By Wayne T. Hudson, LEED AP The term “sustainable construction” has become a buzzword these days, and as such it’s often misused and misunderstood. For instance, a building that is considered “green” because it is designed to be healthy for the people who work in it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s energy efficient. The gold standard […]
01
Feb
How to Ensure a Good Contractor Experience
By Wayne T. Hudson, LEED AP Have you ever had “buyer’s remorse” when it comes to hiring a contractor to do an energy upgrade? Do you think, why doesn’t this feel like an improvement? And where are the “savings” in my energy savings performance contract? The key to avoiding such feelings (along with any inherent […]
12
Jan
Cut Energy Consumption, Boost Savings Through ‘Recommissioning’
By Wayne T. Hudson, LEED AP There are many things you can do to optimize your building’s energy performance, in order to maximize savings and reduce waste. Replacing old boilers and chillers is certainly one way to do it. But you don’t need to take such a drastic, and often expensive, step if you don’t […]
10
Dec
Chiller Upgrades at bwtech@UMBC South
Project: Chiller Upgrades at bwtech@UMBC South Owner: University of Maryland at Baltimore County Partners: Noresco, Temp Air Company, EMJAY Engineering and Construction Co., Min Engineering Description: The owners of bwtech@UMBC South aded a new 640-ton central chilled water plant to provide increased capacity at a greatly increased efficiency. The heart of the new system is […]
08
Jan
Why You Should Hire an ESCO
By Wayne T. Hudson, LEED AP An energy service company, or ESCO, is a private company that develops, installs, and arranges financing for projects designed to improve the energy efficiency and maintenance costs for facilities over a set time period, usually between seven and 20 years. ESCOs generally act as project developers for a wide […]
12
Dec
Spring Grove Hospital Center Decentralization
Project: Spring Grove Hospital Center Decentralization Owner: Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Partners: NORESCO, Temp Air Company, EMJAY Engineering and Construction Co., Min Engineering Description: Ecologic was instrumental in the renewable energy project development for the state-run Spring Grove Hospital Center. Ecologic developed an energy performance contract (EPC) for the Center that would help achieve the […]
09
Dec
Three Tips for Creating a More Profitable EPC
By Wayne T. Hudson, LEED AP Most owners are used to doing all the planning and spec work when it comes to repairing or renovating a building. But energy work is different, and there are many opportunities for savings that can be missed if you don’t know what you are looking for. Here are five […]
01
Dec
Baltimore City Schools Energy Performance Contract
Project: Baltimore City Schools Energy Performance Contract Owner: Baltimore City Public Schools Partners: Pepco Energy Services, NORESCO, Temp Air Company, EMJAY Engineering and Construction Co., SRBR Engineers, Min Engineering Description: The Baltimore City Public Schools took advantage of an energy performance contract (EPC) to upgrade some of its schools that had deteriorated over the years […]