COVID-19 - Sustainability - Energy - Engineering
Sustainability
- State regulatory and public entity ESG sustainability reporting and targets require setting portfolio goals and establishing metrics for success.
To this end we:
- Establish achievable goals and doable time schedules.
- Provide periodic management reporting and variance analysis.
- Address adverse variances and facilitate solutions.
- Identify positive variances and replicate them throughout the portfolio.
Utility Expense Management
Electricity, Natural Gas, Steam, Oil, LPG, Water, Sewer:
- Engineering & design - Licensed professional engineer (NJ and PA) with HVAC design credentials enable efficient facility energy audits to identify and implement HVAC operating and capital improvements.
- Utility regulation management - Monitor New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York legislative and regulatory policies that increase energy rates and intervene as applicable.
- Budgeting & forecasting - Produce weather & occupancy adjusted budgets.
Strategic Energy Procurement
- Default utility service rates computed by account.
- Third Party (ESCo) proposals solicited by account.
- Transact only accounts demonstrating savings.
- Periodic savings metric reporting.
- Price risk bandwidth and supply terms established and negotiated in accord with client requirements.
Tenant Electric Revenue Improvement
- Time-of-Use ("TOU") tenant billed rates can be 30% higher than average rates that landlords typically apply. Higher tenant utilities revenue lowers building costs. Representative NJ commercial office revenue improvement typically 12 - 15 cents per SF.
- Establish TOU facility monthly electricity rates.
- Guide billing agents in application of electricity rates to produce monthly tenant electric bills.
Energy Operating Efficiency - Best Practices
- 5-10% consumption savings.
- Energy density bench marking yields relative facility efficiency portfolio rankings to prioritize action.
- Energy use awareness - periodic usage diagnostics and walk-through audits - help motivate facility engineer's operating practices.
- Successes and challenges experienced throughout the portfolio are shared and analyzed with facility engineers and managers.
- Emerging technologies are evaluated and if beneficial advanced by collaboration with finance and operations groups as applicable.
Real Time Energy Management Implementation
- Real time operation fitness shows web browser real time energy use vs. historical and facility custom Goal Profile.
- Analytics develops best practices Goal Profile.
- Goal Profile captures historical Building Automation System, electricity, weather, and physical occupancy data.
- Benchmark to comparable top performing facilities.
- Consult with facility engineers for Goal Profile agreement.
- Goal Profile target with actual real-time energy use provides near instant operator awareness and opportunity for best practices action thus maximizing energy efficiency.
Energy Efficiency Project Development
- Identify potential efficiency improvement opportunities per walk-through audit.
- Quantify project economics.
- NJ Clean Energy incentive programs leveraged to maximize cash ROI.
- Comprehensive NJ Large Energy Users Program (NJLEUP) incentive management (applies to portfolios approximately 2 million SF and larger).
NJ LEUP Financial / Project Summary Example:
- Capital: $4.0M
- Incentive: $2.3M
- Net capital: $1.7M
- Savings/Year: $0.5M
- Cash ROI: ~30%
Portfolio Technical Advisory
Support portfolio policy by providing engineering and design advice on many potential technology applications:
- Air ionization systems.
- Air ultraviolet light sanitation.
- Fuel cells.
- Utility metering systems (electric, BTU, water).
- Solar photo voltaic systems.
- Various HVAC technologies
- Lighting and control systems.
- Building automation systems.
- Variable Frequency Drive ("VFD") systems.
- Power conditioning systems.
- COVID-19 protocols.
- Other technologies as may arise.
Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation Support
- LEED Certification.
- EPA Energy Star Benchmarks and Labeling.
- Environmental Sustainability Governance ("ESG") metrics and reporting.
- Local Law 97 compliance.
- NJ DEP regulations requiring fossil boiler replacement.
- Other related services as may arise.
COVID-19 PROTOCAL MANAGEMENT
- Update operating protocols per current industry guidelines.
- Assess existing HVAC system operation risk.
- Observe personnel operating practices and HVAC system performance for operating guideline conformance.
- Recommend equipment and systems to mitigate risk.
- Marketing direction and asset positioning for tenant retention and attraction.
- Lease language modifications minimizing landlord COVID-19 operating and capital cost exposure.
