Expertise to Solve Building Problems and Improve Building Efficiency
Energy Benchmarking
With the constant rise in energy costs, energy consumption remains a critical issue for building owners and managers. Energy benchmarking your building can help you identify ways to reduce your energy usage and costs to improve building efficiency. Using the building’s energy load data and billing history, EH&E can develop an “energy use profile” of your building. We can rate your building’s actual energy use by comparing it to buildings of similar size, age and type using regional or national data sources such as the Department of Energy (DOE). Based on this energy use profile, EH&E can work with you to provide recommendations for a plan to target ways to improve energy efficiency and systems performance, which will result in cost-savings.
Energy Modeling
Energy modeling allows you to simulate a building’s energy use through a typical year and identify general trends. Energy modeling is also a component of the LEED certification process and can be used as a tool to evaluate alternative design approaches and their impact on energy use and building efficiency. EH&E’s engineers are trained in the use of sophisticated energy modeling programs used to predict building performance. EH&E is experienced in analyzing the simulation output data to identify areas that present the greatest opportunity for cost savings. Working with architects and engineers, we provide building design recommendations (e.g., building orientation, alternative energy sources, selection of systems and building materials) presenting alternative design approaches and their impact on energy usage and building efficiency. This information will help you make decisions regarding which design modifications will provide the best return on your investment.
Forensic Engineering
EH&E has conducted numerous forensic investigations on building systems and indoor environmental quality to identify and resolve problems. In addition to working directly for the building manager/owner, many of these have been to resolve insurance or legal claims. We can recreate the environmental conditions in question and provide clear documentation or deliver expert testimony based on the results of our findings.
EH&E offers many additional engineering services to improve the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of workplace systems. Services include fire/life safety consulting, code compliance review, systems testing and inspection, waste removal systems design, building systems design and commissioning, construction hygiene management, and program management.
Design Review
When an HVAC system performs poorly in a building, the managers can be faced with a significant loss of building efficiency. Indoor air quality can suffer, bacteria can grow in cooling towers, and occupant health can deteriorate, leaving companies at risk for low productivity, excessive sick time, degraded system performance, and possible liability claims. By reviewing the design of the HVAC system prior to installation, potential design deficiencies can be discovered and avoided altogether.
The experienced engineering staff at EH&E can completely review an HVAC system design well before the start of construction. Based on their many years of experience, they will identify potential problem areas and present reasoned recommendations for correction. This allows the client to avoid expensive fixes after a building is finished and occupied.