Making commercial and institutional buildings more energy efficient

Commercial and institutional buildings drive nearly 20-percent of the nation’s energy use – making them the largest single consumer of energy. Nearly 60-percent of this energy is used for heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting systems.

Leveraging our technical expertise and a broad portfolio of energy-reduction solutions, OpTerra helps customers identify opportunities within their buildings to reduce energy consumption and energy-related costs. We specialize in evaluating and implementing projects that improve energy efficiency and system operation, reduce carbon footprints, ensure occupant comfort, and decrease operating costs. We develop comprehensive solutions to address inefficiencies within a facility’s energy system infrastructure (e.g., addressing the lighting, airflow management, and controls requirements of a large enterprise data center). We also identify all available investment incentives to optimize our customers’ project economics.

Our team of dedicated engineers develops comprehensive, turnkey projects that include multiple energy-conservation measures, including lighting system upgrades, heating and cooling retrofits, and building automation systems.

Lighting system upgrades

We design and install retrofits of existing lighting systems that significantly reduce energy expense, while improving lighting conditions for employees and patrons. Our solutions range from replacing inefficient lights to a complete overhaul of the entire lighting system. Where applicable, we also install lighting controls and sensors that further reduce energy use by intelligently switching lights on and off. Along with energy cost savings, new lighting systems increase reliability and component lifetimes to reduce routine maintenance expenses.

Heating and cooling system retrofits

Approximately one-third of building energy consumption is attributed to HVAC systems. Our skilled engineers identify and design energy-conservation measures for heating and cooling systems in a wide array of facilities – from schools to data centers. We help customers achieve cost savings through optimization, retrofits, and complete system redesigns of:

• Boiler plants and steam distribution systems
• Chiller plants
• Air handling systems
• Ground-source heat pumps

Building automation systems (BAS)

Well-designed, direct digital control BAS improve occupant comfort, reduce energy use, and provide information for prompt resolution of any system degradation or alerts. Our engineers enable customers to control and monitor their buildings onsite or remotely. We create solutions that allow integration and automation of:

• Energy system controls
• Remote monitoring
• Fire alarms
• Security and access systems