters is how it’s managed. Every optimized filter, tuned control, and well-timed ventilation cycle adds up, lowering carbon, controlling costs, and building resilience.

This is the year where facility operations show their true strength: turning routine decisions into measurable sustainability gains.

Understanding MERV Filtration Ratings: Essential Insights for North American Standards

Ava Montini
Jul 30, 2024
5 min read

Imagine stepping into a modern office building on a hot summer day. The crisp, clean air immediately stands out, a stark contrast to the muggy outdoors. Or consider visiting a hospital, where the air feels noticeably sterile and fresh, creating a sense of safety and comfort.

These moments are created by advanced air filtration systems working tirelessly behind the scenes. A critical component of these systems is the MERV-rated filter, a key player in maintaining indoor air quality (IAQ).

Understanding MERV ratings is akin to understanding the SPF rating on sunscreen. Just as SPF (Sun Protection Factor) measures how well a sunscreen protects against UVB rays, MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) measures how effectively an air filter captures different sizes of particles. Both scales guide consumers to make informed decisions about their health and safety, whether protecting skin from harmful UV rays or ensuring the air is free from pollutants.

What Are MERV Filtration Ratings?

MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. Developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), it evaluates the effectiveness of air filters.

Diagram explaining MERV filtration ratings and their significance in North America.

MERV ratings range from 1 to 20, indicating the filter's ability to capture particles of varying sizes:

MERV 1-4: Basic filtration, suitable for residential use, where only large particles like pollen and dust mites need to be captured. These filters remove less than 20% of particles between 3 and 10 microns.
MERV 5-8: Intermediate filtration, effective against mold spores, hair spray, and cement dust. These filters capture up to 70% of particles between 3 and 10 microns.
MERV 9-12: Higher efficiency, capable of capturing lead dust, flour, and some bacteria. These filters remove up to 89% of particles between 1 and 3 microns.
MERV 13-16: High-efficiency filters that can trap tobacco smoke, bacteria, and sneeze particles. These filters capture more than 90% of particles between 0.3 and 1 microns.
MERV 17-20: Typically used in cleanrooms and hospital operating rooms, these filters can capture viruses, carbon dust, and other sub-micron particles. They are similar to HEPA filters in performance.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), using filters with higher MERV ratings, particularly MERV 13 and above, significantly improves IAQ by removing finer particulates from the air, thus reducing potential health risks associated with poor air quality.

Significance of MERV Ratings in North America

In North America, MERV ratings are widely used to ensure IAQ standards are met in various environments, from homes to industrial settings. MERV ratings help consumers and businesses choose the appropriate filter based on the specific needs of their environment. Higher MERV ratings indicate better filtration efficiency, crucial for environments requiring high air purity, such as hospitals and laboratories.

A National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) study found that higher MERV ratings correlate with a significant reduction in indoor airborne contaminants, enhancing overall health outcomes, especially in healthcare and educational settings.

Regulatory Standards and Recommendations

ASHRAE Standards

ASHRAE plays a pivotal role in setting standards for HVAC systems and IAQ. The ASHRAE 52.2 standard details the testing methods for measuring the MERV rating of filters.

ASHRAE also provides guidelines for different applications:

ASHRAE 62.1: Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in commercial buildings recommends MERV 8 as a minimum, ensuring the removal of larger particles and contributing to better IAQ.
ASHRAE 62.2: Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings suggests MERV 6-8 for residential settings, balancing cost and filtration efficiency.

CDC Recommendations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses MERV ratings as part of their guidelines for air filtration in healthcare settings:

CDC's COVID-19 guidelines recommend using MERV 13 or higher filters to reduce airborne viral particles in public and healthcare environments. These filters are crucial in minimizing the spread of infectious diseases by capturing airborne pathogens【CDC】.

Regulations in Canada and the US

United States

In the US, MERV ratings are incorporated into building codes and standards, ensuring that buildings meet specific IAQ criteria. For example:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emphasizes using filters with MERV ratings of at least 13 in public buildings to enhance air quality and reduce airborne contaminants. This recommendation is particularly important in schools and office buildings to ensure the health and well-being of occupants【EPA】.

Canada

In Canada, MERV ratings are also a key component of IAQ standards:

The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) references MERV ratings in their guidelines for commercial and residential buildings, advocating for MERV 8 as a baseline for most applications. This standard ensures that a basic level of air filtration is achieved, contributing to healthier indoor environments【CSA Group】.

Equivalent Technologies

While MERV ratings are a standard measure, other technologies can achieve similar filtration efficiencies:

Electromagnetic Air Filters: These filters use an electromagnetic charge to attract and trap particles, providing high filtration efficiency without the need for frequent replacements. Electromagnetic filters can achieve filtration levels comparable to high MERV-rated filters by utilizing the principles of electrostatic attraction to capture a wide range of particle sizes. They are effective in both residential and commercial applications, offering a sustainable solution with lower maintenance requirements【NIH】.
High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters: Known for their superior filtration, HEPA filters capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, often exceeding the highest MERV ratings. HEPA filters are commonly used in medical, research, and high-tech manufacturing settings. They are ideal for environments where ultra-fine particle removal is critical, ensuring the highest levels of air purity【EPA】.
Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI): Uses UV light to kill or inactivate microorganisms, complementing high MERV-rated filters by targeting airborne pathogens. UVGI is often used in conjunction with HVAC systems to enhance air purification. This technology is particularly effective in healthcare settings, where controlling the spread of infectious agents is paramount. By breaking down the DNA of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, UVGI provides an additional layer of protection【ASHRAE】.

Industry Benchmarks and Standards

Various industries have specific benchmarks for air quality and filtration:

Healthcare: Hospitals and clinics adhere to ASHRAE and CDC guidelines, often requiring MERV 13 or higher to ensure sterile environments. These settings prioritize the removal of airborne pathogens to prevent infections【CDC】.
Commercial Buildings: Offices and retail spaces generally follow ASHRAE 62.1, recommending MERV 8-13 based on occupancy and activity levels. This ensures a comfortable and healthy environment for employees and customers【ASHRAE】.
Educational Institutions: Schools and universities are increasingly adopting higher MERV ratings (MERV 13+) to ensure safe and healthy learning environments. Higher filtration levels help protect students and staff from allergens, pollutants, and infectious agents【EPA】.
Industrial Facilities: Factories and warehouses may require MERV 8-12 filters to control dust and particulate matter, protecting workers and machinery. Proper filtration in these settings is essential for maintaining air quality and operational efficiency【OSHA】.
Hospitality Industry: Hotels and restaurants use MERV 8-13 filters to provide clean air for guests, enhancing comfort and safety. Good IAQ is a critical factor in customer satisfaction in the hospitality sector【AHLA】.

Understanding MERV filtration ratings is crucial for selecting the right air filters to maintain optimal indoor air quality.

In North America, ASHRAE standards and CDC recommendations guide the use of MERV-rated filters across various sectors. By adhering to these guidelines and exploring equivalent technologies, businesses and homeowners can significantly improve their indoor environments, promoting health and well-being.

Embrace these insights to enhance your knowledge and application of MERV filtration ratings in your air quality management strategies. For more information and expert guidance, visit Blade Air's comprehensive resources on indoor air quality solutions.

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