Our Services
E/S3 Consultants, Inc. is dedicated to helping public institutions improve sustainability and energy efficiency in their facilities and control project costs. We provide a wide range of services for Energy and Sustainability Investment Plans, energy performance contract consulting, energy audits, energy efficiency upgrade projects, measurement and verification of results, recommissioning programs and more.
Because E/S3 doe not provide design or project engineering services, energy performance contracts, products, systems or installation work, we have the ability to focus on your needs, fully represent your goals, and protect your interests
Energy and Sustainability Investment Planning
To be successful an Energy and Sustainability Plan must be more than a compilation of potential energy efficiency improvements and/or renewable energy initiatives. While these are important elements, the plan must also clearly describe the organization's goals and how these measures will be implemented to achieve those goals. Beyond that, consideration usually needs to be given to organizational improvements and the financial structure to support the plan. An owner's facilities department is in an excellent position to lead the organization in the development of a comprehensive plan and it is critically important to engage everyone in the organization, including top management, in order to assure the plan's success and ultimately institutionalize sustainability.
E/S3 works with our clients to define goals, expectations, and the factors critical to the plan's success. These will become the criteria for developing the plan and determining methodologies for measuring its effectiveness. We perform and document a comprehensive, holistic assessment of current conditions, including existing buildings, energy baselines, attitudes and perceptions regarding sustainability, the organizational structure, channels of communication, and any current sustainability awareness programs.
Every organization has its own unique set of policies and pressures, both internal and external, that can influence development and implementation of an Energy and Sustainability Plan. Assessment of current conditions would not be complete without examining these factors and E/S3 works to identify them and their potential positive or negative impacts in order to consider them the plan.
We then work with our clients to develop the elements of the plan. This will likely include short- medium- and long-range goals which will be used going forward to evaluate initiatives, projects, designs, proposals, and so forth for consistency with and advancement of the goals of the plan. Programs, projects and other initiatives to support the plan will generally fall under the principal areas of technical, organization, communication, and funding. E/S3 incorporates all of these areas and also facilitates identification of potential obstacles to the plan's success and possible strategies to overcome them. The end result is a plan developed with you that captures your priorities and is designed to work within your individual organization's culture.
Energy Performance Contract Consulting
Energy Services Companies (ESCos) selling energy performance contracts like to keep projects within the parameters of their business model and they are well-versed in the intricacies of this alternate delivery method for construction and renovation projects. We are too.
Our state program management experience along with the third-party support we regularly provide working in the field directly for facility owners gives us a unique understanding of the practical aspects and details associated with energy auditing, savings calculations, owner-oriented contract documents, project implementation and measurement and verification (M&V) requirements, and risks that are part of this often complex approach. We use that expertise to help our clients level the playing field and ensure the proper balance in the relationship with the ESCo.
Energy performance contracts present their own unique opportunities, challenges and risks so we start by helping our clients to objectively determine if an energy performance contract is the best choice as a contracting vehicle for their unique situation. If it is, we will create an individualized program, help develop RFQ/RFP documents for provider solicitation, prepare contract documents and help manage the overall process.
Our services typically also include ESCo audit/proposal review providing independent assessment of the savings calculations performed; project implementation oversight and owner representation; and careful review of the contractor's M&V efforts, calculations and any proposed savings adjustments. Our overall goal is to ensure that our clients get the project they need without paying too much for it and that the ESCo delivers the improvements and savings promised in the contract.
Performance Assurance Programs
Performance Assurance encompasses all of the activities necessary to ensure that systems are installed and operating properly so they fulfill the intended functional and performance requirements and that performance persists over time. This includes an intensive quality assurance Commissioning (Cx) process for building systems that begins during design and continues through construction, occupancy, and operations to verify that the new systems operate initially as the owner intended and that building staff are prepared to operate and maintain its systems and equipment.
Retro-commissioning or Recommissioning (RCx), is a cost effective means to improve the performance of existing buildings through a review of the building’s systems and their operation that identifies problems due to changes over time, system operation deficiencies, design issues that occurred during the original construction of the building, and problems that may have developed during the building’s existence.
In addition to commissioning on new construction or renovation and regular recommissioning (RCx) efforts, incorporation of an On-going Monitoring-based Commissioning (MBCx) program designed to provide persistence of energy performance of new and existing buildings is a key component. Implementation of MBCx can help prevent building “drift” and provide sustained energy savings through long term tracking and trending procedures, give the owner the ability to make informed, effective, data-driven energy decisions, allow for continuous fine tuning of measures to ensure optimal operation, and protect investments in energy efficiency and sustainability with their significant impact on bottom lines.
E/S3 works with our clients to develop, refine, and document structures and processes for commissioning, recommissioning and on-going monitoring-based commissioning programs customized to their individual needs and requirements. These form the basis of requirements to be incorporated into the owner's selection and contracting with outside firms for commissioning work. The training we provide as part of recommissioning program development allows our clients to implement these efforts over time using their own facilities people. We also help our clients incorporate MBCx into buildings in a phased approach following initial commissioning for new construction or major renovation and just after existing buildings have been recommissioned.
Additional Services
While it is usually best to be involved in a client's program or project from the beginning so we can fully understand their goals and interests, it is not necessary to engage the full suite of services E/S3 offers in order to take advantage of our independent support and owner advocacy. Some of the areas where we we help our clients with specific needs include:
Energy Project Analysis: We perform feasibility studies on a wide range of energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives including for renewable energy sources. This often includes energy audits, identification of potential energy conservation and sustainability measures, energy modeling, simulating different scenarios, developing cost and savings estimates, and providing you with an unbiased analysis of project potential and economics.
Program/Project Management: We provide program and/or project management throughout the implementation phase to help you achieve goals and expectations, control costs, and ensure contract provisions are fulfilled.
Independent Measurement and Verification of Results: We can help you evaluate the effectiveness of energy efficiency and sustainability programs or projects, perform independent measurement and verification of savings or provide oversight of those activities, provide third-party review of data and reports submitted, monitor compliance with contract requirements, ascertain lessons learned and identify additional opportunities for improvements.