There are a variety of models for implementing a building retrofit project.
Under the energy performance contracting model, an energy services company is hired to improve the energy efficiency of a building.
The key feature of energy performance contracting is that the energy services company guarantees the energy savings it will provide. They are paid from these savings for the term of the contract. If the savings are not achieved, the energy services company isn’t paid. Once the work is completed and the contract has ended, the full savings revert to the building owner. The energy services company takes on a project management role and is responsible for hiring, managing and paying the third parties required to carry out the works (which may include engineers, installation contractors, commissioning agents and builders). This means the building owner deals directly with one party rather than several.
The implementation process for a typical energy performance contract is as follows:
The building owner is normally required to pay the costs of preparing the detailed facility study if, after being presented with it, they decide not to go ahead with the energy performance contract. This is sometimes referred to as a walk away fee.
If the building owner goes ahead with the energy performance contract, the cost of preparing the detailed facility study is usually rolled into the capital costs of the project.
Maintenance is performed on the relevant systems for the life of the energy performance contract to ensure the guaranteed energy savings are delivered. The energy performance contract will set out who is responsible for the various aspects of maintenance. Usually the building owner will be responsible for some aspects, and the energy services company will be responsible for others.
Note that an energy performance contract doesn’t have to apply to just one building – multiple buildings or facilities can be included.
The traditional implementation model for construction projects involves the building owner selecting a number of suitably qualified parties. These parties carry out the work under the direction of a project manager. Overviews of the roles of these different parties are provided in the consultants section.
There is no fixed method for how retrofits are implemented or how many parties need to be involved – the best option will likely be dictated by the scope of the retrofit works and the experience of the relevant parties.
A traditional approach would have the building owner appoint a designer, who inspects the building and designs the changes to it. The work for these changes would then be tendered out to building and installation contractors, who would carry out the works. The project would then be commissioned.
The integrated design approach follows similar principles, but it involves all parties at the design stage. Integrated design has been used extensively in recent years to improve the environmental performance of buildings. An example integrated design project may run as follows:
It is important that all parties work together from the beginning of the project, because research shows that the biggest influence on the sustainability of a building is had at the pre-design stage. Sufficient time should to be allocated at the beginning of the project for this process to take place.
This can be done by the installation contractor, the building’s facility manager or a third party as required, and is necessary to ensure the design intent is being realised on an ongoing basis. Further fine tuning may be required.
The design and construct model is similar to the traditional or integrated design models, except that in steps 3–9 the design, installation and construction are all performed by the same party.
In the case of energy efficiency retrofits, installation contractors are the ones most likely to be offering design and construct services. Alternatively, a builder may offer the design and construct service and sub-contract other trades for the project as required.
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