Decarbonization & Post-Occupancy Planning

Decarbonization and Post-Occupancy Planning

The Green Engineer, Inc. is at the forefront of the building industry’s transition to a zero-carbon future. Our decarbonization practice is grounded in rigorous building physics, advanced energy modeling, and a deep understanding of evolving ASHRAE standards, municipal building-performance policies, and third-party funding mechanisms.

We take a holistic approach to decarbonization, addressing both operational and embodied carbon while ensuring strict regulatory compliance. We provide our clients with the technical validation and data-driven pathways needed to commit to and achieve net-zero emissions with confidence by their designated target dates.

Our Decarbonization Services:

1) New Construction

The best way to decarbonize a building is to address life cycle carbon from the outset.

Design and Net Zero Analysis: We help teams analyze efficiency, peak-load reduction, and decarbonization measures during the early stages of the design process to achieve their climate goals. We have experience planning and developing zero net energy (ZNE) buildings and facilities, including their unique design and engineering challenges. We have extensive knowledge of local authority requirements and regulations to support this commitment.

Long-term decarbonization planning for LEEDv5: LEEDv5 requires projects to create a 25-year decarbonization plan. If the project is not net zero from Day 1, the plan describes future retrofits, including the approximate timeline and cost for each measure, and explores electrification readiness strategies. This aligns closely with the requirements of the MA Opt-in Specialized Energy Code.

‍2) Existing buildings‍

Buildings must plan for future regulations and eliminate the use of fossil fuels as part of their post-occupancy operations and planning.

Existing Building Decarbonization & Electrification: TGE partners with teams to deliver deep energy retrofits, fossil-fuel phase-out plans, and transition strategies to high-efficiency electrified systems (such as heat pumps and thermal energy networks). We help develop comprehensive, data-driven road maps for individual buildings, campuses, and entire real estate portfolios to achieve verified net-zero emissions by your target dates. 

Build in penalties and Standard (BPS) Compliance: TGE provides expert guidance through the complex regulatory landscape to ensure compliance, avoid costly penalties, and optimize performance. We have deep technical expertise in regional and state mandates, such as:

o   Boston BERDO (Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance)

o   Cambridge BEUDO (Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance)

o   Newton BERDO

o   Massachusetts Large Building Energy Reporting (MA LBER)

o   New York City Local Law 97 (LL97)

ASHRAE Level I and II Energy Audits: The Green Engineer has experience conducting ASHRAE Level I and II energy audits for large commercial and institutional buildings. We also provide Measurement & Verification services to our clients and are an Energy Star Partner. Over the past 17 years, we have served as the Licensed Professional for 200+ Energy Star Certifications for commercial buildings.

Comprehensive Building Assessment: The Green Engineer, Inc. is an approved vendor for Comprehensive Building Assessments through Mass Save. CBAs are in-depth engineering and technical assistance studies that evaluate energy-saving and carbon-reduction pathways for existing commercial, industrial, and large multifamily facilities. While a basic "Scoping Study" provides quick, high-level energy ideas, a CBA is an investment-grade audit that focuses on electrification feasibility and local carbon ordinance compliance. Mass Save can cover up to 100% of the cost of the CBA engineering study itself if you use an approved, pre-qualified vendor partner, such as The Green Engineer, Inc.  

Educational & Public Sector Programs: We proudly support municipal and K-12 public schools in modernizing their energy systems and improving learning environments. This includes extensive experience providing the technical assistance needed to leverage state funding, such as the MassCEC Green School Works program.

LEED for Existing Buildings: As sustainability expectations for existing buildings continue to rise, LEEDv5 for Operations & Maintenance presents a timely opportunity for your portfolio, and TGE is already actively working on v5 O&M projects. Properties in Boston and Cambridge that are already subject to BERDO and BEUDO compliance have a meaningful head start on certification, since the energy monitoring and benchmarking data those ordinances require largely form the foundation LEED v5 O&M is built on. It's a smart way to gain additional market recognition and tenant/investor differentiation from work your team is already doing. 

 3) Portfolio and campus

Multiple-building portfolios and campuses offer unique opportunities to decarbonize. We help organizations develop climate action plans to reduce portfolio-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water use, and waste across existing buildings and future developments.

Energy Benchmarking: Our team uses energy benchmarking and analysis to help clients establish design targets and evaluate their building's performance against other similar building types. 

Decarbonization Master Planning: We develop data-driven, phased net-zero roadmaps for individual high-performance buildings, higher-education campuses, and large real estate portfolios.

TGE can help developers, owners and property mangers assess existing assets against existing and future regulation sand evaluate opportunities to reduce and/or eliminate the use of fuels fuels.