Buildings

There are many factors to consider when managing the costs of a commercial building. For instance, most managers mistakenly link energy use as their highest operating cost, in which the average building may spend $1.65 per square foot per year. In fact, this pales in comparison to labor, which may be as high as $130 per square foot per person per year.

This is why ESI takes into account every aspect of production when evaluating the efficiency of an office building or manufacturing facility, integrating a quantifiable means of increasing a building's productivity through energy consumption management, water use and occupant health. All this without interfering in the normal business operations of the building or commercial tenant.

ESI’s professionals can integrate a wide range of possibilities for our clients, from low- or no- cost maintenance policy to energy efficient equipment upgrades. We realize that for many commercial buildings, special attention must be paid to a client’s bottom line. We might be reluctant to implement certain options, such as expensive retrofitting, to clients if such options are above their budget range.

Funding sources for energy efficiency projects can be as varied as the projects themselves, which is why we keep up with a host of banks, private investors and government agencies for our clients. We can even locate financing without high initial costs, allowing buildings to use their guaranteed savings as payback for projects.

Tenants

In a recent survey, nearly 80 percent of corporate executives say sustainability is a major issue for today's businesses, and are willing to pay a premium to achieve it. (CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle, Oct. 2007). Of the 418 respondents to the survey, 79 percent said that sustainable business practices are an important issue now or will be within the next two years.

Of that same group, 77 percent said they are willing to pay a premium for that sustainability, which begs the question: why? Recent studies have found that LEED costs only 1 to 5 percent more than conventional construction, with that cost steadily declining.

As our clients can attest, we focus on practical means for office spaces to become sustainable. Whether by using ROI from recommended improvements to fund other, more expensive applications, or introducing sustainable waste management policies that cost less, ESI’s energy efficiency can fit effectively into the leanest of budgets.