REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT AND BECOME MORE PROFITABLE

We help companies become more profitable by changing the way their buildings operate. Most consultants working in this area are Engineering firms that don’t have the ability to leverage the power of passive solar design. They follow a linear approach, and their work has unintended consequences, while we leverage the principles of systems thinking to create big impacts with small changes. 

We are mission-driven about climate change because we saw so much potential for carbon savings in the built environment. Most of your real estate portfolio doesn’t perform well and could be 60% to 95% more efficient. We established affectingchange because we know that we can save you thousands of dollars that you are throwing out the window on fossil fuels. When you upgrade your buildings you stop throwing that money away, AND you get a better building—more comfortable, higher rents, less turnover.

Use the power of advanced architectural passive design computer modelling and energy simulations to lead your design team, instead of a checklist. There isn’t a checklist from one rating system or standard that will guarantee that you will achieve your goals on a project, or make your organization future ready.

Most buildings are designed to meet minimum standards found in the building code and engineering professional standard documents. Will minimums serve your organization and enable it to reach its earning potential? Will it future proof it from the increasing frequency and ferocity of heat waves, storms, wildfires, and flooding?   

The building is a complex system: under-insulate… and you waste your money; over-insulate … and you waste your money. A computer-simulated energy model will optimize the building by running up to 18,000 variations of the same building until we reach the design variation that meets your needs in terms of energy performance, capital cost, COVID-19 safety, comfort and other factors.

Other types of models using comparative energy savings are dangerous. They make you think that you are getting a green building, but you might be ending up with something that is just above average. It really doesn’t squeeze enough juice from the lemon and you’ll be liable for paying tax on all of those carbon emissions.

The big trend right now is to build Net Zero Buildings. Getting to zero cost effectively means that you have to use passive design principles. Passive solar used to be seen as a “hippy movement”, but now we see that it is a pragmatic approach to achieving energy efficient design. Passive solar buildings can be up to 80% more climate-friendly with very little additional cost. When you add solar panels, air-source heat pumps, or other renewable energy systems you can easily meets the heating and cooling loads with zero net greenhouse gas emissions. 

Leverage the Power of Organizational Development

Every organization has a different mission, and purpose. They have goals that they want to achieve with each project, and those goals are important to that organization. Instead of using a template, we create a customized list of design strategies that will work directly in the achievement of your goals. 

We have worked with charities, health institutions, and non-profits, and every list of design strategies was different for each of our projects. That’s how a project that was supposed to just be LEED Silver became one of the most efficient hospitals in North America, and the first hospital to be ventilation with 100% fresh air ventilation. The strategies for energy efficiency and healthy indoor environments was important to our client, and it was our job to discover every design strategy that work to achieve it for them, and achieve it on their budget. Let us help you determine your priorities on your next project, and help you create a list of strategies that will enable you to achieve them.

Net Zero Transition Plans

Have you set a carbon reduction goal for your company? If yes, then that is fantastic. But setting a target is not enough. Most companies have set targets, and not created a plan.

Buildings are a good place to start. We are nearly certain that your buildings don’t perform well and have the potential to perform 40–90% better. They are an important asset. Your existing buildings are probably energy pigs in comparison to passive solar buildings. The heating system is probably running at the same time as the air conditioning. Heaters continuously run under desks that are otherwise too cold to be occupied. The retrofits that you do will increase the value of the asset and reduce your operational costs while creating a more healthier and more comfortable building for occupants or tenants. Green buildings rent for higher rental rates, and have less churn.

But how do you finance these expensive renovations, especially a deep retrofit that will really tackle the carbon emissions? Perhaps you get an energy service contract that finances it with the energy savings. But how do you ensure that you are getting a competitive price on an energy service contract? What is a good level of performance for a retrofit? Do we have to reskin the building? What type of heat pump systems would be best to use on this site? Is there enough solar access for a photovoltaic array? Our team can help you discover the answer to all of these questions.

High-Performance Healthy and Durable New Buildings

Most of our buildings are designed to meet building code compliance. They pass, but they get a ‘D’ on overall performance. Don’t you want an ‘A’? Aren’t you curious about what an exceptional building will do for you? 

A building designed to harness passive solar and natural ventilation will be up to 80% more efficient. That’s a significant jump in performance that is not 80% more expensive to build.

The investment in better design is only 1% of the overall cost in the total cost of ownership. We can be hired to coach your team to achieve these high levels of performance. 

Stop investing in buildings that are dead, and that are dependent on life support provided by fossil fuels that were living in the ancient past. The time for dead buildings that do not harness the power of passive solar energy in cold climates is over. If the power goes out, your staff will have to abandon it within only a few hours. 

Instead, invest in creating buildings that form part of a regenerating ecosystem that provide healthy indoor environments that promote health and well-being, that cost a fraction to operate and that are more resilient to the effects of storms.

Efficient Buildings That Align with the Paris Agreement

As shown in the latest IPCC Report, we are in a dire situation. Carbon emissions continue to increase despite government promises. But we have to do something.

Evidence has shown that ethical funds are growing faster than conventional investments. More money is being diverted away from fossil fuels and into companies that are ethical and are making progress on reducing their own carbon footprint. Change the way you operate and you will attract money from ethical investors.

Companies that do not operate in line with the Paris Climate Agreement will be penalized. Carbon pricing is coming to every market. Be ready. Hedge your bets by investing in improving the performance of your real estate assets.

About Us

We have a team of designers, energy modellers and contract experts that would love to talk to you about your organization’s mission and goals. We can help you leverage the power of your real estate assets to meet those goals. We have been working with virtual design teams for more than a decade, so no matter where you are located, we can help.  

Free Intro Call

Choose a date and time that works for you.