ArcWest recently read the article “Green business efforts fan growth at Mechanical Air Service” in the San Jose Business Journal which we found both interesting and very applicable in today’s economic environment.
For most commercial building owners and facility executives, the idea of making a capital investment for a new building, or building addition project, is in left field at the moment. What does make sense is to fine tune the existing building or facility to trim utility bills and recognize savings in their operating budget. Lower energy bills can equate to big savings for commercial building owners.
The approach is straightforward. Building owner’s can retain a consulting team to perform a comprehensive energy audit going through a commercial building room by room to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption. The direction can be as simple as installing more energy efficient lighting for example, to upgrading out of date HVAC systems or adding better control systems.
An advanced course might be to integrate alternative energy systems such as a photovoltaic array (solar panels) or thermal heat transfer systems with the building. The ROI on investment may take a little longer; however, the property and business can now be marketed as “Green” and environmentally friendly. The financial return for the later is more challenging to identify directly but remains tangible all the same.
Bacon Lane Architect LLC has teamed with engineering companies recently to assist in performing this sort of energy audit. Though in most cases the upgrades and modifications required are pure engineering systems, there are architectural impacts that also may need to be addressed. Bacon Lane Architect LLC’s team will work with an owner to manage the coordination of the building upgrades to insure the implementation process goes smoothly.
For more information on how to approach an energy audit and reduce energy costs, contact us directly at 303.455.7741 or through our website.