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Getting Started – Building Owners
Whether you own your company’s building or you are leasing to tenants, your building’s energy usage impacts your bottom line. Energy systems and profiles in commercial buildings are complex and difficult to understand.
Hathmore can:
- Analyze these systems and provide you with the recommendations that can maximize your energy dollar as well as your building’s value.
- Work with you to determine the viability of alternative energy and advanced energy systems for any size project.
- Help you take advantage of current tax rules and incentives as well as every energy program that is available.
- Organize and help implement your own DesignCharrette so that your project is successful.
Hathmore Technologies Commercial Services:
Hathmore Technologies is trained and certified to provide third party verification services for new and existing commercial buildings.
It is important for businesses to save money wherever possible. Additionally, indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a matter of employee productivity. Hathmore Technologies has the experience to help businesses capture their energy efficient equity.
Below are explanations of each of the services that Hathmore provides.
Performance Contracting
Performance Contracting is the development of an energy improvement plan that is designed to pay for itself through the energy savings achieved. A good Performance Contracting plan will incorporate high energy return items, such as lighting upgrades, with longer return items, such as heating/cooling equipment upgrades or replacement. A typical plan should pay for itself in around 10 years. Faster or slower returns can be designed for tax purposes, such as equipment depreciation schedules. Hathmore Technologies, LLC can also review Performance Contracting plans that are underway to see if they are achieving the desired results. Hathmore Technologies, LLC believes that Performance Contracting plans should incorporate some renewable energy or green credits into the mix.
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Commercial Energy Analysis
Commercial energy analysis can be conducted in several formats. The quickest method is to utilize a screening software program that derives a basic model of the building and it’s energy usage pattern. Then, this pattern is compared against actual utility bills. This method can be informative but not very accurate. A step up from the screening analysis is a more detailed modeling program that allows more inputs regarding occupancy, building envelope, heating & cooling systems and auxiliary equipment/ plug loads. Again, this information can be compared to actual utility bills. The next level is a complete energy engineering analysis of the building using a robust software program and requiring many man-hours of input. The results can then be compared to the utility bills. Energy efficiency measures can then be developed from this information.
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Utility Bill Reconciliation
Utility bill reconciliation involves the determination that the building is on the correct utility rate schedule, that the utility bills have been calculated correctly and that other options involving the bills have been examined. Some utilities offer economic development rates, equipment rebates or other incentives to attract and/or keep customers by reducing their utility bills. All of these potential options should be examined during the utility bill reconciliation process.
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ENERGY STAR Design/Review
The EPA ENERGY STAR program for commercial buildings is similar to the residential version in that the buildings are required to be more resource efficient than a standard, conventional equivalent. The ENERGY STAR program for commercial buildings offers recognition through the ENERGY STAR website and certain other media/public relations advantages. Also, with the increasing cost of fossil energy, the ENERGY STAR program is a good program for attracting new building tenants or potential owners.
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Green Design Consulting
A well-designed green commercial building has many benefits. Improved daylighting, indoor air quality, comfort and lower utility bills are just a few improvements that can be obtained. Hathmore Technologies, LLC will help you develop your green design team to help you achieve your goals. Hathmore Technologies, LLC recommends the involvement of appropriate LEED certified professionals for the appropriate aspects of the building design, construction and commissioning stages. For information on LEED and green building, please see our “Links” pages.
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Lighting/Daylighting Consulting
By utilizing proper design and integration of both daylighting and artificial lighting products and techniques, it is possible to improve the interior living environment of a commercial building and also improve worker productivity. Many studies have shown that a well-lit inside environment can help improve morale, reduce sick days and boost productivity levels. Plus, if done properly, a well-designed daylighting plan will help reduce the utility bills without adding significant load to the cooling system. Many employers have stated that the improvement in productivity was worth more to them than the energy savings.
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