Commercial Office Properties
Eco has successfully completed over 100 projects involving Commercial Office Properties with combined space of more than 7.5 million square feet. Our experience offers some critical insights and key learnings about energy efficient lighting projects in the commercial office facility.
Central Management
Many owners of office properties have multiple buildings. While energy savings across all buildings may be the ultimate goal of Eco’s customers, our experience is that some buildings will easily meet financial payback criteria while others may not. Working with a central management team, Eco may be able to bundle several individual sites together under one project to achieve a compelling overall return-on-investment. All lighting projects being planned, implemented or completed across all office properties are also centrally managed by Eco under a single Project Management function. This creates better coordination, tighter schedules, streamlined processes and leverages intelligence about the customer, the project and the specific properties, than companies where different local offices each use their own judgment to implement a project. And ultimately demonstrates Eco’s commitment of 100% accountability for all facilities involved in the upgrade.
We realize that common area solutions are more complicated than simple lamp and ballasts retrofits. That is why we tailor light levels to the current and future needs of the area. We choose the appropriate lamp, ballast and reflector configuration to meet your lighting needs while maximizing your savings and minimizing your long term maintenance costs.
Non-Common Areas
When designing and engineering a lighting solution for commercial office buildings many service providers focus only on the square footage in the common areas and offices. Eco knows that the potential for significant savings opportunities also exists in the non-common areas. We have successfully designed, installed and monitored usage in “penthouse” areas where heating and cooling systems or generators are located. We have helped clients identify added benefits in janitor and supply rooms, storage rooms and electrical closets. The non-common areas account for a substantial amount of square footage and energy consumption in office properties. The additional savings could make or break the final financial analysis and estimated payback calculations. Ignoring these areas now in order to focus only on the “low hanging fruit” also will create maintenance problems after 2010 when magnetic ballasts and T12 lamps become unavailable.
Sensors
Generally, we recommend individual offices that have 4 or more lighting fixtures should have sensors installed to regulate the on/off lighting levels. Eco’s experience has shown when there are fewer than 4 fixtures, there is unlikely to be sufficient wattage consumption to generate a reasonable payback when the costs of the sensor installation is factored into the analysis. However, our design will always take into consideration the financial objectives you are trying to achieve, whether it is a 2 year payback, or a 5 year payback!
Safety
Eco takes a comprehensive approach to safety when working in the office environment. Minimal disruption to work efforts means that people, materials, computers, furniture and other “obstacles” are often in and around the lighting work area. Potential safety hazards and/or damage to furniture, carpeting, walls or items left on desks are everywhere and even though lighting projects are not inherently dangerous, Eco prefers to practice caution. Our employees and contractors are trained in front line safety, including taking the time to do the work right, and our operating procedures reflect redundant practices.
Financial Services
The financial commitment for a lighting project can be a substantial up front investment. Although the payback for the project is greater than the investment over time, coming up with the capital to implement multiple projects can be an obstacle. Eco maintains relationships with lending and banking institutions that can provide attractive alternatives including both on balance sheet and off balance sheet financing options for your project. Additionally, the specific regulatory guidelines for Office Property qualification to receive federal tax credits or local utility rebates are well known by Eco and can add a substantial boost to the payback and financing calculations.
Key Clients: Commercial Office Properties
Ft. Wayne Newspaper - Reference Letter
Alliance Data Systems
American Red Cross
CB Richard Ellis
Corporex Management and Leasing
Duke Realty Corporation - Reference Letter
Equity Office Properties
JPMorgan Chase
Ohio Chamber of Commerce
Nationwide Insurance Corporation - Case Study
Procter and Gamble Company
Towne Properties
Cinti Museum Center - Reference Letter
