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July 1, 1993
mike@standardsmichigan.com

Standards Pensylvania

The Watson Institute | Allegheny County 412

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  • Language 200 Electrotechnology

    Language 200 Electrotechnology

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.01

    “He who does not speak foreign languages
    knows nothing about his own.“

    — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

     

    “The Tower of Babel” 1563 / Pieter Bruegel the Elder

     

    Here’s a rough breakdown of the top languages on the web:

    English: 55.4% – Russian: 6.6% – Japanese: 5.4% – Spanish: 5.2% – Chinese: 4.6%

     

    One of the most contentious aspects of best practice discovery and promulgation in any domain, and no less so in educational settlements, is an agreed-upon vocabulary and shared understanding.  As we explain elsewhere in this history, when a counter-party disagrees with you, he simply switches out the vocabulary — i.e. changes definitions or adds or subtracts from the traditional meanings of things.  So we approach this topic several times a year to confirm our bearing on the meaning of things.

    Attention Is All You Need | Ashish Vaswani, et. al

    We begin 2025 by breaking down this topic into four sections

    Language 100: Survey of vocabulary in the standards catalogs relevant to building and managing education settlement real assets; including legal terms.

    Language 200: Electrotechnology standard catalogs; including computer programming languages.

    Language 300: The English as the language of science and innovation; the birthplace of computing and programming, the internet’s native tongue, standardization & open source development; etc.

    Language 400: Reserved


    We observe National Poetry Month in the United States and Canada every year with an inquiry into changes in the (meaning of) definitions at the foundation of best practice literature; frequently the subject of sporty debate among experts writing codes and standards for the built environment of education communities.

    In the United Kingdom, National Poetry Month is celebrated in October, and it is known as “National Poetry Day” which has been observed since 1994. It is an initiative of the Forward Arts Foundation, which aims to encourage people to read, write and perform poetry.

    Other countries also have their own poetry celebrations, such as World Poetry Day, which is observed annually on March 21 by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to promote the reading, writing, and teaching of poetry worldwide.

    In past years we used a Tamil mnemonic because Tamil is the oldest surviving language and remains the spoken language of 80-odd million people of South Asia.  Alas, use of Tamil confounds our Wordpress content management system so in 2024 we began coding this topic in American English

    https://youtube.com/shorts/iEhbwbUTukE?si=bUQHwT14GbxNL_5b

    https://standardsmichigan.com/%e0%ae%ae%e0%af%8a%e0%ae%b4%e0%ae%bf-2/

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  • Infotech 400

    Infotech 400

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.02

    EVERY MOMENT IN business happens only once. The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won’t make a search engine. And the next Mark Zuckerberg won’t create a social network. If you are copying these guys, you aren’t learning from them. - Peter Thiel

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Today at 11 AM/ET we update our understanding of best practice literature relevant to the information and communication technology enterprises in education communities.  Our online meetings coincides with the day of two IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee teleconferences at 14:00 Central European time and 2:00 PM Eastern time in the Americas.   Starting 2023 we have begun to break down our coverage of information and communication technology embedded in campus buildings into two modules – Infotech 200 and Infotech 400.

    Open to everyone.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

     

     

     

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  • District Heating, Cooling & Electrical Generation

    District Heating, Cooling & Electrical Generation

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.04

    Yes, there are technical standards and guidelines for district energy systems, though they can vary depending on the region, country, or specific application. District energy systems (DES), which provide heating, cooling, and sometimes electricity to multiple buildings from a centralized source, often rely on a combination of international standards, national regulations, and industry best practices to ensure efficiency, safety, and interoperability.
    Some key examples of relevant standards and frameworks include:
    1. ISO Standards:
      • ISO 50001: This is an international standard for energy management systems, which can apply to district energy systems to optimize energy performance and efficiency.
      • ISO 52000: Focuses on energy performance of buildings, which can tie into district energy systems when assessing overall efficiency and integration with building infrastructure.
    2. ASHRAE Guidelines (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers):
      • ASHRAE publishes guidelines like the District Heating and Cooling Design Guide, which provides technical recommendations for designing, operating, and maintaining district energy systems. It covers piping, heat exchangers, and system integration.
    3. European Standards:
      • In Europe, the CEN/CENELEC standards (e.g., EN 15316 series) address energy performance in buildings and can include aspects of district heating and cooling systems.
      • The EU Ecodesign Directive and Energy Efficiency Directive also influence technical requirements for district energy, particularly in terms of efficiency and emissions.
    4. National Codes and Standards:
      • In the U.S., standards from organizations like the International District Energy Association (IDEA) provide best practices, while local building codes (e.g., based on the International Mechanical Code) may dictate specific requirements.
      • In countries like Denmark or Sweden, where district heating is widespread, national standards (e.g., from the Danish Standards Foundation) often set detailed technical specifications for piping, insulation, and system performance.
    5. Piping and Materials:
      • Standards like ASME B31.1 (Power Piping) or EN 253 (for pre-insulated pipes) are commonly used to ensure the safety and durability of piping networks in district energy systems.
    While there isn’t a single, universal “District Energy System Standard” that covers every aspect globally, these systems are typically designed and operated based on a combination of the above standards tailored to local needs, climate, and infrastructure. If you’re looking for a specific region or component (e.g., piping, heat pumps, or controls), I can dig deeper into that for you! Let me know.
  • Air Conditioning

    Air Conditioning

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.04

    https://standardsmichigan.com/acca-air-conditioning-standards/

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  • Roofs

    Roofs

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.11

    The plural of “roof” is “roofs”.This is the standard, correct, and most commonly used plural form in modern English — including in technical, architectural, and educational contexts like school and college buildings.

  • Rain & Lightning

    Rain & Lightning

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.11

    Lightning flash density – 12 hourly averages over the year (NASA OTD/LIS) This shows that lightning is much more frequent in summer than in winter, and from noon to midnight compared to midnight to noon.

    https://youtu.be/zisnPchVYKs

    https://standardsmichigan.com/rain-2/

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  • “Ave Verum Corpus” Providence College

    “Ave Verum Corpus” Providence College

    All day
    2026.06.15
    Santa Clara University | “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” https://youtu.be/q7pZVRIo05U?si=F_b51knk_sQfv009

  • Intellectual Property

    Intellectual Property

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.15

    “If you steal from one person that is plagiarism.

    If you steal from many people, that is research”

    Chronicle of Higher Education: The Campus Cold War — Faculty vs. Administrators

    Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Student Art

    Innovation – Standardization – Commoditization run along a continuum.  Today we unpack some of the ideas that hasten (and prohibit) leading practice discovery; how quickly goods and services become a “human right”; why all of this is relevant to education communities and why some believe that commoditization is a myth.

    From the Wikipedia

    In business literature, commoditization is defined as the process by which goods that have economic value and are distinguishable in terms of attributes (uniqueness or brand) end up becoming simple commodities in the eyes of the market or consumers. It is the movement of a market from differentiated to undifferentiated price competition and from monopolistic competition to perfect competition. Hence, the key effect of commoditization is that the pricing power of the manufacturer or brand owner is weakened: when products become more similar from a buyer’s point of view, they will tend to buy the cheapest.

    Related:

    Why High-Tech Commoditization Is Accelerating

     

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  • Data Center Case Studies

    Data Center Case Studies

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.16

    “Composition in red, yellow, blue and black” (1921) / Piet Mondrian

    The zeitgeist surrounding data centers in higher education embodies a fervent fusion of technological ambition, sustainability imperatives, and workforce evolution, driven by AI’s insatiable hunger for compute power.  Today at the usual hour we examine three projects on US campuses with special attention to the safety and sustainability boundaries set by electrotechnical strandards.
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  • Backflow

    Backflow

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.18

    https://standardsmichigan.com/backflow/

    https://standardsmichigan.com/backflow-prevention/

  • Water 330

    Water 330

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.18

    https://standardsmichigan.com/water-300/

    https://standardsmichigan.com/water-management-monthly/

    https://standardsmichigan.com/watersport/

    https://youtu.be/fj1aSyzM8oA

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  • Animals

    Animals

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.25

    “The Peaceable Kingdom” 1833 Edward Hicks

    Today we update our understanding of the regulations, codes, standards and ethical considerations in the care of animals in education communities.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.


    https://standardsmichigan.com/animals-100/

  • Laboratories

    Laboratories

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.25

    “Der Alchemist” 1908 / Max Fuhrmann

     

    Status check on standards action that guide laboratory safety and sustainability in all building disciplines.    There are about ten standards developers in this space and they do not all move in a coordinated manner among themselves; much less from state-to-state.  Anyone is welcomed to join this teleconference with the login information below.  For an agenda, please join our mailing list.

    https://standardsmichigan.com/standing-agenda-laboratories/

    https://youtu.be/zHAl1PHcQyU?si=LYF8wOYY9Lvqx_o1

    Biosafety Cabinetry NSF International

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  • Campus Day Care

    Campus Day Care

    All day
    2026.06.29

    Today we explore standards, codes, regulations and voluntary best practice literature covering the safety and sustainability of child care facilities for parents who attend or are employed by a school or college.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

    “Kindergarten” 1885 Johann Sperl

    Organizations publish non-mandatory literature known as “industry best practices,” “recommended practices,” “guidelines,” or “voluntary industry standards.”  These differ from ANSI standards because they are developed internally by the association without the formal ANSI-accredited consensus process.  Key Characteristics:

    • Voluntary and not legally binding (unless referenced in contracts or regulations)
    • Focus on practical recommendations, safety, quality, ethics, or operational excellence
    • Often called “self-regulatory” guidelines
    • May later evolve into full ANSI standards

    Organizations:

  • Health 400 | OB-GYN

    Health 400 | OB-GYN

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.29

     

    With emphasis on OB-GYN because educational settlements are where families begin and grow among the young.

    Many research universities have large medical research and clinical delivery enterprises that provide significant revenue.   We periodically scan public consultations for literature that sets the standard of care for the facilities and technologies in these enterprises in education communities.

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  • Municipalization

    Municipalization

    All day
    2026.06.30

    Municipalization

    • Definition: The process by which a municipality (city, town, or sometimes public utility district) acquires ownership and operational control of an existing electric utility system from an investor-owned utility (IOU). This converts private service to public/municipal ownership and operation.
      brattle.com
    • It typically involves purchasing the utility’s infrastructure (poles, wires, substations, etc.) through negotiation/settlement or, more controversially, via condemnation (eminent domain).
      brattle.com
    • Goals often cited: lower rates, local control, better reliability, faster renewable integration, and greater accountability (vs. profit-driven IOUs).
      lsa.umich.edu
    • The opposite process is privatization (or demunicipalization), where a public utility sells to a private IOU.
      legislature.maine.gov

    This is the standard industry and legal term used by the American Public Power Association (APPA), regulators, academics, and utilities.

    publicpower.org

    Related or Supporting Terms

    • Condemnation / Eminent Domain Acquisition — The legal mechanism often required when the IOU resists selling. Municipalities exercise their power to take the assets for “public use” (with just compensation). Many municipalization efforts center on this.
      mckinneylaw.iu.edu
    • Public Power Takeover or Formation of a Municipal Electric Utility — Broader descriptive phrases used in advocacy and policy discussions.
      thenextsystem.org
    • Acquisition of IOU Assets — Neutral regulatory/financial language for the transfer.
      static1.squarespace.com

    Context and ChallengesMunicipalization efforts are relatively rare and difficult. Most recent attempts (over the past 25+ years) have failed due to high costs (valuation disputes, stranded costs, legal battles), voter rejection, or regulatory hurdles. Successful cases often take years or a decade.

    brattle.com

    Examples of discussions or attempts include Boulder (CO), various California cities, and others exploring local control over utilities like those owned by Xcel, PG&E, etc.These terms are well-established in utility law, public power literature, and state statutes. If you’re researching a specific city, state laws on municipalization authority vary significantly.

  • Tax-Free Bonds

    Tax-Free Bonds

    11:00 -12:00
    2026.06.30

    “Washington money” 2012 Robert Silvers

    Today we pick through a few tax-free bond offerings that finance education community construction with a eye toward reducing construction cost and life-cycle maintenance through building codes and standards.   Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

    https://standardsmichigan.com/tax-free-bonds/

July
July
July
July

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scales Mound School District | Jo Daviess County Illinois 815

Standards Michigan | Time

The calendar of Anglosphere educational settlements subtly shapes life of the mind, generally; and family and community life, specifically.  Its cadence has roots in the cathedral schools and monastic learning communities of medieval Europe. Universities were not originally organized around modern “semesters.” Instead, the year followed the Christian liturgical calendar, agricultural seasons, food paths, daylight availability, and travel conditions.

In America educational calendars were nudged along by agricultural cycles.  In the United Kingdom university calendars evolved into three major terms: Michaelmas in autumn, associated with arrival and beginnings; Hilary or Lent in winter, associated with discipline and study; and Trinity or Easter in spring, associated with examinations, outdoor rituals, music, rowing, gardens, and celebration.

Modern commencement traditions across the Anglosphere are descendants of medieval spring degree ceremonies. Academic gowns, hoods, processions, Latin phrases, formal dining, chapel music, and public recognition all preserve traces of the university as a scholarly guild and religious-civic community.

Before railways, electric lighting, and central heating, universities had to adapt to muddy roads, short winter days, limited candles, cold buildings, and agricultural obligations. Spring therefore became the natural season of culmination, reunion, athletic competition, courtship, and ceremony.

The medieval university was not merely a school but an educational settlement — a self-governing town of scholars, libraries, chapels, kitchens, workshops, residences, and dining halls. That settlement pattern survives in residential colleges, quadrangles, tutorial systems, common rooms, chapel choirs, and formal meals.

Anglosphere campuses retain this ancient emotional rhythm: autumn seriousness, winter inwardness, and spring release. That continuity helps explain why colleges and universities still feel culturally distinct from ordinary commercial society.  (Relata: Gulliver Visits the Great Academy of Lagado)

 

Quadrivium: Spring

We’re “organized” but not too organized; like the bookseller who knows where every book can be found.

Today in History

“Standard” History

 

 

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2723 South State Street | Suite 150
Ann Arbor, MI 48104 USA

888-746-3670

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