Energy Services

We receive more and more requests from our clients for energy services as they look to decrease energy consumption and increase budget dollars for capital projects and repairs.  Energy savings are an untapped resource for many companies and organizations.  By utilizing case studies from our energy services projects we can demonstrate the types of services (and savings) that we provide.

BENCHMARKING
The EPA’s Portfolio Manager software, part of the ENERGY STAR for Buildings Program, is a free and widely-used method to track and benchmark portfolio energy and water consumption.  Lutz Engineering works with clients to set up properties on Portfolio Manager, and also provides engineering review and analysis of the utility data entered and training for staff to continue the benchmarking process.  A good benchmarking program can provide data to guide capital planning and building operations budgeting and planning decisions.

ENERGY AUDITS
For buildings that evidence excessive energy consumption, Lutz Engineering can provide a variety of energy auditing services.  Auditing reveals opportunities to reduce energy consumption and may include reviewing utility bills, obtaining and analyzing building automation system data and conducting physical inspections of the facility.  Utility bill audits can help determine whether demand spikes or other issues may be increasing energy bills.  Reviewing BAS trend data and conducting physical inspections often reveal operating issues that building owners and staff may not be aware of.  In our experience a building that undergoes an energy audit and implements low cost energy conservation measures (ECMs) can easily save 10% of its pre-audit utility costs.

METERING PLANS & SPECIFICATIONS
Energy meters provide the basis of any Energy Management Plan and are required to confirm energy savings resulting from energy efficiency retrofits.  Metering is also a requirement for the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager program and for some LEED credits.  Lutz Engineering can provide metering plans to identify the best locations for installation of energy or water meters in a building or on a campus.  We also provide meter specifications to ensure that the best meter for the application is purchased and correctly installed.

UTILITY INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
Lutz Engineering works with building owners and managers to obtain utility company incentives for installation of new equipment or for work that falls under a “custom incentive” energy savings program.  We provide engineering expertise, complete incentive applications, prepare calculations and engineering documentation and coordinate requirements with the utility company.  We are currently a PECO Trade Ally.

MEASUREMENT & VERIFICATION (M&V)
Building Owners that have a need for energy monitoring or wish to collect data to determine energy savings will need an energy management system that collects data and puts a dollar amount on energy usage and savings. Lutz Engineering analyzes building utility consumption and provides a turnkey solution for a comprehensive energy management system.

ENERGY MODELING
Building energy modeling utilizes simulation software to predict a building’s energy consumption and potential utility cost savings over a standard baseline.  Modeling is not only used for building design, but can also be deployed to compare projected and actual energy use to verify energy savings and identify discrepancies in order to fine tune building operations.

STRATEGIC ENERGY PLANNING
Lutz Engineering works with its clients to develop a customized approach to obtaining – and retaining – energy savings.  These “Energy Strategies” can be expressed in many ways – as corporate energy policies, energy management programs, or energy guidelines.  The best plan is one that will work, and Lutz Engineering is committed to helping our clients develop effective energy savings strategies in a form that is maintainable and flexible enough to accommodate changing requirements.