Sustainability - Dollars and Sense
Sustainability is not just a checklist. It’s not just environmental friendliness. Sustainability at E&C Engineers & Consultants is a common sense approach to energy efficiency and stewardship of our client’s utility dollars. We’ve practiced this way since our inception, not for any sustainability certifications, but because energy usage is the primary source of facility operational expenses.
E&C mechanical, electrical and plumbing experts play a key role in ensuring our clients spend their operational dollars wisely. Early in each project, we work to find energy savings ideas that meet project requirements and that can also save money while providing a reasonable ROI. We have worked with on-site renewable energy sources and have experience with reclaimed water systems. Energy modeling plays such an important role in proving energy savings that we have committed to keeping it in-house, where the information can be effectively transferred from the engineer to the modeler to provide accurate results.
E&C is proud to have sponsored the local Gulf Coast Green Symposium since the inaugural event. E&C has participated in the design of LEED certified buildings and we encourage our engineers and designers to become LEED accredited professionals.
Here are just a few of our recent LEED certified projects.
Texas A&M University, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Center, College Station, Texas
Certified LEED Gold
E&C provided M/E/P design and construction administration services for this 3 story building which includes a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Center and three floors of general chemistry laboratories and associated support facilities. The NMR Center is a large high bay space designed to house (1) 900 MHz NMR, (2) 800 MHz NMRs, (3) 600 MHz NMRs and (3) 500 MHz NMRs all in a common environment. The project includes VAV lab HVAC systems, lab air, vacuum, gas and DI water distribution and standby and UPS power. The project construction cost is $12.5 million.
Houston I.S.D. Sugar Grove Academy Middle School, Houston, Texas
Certified LEED
E&C provided the M/E/P design for this new school being built for HISD. E&C designed the mechanical system to provide a very energy efficient system, obtaining 5 LEED points for energy savings alone. The design was cost effective and energy efficient. E&C has specialized in energy saving designs, coupled with cost effectiveness. Sugar Grove has achieved the LEED Certification Level.
Houston Police Department – Midwest Station District 18, Houston, Texas
Certified LEED Silver
Our task as the mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers was to renovate an existing office building into a fully functioning police station. To save initial costs the majority of the space utilized the existing air conditioning equipment, we worked with the Architect and Contractor to locate supply and return ducts to provide higher ceilings in public areas. The electrical design optimized energy performance by utilizing occupancy sensors with built in foot-candle level set points to reduce the lighting when the ambient light exceeds a certain level. The project has been Certified LEED Silver.
Camden Construction, Inc., Houston, Texas
Certified LEED Gold
Energy Modeling
E&C was responsible for providing the energy model for this office/warehouse facility for Camden Construction in Northwest Houston. E&C worked with the general contractor and the mechanical and electrical sub contractors to produce the energy model which showed a 28% energy savings over similar facilities. E&C has followed up with Owner to verify that the energy consumption indicated by the model is closely related to the actual energy bills.
Kingwood Branch Library, Kingwood, Texas
Certified LEED Silver
Commissioning
E&C was the commissioning agent for this library in northeast Houston. Our responsibilities included preparing specifications and test documents for the contractors to follow during start-up and commissioning of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. We reviewed shop drawings for compliance with the Owner’s Project Requirements and the Basis of Design. The project has been Certified LEED Silver.