NORESCO

As the largest improvement project in the San Diego International Airport’s (SDIA) history, the $1 billion “Green Build” project was so named due to SDIA’s commitment to sustainability, environment, and its positive economic impact. On April 9, 2014, SDIA was awarded the Leadership in Energy, and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification for the “Green Build” terminal expansion. In the journey of achieving this result, there was a constant partner who guided the project team throughout their venture. Enter NORESCO, one of the largest energy services companies in the United States. As LEED^® certification consultants for the project, NORESCO steered the project through the certification process from design through construction, maintaining consensus with goal-setting sustainable design charrettes early in the process. NORESCO discovered that the airport already supported an award-winning recycling program, practiced habitat protection and tracked annual sustainability performance to the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. Leveraging these stewardship programs, NORESCO urged the design and construction team to reach higher than the initial LEED^® Silver target. Throughout the project, NORESCO’s LEED consultants also ensured proper implementation and documentation of LEED credits. Such testimonials stand as a testament to the prowess that NORESCO’s Sustainability Consulting Services has made over the years in delivering seamless dealership energy auditing, commissioning and retro-commissioning, energy and daylighting analysis, LEED^® certification consulting, and sustainability master-planning. Founded in 1984 in Westborough, MA, the company offers a full suite of energy efficiency and sustainable design consulting services.

COLLABORATING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
NORESCO offers sustainability consulting services to identify and integrate viable strategies to help clients achieve their sustainability goals, such as energy efficiency, operational cost savings, greenhouse gas reduction, or occupant wellness. The firm applies theories from the Integrated Design Process-a comprehensive, holistic approach to help project teams build up concepts and determine which ideas best meet the client’s goals and align with their organizational values. From helping to improve the performance of building portfolios to working on federal courthouses, police and emergency personnel facilities, corporate headquarters, and municipal office complexes, NORESCO takes pride in projects that serve as examples to other public entities as well as the private sector.

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT MODELING
NORESCO performs Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) modeling on a novel and existing buildings to help project teams understand the carbon and environmental impacts of building materials over the lifespan of the building. The lifespan includes raw material procurement, manufacturing, construction, operation, and decommissioning.

NORESCO’s LCA modeling can evaluate different building elements for a variety of environmental impacts, including global warming potential, depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, acidification of land and water sources, eutrophication, the formation of tropospheric ozone, and depletion of non-renewable energy resources.

NORESCO’s staff can also perform simple payback analysis using benefits versus first costs. On many projects with a dictated payback limit, the team has evaluated mechanical systems, building enclosure improvements and other energy conservation measures using LCA — providing clients with the information they need to make informed decisions while balancing program, schedule and budget. “By practicing efficient energy management, we save taxpayer dollars, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment and natural resources,” says Neil Petchers, President and CEO, NORESCO.

ENERGY CODE COMPLIANCE CONSULTING
NORESCO regularly develops a baseline model to demonstrate where the project stands regarding code compliance. The firm helps project teams recognize and assess potential energy conservation measures that improve compliance with state or local energy requirements. With decades of experience writing energy codes and standards for local governments and regulatory agencies, NORESCO has the expertise to help clients ensure their projects comply with local energy codes.

GREENHOUSE GAS ANALYSIS
NORESCO understands that there is growing regulatory pressure on the management of buildings and environmental performance. Together with building owners and managers, the firm is an expert at interpreting legislation and implementing programs that deliver carbon reduction and long-term climate change strategies while enhancing efficiency and reducing operating costs.

BUILDING PERFORMANCE TESTING
NORESCO provides building performance testing per rigorous industry standards to verify sustainability and wellness design strategies are operating as intended. The methods used are in compliance with green-building rating systems such as the LEED^® green building program, Green Globes^®, and the WELL Building Standard^®. It provides indoor air quality testing for particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), total volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ozone and nitrogen dioxide.

Also, it offers water quality testing to help an owner identify harmful sediment, microorganisms, dissolved metals, organic pollutants, disinfectant byproducts, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, and public water additives. And light quality testing by offering measurements of lighting installations to verify appropriate illuminance levels for visual acuity and circadian lighting design in order determine if modifications to the lighting system needed or if simple operational setting adjustments can be made. Lastly, NORESCO also provides sound level measurements on building systems and construction assemblies. Acoustic testing can be delivered to determine reverberation time, sound masking, background noise levels, acoustical privacy, and HVAC-generated noise levels.
CERTIFICATION CONSULTING AND FACILITATION
Green Building or Sustainable buildings are becoming essential as by regulation and governing rule; it is becoming a mandate to implement green building concepts. In regards to this, NORESCO’s sustainability team works with numerous green-building rating systems. It has an advanced understanding of the requirements and strategies necessary to help clients achieve their green-building certification goals. At project inception, they work closely with the project team to determine the client’s goals and understand their values so that the firm can select the green-building rating system that best aligns with the client’s desired outcomes.

NORESCO’s customers include federal government agencies, universities, state and local governments, school districts, hospitals, and industrial and commercial businesses. The firm has guaranteed more than $5 billion in energy savings at more than 10,000 sites throughout the U.S. and worldwide. Drawing on more than 25 years of expertise as a leading energy and sustainability consulting firm, NORESCO offers Sustainable Management Services to organizations seeking a definitive path to sustainability. While many organizations have taken the first step by developing Environmental Policies, they may not have the best management system in place to support the policy’s implementation, tracking and reporting, and continuous improvement year after year. “The actions and initiatives we have implemented over the past several years are making a difference and have saved energy across the Capitol complex. There is more we can do to conserve energy further, and this public-private partnership will help us achieve very significant energy reduction over the next several years,” concludes Petchers.