General Questions
Energy is not a free commodity, and the more you consume the more you pay. Currently there is a wide array of energy efficient technologies and operational changes that can quickly and easily reduce the amount of energy you consume and pay for. Implementing these technologies and practices can save you a substantial amount of money on your energy bills, lowering your energy expenditures. The cost of the investment is paid for with the energy savings.
Energy Efficiency means using less energy to accomplish the same function or service. There are new energy efficient technologies that use only a fraction of the energy used by older technologies, with improved performance. For example, a CFL lightbulb only requires about 20% of the energy consumed by traditional incandescent lightbulbs and has a lifetime more than 10 times longer. Energy efficient technology presents a tremendous opportunity to save money on energy bills quickly and easily. Moreover, since energy generation contributes to global climate change and increases carbon dioxide emissions, by reducing the energy you use, you also minimize your impact on the environment.
By improving the energy efficiency a building can have the same functionality but use less energy – the energy consumption will drop but the building would serve the same purpose. Improving the efficiency of an existing building will lower the energy bills and therefore result in immediate financial savings. Implementing green design for a new building usually saves clients substantial amounts of upfront capital investment and ensures low energy consumption (less money spent) throughout the building's lifetime.
Design Optimization
An energy efficient design is an architectural feature of a building that lowers overall consumption of energy. A basic example of an energy efficient design is a roof that allows natural sunlight in, which eliminates the need for artificial lighting, thus lowering energy costs. Another example is an interior space designed to naturally ventilate air and keep it cool, which reduces energy use for cooling and ventilation.
Our energy specialists are experts in the field of energy efficient buildings. We will connect you with the perfect energy efficient technology and designs for your needs, quickly and easily. We will work with your architects, engineers, and MEP consultants to:
- improve your designs to maximize the passive exploitation of natural light and wind
- facilitate the implementation of efficient technologies
- simulate cooling and lighting requirements for your building, using computer modeling software, to properly size the equipment
Should you seek LEED certification, we can assist you throughout the whole LEED certification process and to ensure you earn all possible credits.
With an energy efficient design along with cutting edge low-energy technology, your building will have lower operating costs and a longer lifespan, thus increasing the value of your investment.
It varies by technology – some technologies are both affordable and save a substantial amount of energy, paying for themselves within months, while others require a few years to recover the costs. However, after each technology has saved enough money to compensate you for the initial investment, all further savings help you keep operating costs low and thus widen your profit margins.
LEED Certification
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. It provides building owners and operators a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Originally intended for application in the U.S, LEED is now an internationally recognized green building certification with approximately 10 billion square feet of building space participating. Around 40% all square footage pursuing LEED certification exists outside the U.S., with many projects certified throughout Southeast Asia.
There are nine LEED ratings systems for different project types; including new construction, existing buildings, interiors, commercial buildings, residential buildings, schools, healthcare, and neighborhood developments. Project applicants for LEED certification must meet certain prerequisite requirements and earn credit points within the applicable rating system.
LEED is a point based system where building projects earn LEED points for satisfying specific green building criteria. Within each of the seven LEED credit categories, projects must satisfy particular prerequisites and earn points.
The five categories include Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). An additional category, Innovation in Design (ID), addresses sustainable building expertise as well as design measures not covered under the five environmental categories. The number of points the project earns determines the level of LEED Certification the project receives. LEED certification is available in four progressive levels according to the following scale:
There are 100 base points:
• Certified 40–49 points
• Silver 50–59 points
• Gold 60–79 points
• Platinum 80 points and above
The allocation of points is based on strategies that will have greater positive impacts on what matters most – energy efficiency and CO2 reductions. Each credit was evaluated against a list of 13 environmental impact categories, including climate change, indoor environmental quality, resource depletion and water intake, among many others.
No, green buildings do not have to cost a penny more. LEED certified projects to date demonstrate that you can achieve LEED certification and reap its many benefits with a common-sense approach to design with no additional dollars. Depending on your green building strategy and the level of certification your project is targeting, there may be mid- and long-term ROI associated with additional green features that merits an investment in first costs.
LEED certification is third-party validation of a building's performance. LEED certified projects blend environmental, economic, and occupant-oriented performance. They cost less to operate and maintain; are energy- and water-efficient; have higher lease-up rates than conventional buildings in their markets; are healthier and safer for occupants; and are a physical demonstration of the values of the organizations that own and occupy them. For more information: www.usgbc.org
Energy Audits
An energy audit is an inspection, survey, and analysis of energy flows of a building. The purpose of such an audit is to measure current energy consumption, to identify areas with potential for efficiency improvements, and present a profitability calculation of suggested retrofits and equipment upgrades.
Energy audits could be divided into different categories; however, SES distinguishes the audits on the basis of how detailed they are. A Level 1 Walkthrough Audit will make a general on-site assessment of energy consumption and of the condition of equipment – basic recommendations and areas of improvement will be identified. A Level 2 Audit will usually include more measurements, collect more data, and provide more in-depth recommendations.
Upon completion of an energy audit the building owners will receive valuable information regarding their current energy consumption and all possible improvements they can make. A report following an energy audit will make recommendations for retrofitting and replacement of equipment.
Retrofits
If your building is more than ten years old, yes. The technology in older buildings is inefficient, and, as a result, you are likely overpaying for energy. We can recommend efficient technologies that will significantly reduce your energy bills, and the savings will pay for the cost of the investment. If your building is less than ten years old, you may nevertheless benefit from an energy retrofit. Many buildings, especially those built in Indonesia, have oversized pumps and motors, as well as inefficient lighting and cooling technology. We can help you reduce operating costs by cutting your energy bills.
Energy retrofits come in many varieties. We can tailor a unique retrofit package to fit your needs and budget. With each energy retrofit we do, we reduce our clients' energy bills. Over time, the savings from the lower energy costs will pay for the cost of the retrofit. After the investment for the retrofit is returned, you begin to make more money, given the lower operating costs.
Typically an energy retrofit involves upgrading all energy-consuming equipment in a building to be more energy efficient. This usually includes lighting, AC units and chillers, cooling towers, air-handling units, pumps, motors, generators, boilers, capacitor banks, and voltage stabilizers, among others.
How much money you should expect to save depends on your current equipment and the extent of your retrofit. Some retrofits are more involved than others in terms of target savings. Generally, we save our clients between 15% and 49% on their energy bills, with an average of around 25%.
SES Finance
An ESCO (Energy Savings Company) grant is a scheme where companies like SES receive grants for a broad range of energy efficiency services, including energy savings projects, retrofitting and energy conservation.
SES helps finance an entire Energy Savings Implementation - including equipment, materials, and labor. The cost is paid back through the energy savings that are achieved. We make that possible with no upfront investment, guaranteeing energy savings and eliminating all risk for your company. Using our network of Financial Partners, Synergy Energy Solutions can assume the risk of upfront investment and assist with the upfront capital. We guarantee energy savings and are confident we can recover our costs once the equipment is installed and the necessary changes are made. Our Energy Management Experts work with all teams to ensure we are in control of the process and the plan can be implemented smoothly. Please contact us to find out if this is a potential option for you.
There are few upper limitations on project size for some of the larger ESCOs, which are multinational corporations with third-party capital funding their activities
There is little upfront cost for the owner
Generally, ESCO takes on performance risk: if no energy is saved, ESCO does not profit