Services

LEED Design Consulting and Project Management

Green Economics Inc. has compiled a diverse team of industry professionals with expertise in the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED Rating System. Green Economics Inc has the experience, current knowledge and refined project management systems that support a focused and effective LEED certification effort. We provide certification services in each LEED product category, including the latest LEED v3: LEED-NC (New Construction), EB (Existing Buildings), CI (Commercial Interiors), CS (Core & Shell), Schools, Retail, Healthcare, H (Homes), and ND (Neighborhood Development). Green Economics Inc specializes in assisting project teams achieve LEED certification within their project budget and timeline.

Design Consultation

Throughout the design process, Green Economics Inc. can review building systems and specifications in order to make recommendations toward improving the performance of new construction projects or existing buildings. Our design consultations focus on helping you to identify and implement those strategies that will bring meaningful value to your effort. We have the experience and the tools to help you understand the integrated relationship between your building systems and the impact of specific decisions on overall building performance.

LEED Consulting

Applying our professional experience as architects, engineers and interior designers, as well as our expertise with LEED, Green Economics Inc consultants are able to provide your team guidance and insights that ensure a successful and more effective LEED effort. Whether you are exploring design strategies to enhance energy performance or innovative technologies to reduce water use, Green Economics Inc is at the forefront of understanding and applying green building strategies and technologies.

LEED Project Management

Green Economics Inc works with the building owner, design team and general contractor to ensure that everyone on the team understands their role and deliverables in achieving specific LEED credits. Utilizing the tools and processes developed through our experience, we disseminate information on LEED documentation requirements and status, clarify any emerging questions around LEED credit criteria and ultimately, guide the team through a clear and efficient LEED effort. In addition, Green Economics Inc will be responsible for compiling and submitting documentation to the U.S. Green Building Council as well as responding to their requests for clarification on specific points.

LEED Specifications

Green Economics Inc will assist in the development and modification of specifications to meet LEED credit requirements. Division 1 specifications, reinforced with added requirements in Divisions 2 through 17, is key to successful integration of many LEED requirements as well as collection of LEED documentation. Green Economics Inc has a clear understanding of how to use the specifications as a tool to assist the team in procuring environmentally preferable materials and collecting necessary LEED information from sub-contractors and suppliers.

Materials Specification & Research

Green Economics Inc. has a clear understanding of how to use the specifications as a tool to assist teams procure environmentally preferable materials and effectively direct the efforts of sub-contractors and suppliers. The Green Economics Inc. team can conduct research and identify the specific products best suited to your unique construction and facility management application. Utilizing our extensive library of “green” products as well as our industry relationships, our efforts will save you time and deliver appealing, effective products.

LEED Engineering

Daylighting Analysis

Over half of the energy used in a commercial building can be for lighting. However through proper lighting design and the use of energy efficient lighting technologies, the energy required for lighting can be significantly reduced and the overall quality of lighting enhanced. An essential element of good lighting design is the use of natural lights, or daylight. Green Economics Inc can provide advanced daylighting analysis for a range of public, private and institutional projects. Our technical experts leverage computer daylighting analysis software to help our clients realize daylighting opportunities throughout the design process.

Energy Modeling & Building Analysis

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Rating System (LEED™) requires energy modeling to assess the energy use of a building and to quantify the savings attributable to the proposed design. In many cases, architects and building owners are inexperienced with energy modeling and don’t know how to harness this powerful tool to inform the design and decision-making process. Properly used, energy modeling can help optimize the building design and allow the design team to prioritize investment in the strategies that will have the greatest effect on the building’s energy use. This paper seeks to put architects and facility owners in a position to effectively direct the modeling process and evaluate the validity of the output presented.

Green Economics’ energy analysts conduct comprehensive building evaluation and design simulation to optimize building performance. Our consultants work with project teams to determine the strategies that will yield the highest return on capital investment. DOE-2 whole building energy analysis, and other comprehensive methods of analysis, such as Computational Fluid Dynamics, can pinpoint opportunities for significant utility cost savings and improved levels of occupant comfort. Our staff and partners have completed hundreds of energy modeling projects and have experience with California Title 24 non–residential compliance models, DOE 2.2 (eQUEST), Energy –10 and Fluent’s Airpak® performance analysis software. Our technical teams also conduct Life Cycle Cost Analysis that can inform design decisions and systems selection. Whether you are creating a new, high performance building or are identifying key opportunities for upgrading an existing building, Green Economics, Inc has the tools and experience to support your efforts.

Commissioning

Building commissioning is the systematic process of ensuring that a building’s complex array of systems is designed, installed, and tested to perform according to the design intent and the building owner’s operational needs. Our commissioning agents have an established record of realizing energy savings, higher system efficiencies, and bringing improved owner/occupant satisfaction to our clients.

Technical Services

In addition to design consultation, Green Economics Inc is able to support your project with a suite of technical services that can provide you with the information necessary to make the best design and facility management decisions. Whether you require energy modeling, or daylighting to determine the impact of a specific green building strategy, or need comprehensive building commissioning to assess the performance of new or existing systems, or want to determine the best products for unique design applications, Green Economics Inc has the tools and experience to meet your technical needs.

Facility Management and Operations of Existing Buildings

Green Economics Inc is able to support your desire to decrease your energy and water use, or in exploring strategies to improve your indoor air quality. Green Economics Inc can provide the expertise necessary to ensure an effective outcome. From comprehensive facility and systems audits to reviewing purchasing specifications, we can help you convert your space into an efficient, healthier, and more productive environment. In addition we can also work with you to leverage LEED for Existing Building as framework to guide and eventually achieve recognition for your efforts.

Solar Development

Green Economics Inc is a full service provider for all things PV- design, install and finance. Green Economics Inc has an extended network partnerships and strategic alliances with Solar equipment manufacturers, providers, developers, financiers, and installers for any size PV system for any type of client.

Green Economics Inc Solar Development Services include:

Feasibility Studies Financial Analysis Building Orientation Obstruction Assessments Structural Analysis Life Cycle Assessments and Analysis

Solar Development Design, Install, Finance PPA-Power Purchase Agreement SREC Management MACRS-Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (Accelerated Depreciation) Project Management Energy Use Monitoring Solar System Monitoring

PPP(Public Private Partnerships)

Public-Private-Partnership

The Public Private Partnership methodology is an innovative approach to finance, develop, and construct public projects for municipalities.

PPP Methodology

A more innovative approach is to enter into a Public Private Partnership arrangement wherein a public project developer, who acts on behalf of and as an agent for the municipality, is designated by the municipality. The said developer employs a design-build approach with a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the total finance, development and construction cost of the project. Through this approach, the finance, design and construction of the project is streamlined, which results in a hedge against inflationary costs with no potential for change orders. Off balance sheet financing, via tax exempt bonds, which are not counted against the municipality’s bonding capacity, provide the financing. Funds for project construction costs can usually be available in 90 days.

The financing is a lease-purchase using Certificates of Participation (“COPs”). COPs are securities that look and “feel” similar to typical tax-exempt bonds in that they pay the holder principal and interest on the securities. The COPs represent fractionalized interests in the lease payments made by the municipality under the lease-purchase documents. The COPs are used to pay development costs in the same manner as bonds and notes are used to finance permanent improvement projects.

Lease-purchase financing typically provides for and allows the lease payments to be “subject to annual appropriation” by the municipality. The municipality thereby reserves the right to” walk away” from the transaction without penalty if it elects not to appropriate funds for the lease in subsequent years. The municipality receives a credit for each lease payment and at the end of the lease term; the municipality can acquire full ownership of the asset at no cost or for a nominal amount