Engineered Savings

Reduce energy costs in three key areas. It pays to make saving energy a priority.

HVAC

Heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) account for about thirty percent of yearly energy costs. Choose a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to design or remodel your system – an efficient system will save money in the long run. Install overhangs or reflective glass to reduce heat from the sun by as much as fifty percent. Use low-E glazing to reduce window transmission by forty-five percent.

Lighting

Lighting makes up about forty percent of yearly energy costs. Turn off interior lights at the end of the day – lighting an empty building is money down the drain. Choose a lighting engineer who has sample projects that received PG&E rebates and ENERGY STAR ratings. Use only high-efficiency lamps outdoors in conjunction with both light sensors and time clocks.

Office Equipment

Office equipment use about thirty percent of yearly energy costs. Turn off all office equipment during unoccupied hours – a single PC running 24 hours a day can cost an additional $350 per year. Purchase computers, copiers and other heat-producing equipment with the ENERGY STAR logo – these products can decrease energy use by more than fifty percent.

Energy Star

ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. The EPA provides an innovative energy performance rating system that businesses have already used for more than 21,000 buildings across the country. The EPA also recognizes top-performing buildings with the ENERGY STAR. The rating is an acknowledgement that an office building is among the top twenty-five percent in the United States for energy conservation.

http://www.energystar.gov/

LEED

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry, working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED also offers an accreditation exam for individuals involved in building design and construction. The exam tests understanding of green building principles and practices and familiarity with LEED requirements, resources and processes.

http://www.usgbc.org/