Energy Efficiency

CONSULTING Services

ERS is a leading engineering firm with the objective of assisting utilities, government, and large commercial and industrial end users to solve complex energy and resource problems in a cost-effective manner.

We have the expertise to support our clients' goals of implementing more efficient approaches to facility energy systems, managing and reducing overall energy costs, planning and enhancing the delivery of efficiency programs, or designing and assessing new construction projects or existing-facility upgrades.

We help our clients to look at things differently, think more creatively, seek effective alternatives, and act wholeheartedly in implementing technically and economically beneficial measures.

Our Services, Tools & Solutions

Energy Program Evaluation

ERS is a quantitively motivated firm that provides defensible program impact studies through measurement-driven evaluations.

Engineering & Technical Assistance

ERS has a broad range of expertise to help implement more effective and efficient energy systems and optimize participation in incentive programs.

Outreach & Implementation

ERS has considerable experience in program outreach, development, and, administration, implementation, quality control, and monitoring.

Renewable Energy, Electrification & Distributed Generation

ERS is a recognized subject matter expert in renewable energy and distributed generation technology.

Tools & Solutions

ERS's suite of tools support organizations across the energy industry to make more knowledgeable decisions and better visualize operational strategies.

A Sample of Our Projects

C-PACE Program Administrator

Client: Connecticut Green Bank

Our Services: Technical Assistance, Commissioning Oversight, Application Technical Review, Tool Development.

ERS visits sites to conduct post-installation commissioning to confirm that the projects are installed as described in the scope of work. ERS is responsible for the following tasks:

Review project files to determine the scope of work.
Conduct the site visit and confirm that projects are installed as proposed.
Confirm that the equipment’s extended warranty certificates or receipts have been purchased to match with the financial terms.
Determine the impact of any discrepancies identified on the SIR.
Compile a package of documents including a report with site visit findings, invoices, pictures, and town/utility permits and approvals.

Read more about our work on our Renewable, Electrification, and Distributed Generation Services page.

C-PACE Program Administrator

Efficiency Maine Large Customer

Client: Efficiency Maine Trust

Services: Customer Outreach, Scoping Audits, Technical Assistance and Review

ERS is the delivery team consultant for the Efficiency Maine Trust Large Customer Programs, which offer incentives for the implementation of energy efficiency measures, installation of distributed generation (DG) (which includes combined heat and power [CHP] projects), and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For DG/CHP, ERS has either secured or supports applications for projects that will generate over 120 million kWh/yr, with another 100 million kWh/yr generated in the recruitment phase. ERS worked with the Efficiency Maine Trust to design and develop the Program Opportunity Notices and is the delivery contractor, providing customer outreach, scoping audits, technical assistance (TA) review, technical review of submitted projects, contract development, invoice reviews, and inspections.

Efficiency Maine Large Customer

Behind-the-Meter Battery Storage

Client: NYSERDA

Services: Market Research, Strategic Planning

ERS and NYSERDA collaborated on a market and technical assessment of behind-the-meter battery storage for opportunities in New York City under New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) and Demand Management Program (DMP). The NYSERDA-sponsored study examined the current state of battery storage technologies that are feasible in behind-the-meter settings and investigated the associated business and revenue models. Through the study non-cost barriers to implementation were identified and a strategic approach to near-term programmatic opportunities was recommended.

Behind-the-Meter Battery Storage

Silicon Valley Power

ERS maintains complete responsibility for implementation of the Silicon Valley Power (SVP) commercial and industrial (C&I) programs. ERS efforts involve a wide range of services for this highly successful Santa Clara program portfolio. One of the team’s focuses has been on technical assistance for data centers, providing program assistance, validating implemented efficiency measures, and processing rebates. ERS has inspected and provided technical assistance, review, and project validation services for both new construction and retrofit of data centers.

Efficiency measures implemented include economizer retrofits, evaporative cooling, air management (aisle containment), wireless micro-grid controls with real-time cooling load management, and advanced lighting systems. In 2012, ERS redesigned the data center program into a pay for performance program. The new program design aligned rebates with project performance and the fast-evolving nature of data centers and IT technologies. Since 2010, ERS has processed more than 70 million kilowatt hours of energy savings and nearly $6 million in rebates for data center projects.

Silicon Valley Power

Portfolio Evaluation

Client: New York Electric and Gas Corporation (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), Avangrid Subsidiaries

Services: Portfolio Evaluation Services (Impact, Process, Market Research)

ERS, with a team of mostly local subcontractors, is providing comprehensive evaluation and technical support services for New York State Electric and Gas Corporation (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric’s (RG&E) portfolios of energy efficiency programs. The scope includes:

Evaluating the gross and net savings impact (kWh and kW) for the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) and Residential energy efficiency programs
Providing recommendations for program and process improvement
Assessing the performance of targeted demand reduction programs
Technical review of large, custom energy efficiency projects
Performing benefit cost analyses (BCAs) for new program measure offerings

Portfolio Evaluation

RCx

Client: Steinway & Sons

Services: Retrocommissioning, Energy Studies

Steinway & Sons sought early compliance for New York City’s Local Law 87 Energy Audit and Retrocommissioning under the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan. With partial funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Steinway contracted with ERS to perform a retrocommissioning study to investigate opportunities for low- or no-cost measures that would reduce energy costs without significant investment in capital-intensive building systems projects and ensure compliance with the requirements of the law. The estimated savings associated with implementation of the retrocommissioning measures at Steinway resulted in an overall payback of approximately 1.1 years.

RCx

CHP Customer Outreach

Client: NYSERDA

Our Services: Planning, Identify & Engage Key Target Customers, Marketing Materials, and Technical Event Support

ERS created a unique bundle of services to successfully identify, recruit, and shepherd customers into installing CHP. As the contractor for outreach and technical assistance for NYSERDA’s CHP Program, ERS provides outreach to the commercial, industrial, hospitality, health care, and large multifamily sectors to increase program participation. We offer technical assistance for determining CHP project viability for customers, preliminary assessments on the technical and economic viability of potential CHP projects, help to customers navigating the vendor selection process, and assistance with the incentive application process. ERS assists NYSERDA with educating the marketplace on what makes a viable CHP project, how the technology works, and which types of buildings make the best candidates.

CHP Customer Outreach

Cannabis Energy Studies

Client: National Grid

Our Services: Design Review, Feasibility Studies, and Energy Efficiency Assessments

ERS has substantial experience conducting design review and energy efficiency assessments in commercial and industrial facilities. ERS has performed ground-breaking analysis of indoor cannabis cultivation facilities through extensive metering and analysis conducted for National Grid. Our work for National Grid includes:

Detailed whole-facility energy assessments of cannabis cultivation facilities, both retrofit and new construction
Potential measures included lighting, HVAC/dehumidification, envelope measures, combined heat and power (CHP), and engine-driven chillers
Detailed measurement and verification of existing facilities, including the creation of hourly models calibrated to historical utility data

Cannabis Energy Studies

Energy Code Compliance Studies

Client: National Grid and Massachusetts Joint Utilities

Services: Site Surveys, Code Compliance Evaluations

The utility companies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island provide code assistance as part of their commercial new construction and renovation programs. The goals for these evaluation efforts were to assess compliance rates on an energy impact basis, as well as to target specific code provisions in IECC 2009 and 2012, which have contributed to low compliance levels. ERS developed an evaluation methodology that was modified from a DOE‐endorsed code compliance calculation method that had been developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories. Drawing a statistical sample from all commercial new construction projects in the two states, we reviewed plans sets and performed multiple site surveys for well over 150 commercial buildings.

Energy Code Compliance Studies

Measurement and Verification

Client: Con Edison

Services: Technical Assistance, Measurement and Verification

ERS is leading the effort to quantify the energy savings of the DMP. The process consists of an initial desk review of the proposed energy savings impacts, pre- and/or post-project data collection – including the deployment of ERS’s metering equipment and/or the collection of building trend data – and interim and final reporting. We have conducted measurement and verification (M&V) for measures including lighting retrofits and advanced controls; chilled water and chiller plant upgrades for electric-, steam-, and gas-driven systems; and battery and thermal storage systems.

Measurement and Verification

Learn More About ERS

At ERS, energy efficiency is our passion. We are continually leveraging existing and emerging core competencies to empower the energy efficiency industry to build better programs.

We started this business as a way to make a difference, and today we use our experience as thinkers and doers to make a difference leading our clients toward sustainable practices.

Energy Efficiency

CONSULTING Services

ERS is a leading engineering firm with the objective of assisting utilities, government, and large commercial and industrial end users to solve complex energy and resource problems in a cost-effective manner.

We help our clients to look at things differently, think more creatively, seek effective alternatives, and act wholeheartedly in implementing technically and economically beneficial measures.

Our Services, Tools & Solutions

Energy Program Evaluation

Engineering & Technical Assistance

Outreach & Implementation

Renewable Energy, Electrification & Distributed Generation

Tools & Solutions

A Sample of Our Projects

C-PACE Program Administrator

Efficiency Maine Large Customer

Behind-the-Meter Battery Storage

Silicon Valley Power

Portfolio Evaluation

RCx

CHP Customer Outreach

Cannabis Energy Studies

Energy Code Compliance Studies

Measurement and Verification

Learn More About ERS

ERS

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