HIGHER EDUCATION/CAMPUSES
Elara supports its clients as they adapt to ongoing changes of how higher education learning is delivered and how it is integrated with campus-life and community. The key to this is our forward thinking, innovative, practical, and sustainable solutions that match our clients’ passion to advance their mission.

Kankakee Community College Wind Tower
- 100-foot tall visible icon on KCC’s campus strategically located to produce the most wind energy as feasible
- Ability to produce 50 kilowatts of energy at 480V

Kankakee Community College: The Advanced Technology Education Center (ATEC)
- LEED Gold Designation
- MEPFPIT services for state-of-the-art learning center
- Building design includes green technology labs for wind, solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, and electric simulation

Kankakee Community College North Extension Center
- Achieved Enhanced Commissioning Credit for this LEED Gold Project
- $90,000 in local grant funding due to the geothermal system

Loyola University Alfie Practice Center
- LEED Gold designation
- Secured variance to lower ventilation values by 55% to reduce ductwork and AHU and coil sizing

Loyola University Baumhart Hall
- 92% natural gas heating efficiency achieved through unique design
- Energy Star Award

Loyola University Cudahy Library
- Temperature and humidity control systems further preserve the life expectancy of 12,600+ rare books housed in the Library

Loyola University Cudahy Science Building
- MEPFPIT services for complete interior renovation of 100+ year old historic building
- Enhanced energy performance, occupant comfort, and indoor air quality achieved through sustainable systems

Loyola University Cuneo Hall
- LEED Gold designation
- First Place, USGBC Emerald Green Innovation Award

Loyola University Chilled Water Plant Redundancy
- Established N+1 CW Plant redundancy to address growing campus demand
- Sequence of Central CW Plant was updated to achieve optimal performance
read more

Loyola University Damen Student Center
- LEED Silver rating
- Building to perform 43% better than an ASHRAE baseline building

Loyola University
di Nobili Hall
- LEED Certified
- Reduced energy costs by over 40% when compared to an ASHRAE 90.1 baseline building

Loyola University Francis Residence Hall
- 8-story building to achieve LEED Silver designation for New Construction

Loyola University Halas Hall
- LEED Silver Certified
- Building systems controlled through a state-of-the-art building automation system

Loyola University Information Commons
- LEED Silver designation
- ASHRAE Excellence in Engineering Award; First-Place: Chapter, Regional, International

Loyola University Institute of Environmental Sustainability
- LEED Gold designation
- ASHRAE Excellence in Engineering Award; First-Place: Chapter

Loyola University Lewis Tower
- Historic 1920s high-rise building houses office, gathering spaces, and the University’s Museum of Art
- Replaced 228 Packaged Terminal Air Conditioning (PTAC) units
- In-depth survey of existing conditions critical to create vertical paths for new DOAS infrastructure and ductwork

Loyola University Mundelein Center
- ASHRAE Excellence in Engineering Award; First-Place: Chapter
- Completed 8-year phased project while building was occupied


Loyola University Quinlan Heat Recovery Chiller
- Achieved $242K in annual energy savings through new heat recovery runaround loop and heat recovery chiller
- Converted select laboratories to VAV and recommissioned the control system and sequences
read more

Loyola University Quinlan School of Business
- ASHRAE Excellence in Engineering Award; First-Place: Chapter
- LEED Silver designation
- BIM software employed for design and construction

Loyola University Quinlan Life Sciences Building
- ASHRAE Excellence in Engineering Award; First-Place: Chapter
- $62,000 projected annual energy cost savings
- $85,900 incentive funding received

Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Center
- Energy Star rating of 95 out of 100 (average building has rating of 50)
- 98.8% annual utility savings for campus

Northwestern University 1801 Maple Avenue, Evanston IL
- Phased Chiller Plant Replacement
- Expedited Laboratory Build-out and Relocation

Loyola University Steam Plant
- Approximately $966,000 in estimated annual cost savings.
- Approximately $240,000 in incentive funding obtained.
- Less than 4-year project payback.

Loyola University Health Science Campus
- 11 healthcare buildings; 4 educational buildings
- Intermingled CHW and electrical power networks between buildings under separate ownership
- Multiple chiller plants in individual buildings

Northwestern University Ford Center – Solar Array
- Northwestern University’s first on-site renewable energy source.
- Doubles as an educational tool for University engineering students.

Northwestern University Rogers House
- LEED Gold Designation
- Renovation of historic building served as the first green residence hall on the University’s Evanston Campus

Northwestern University Norris Center
- Innovative approach saved $167,000 reusing existing system components
- $300,000 in annual energy cost savings achieved
- Less than three-year project payback

Northwestern University Steam Plant
- Projected annual savings of $655,000 and an initial rate of return of 5.37%

Olivet Nazarene University Benner Library
- Combined air handling system saved a considerable amount of initial cost by reducing total number of supply units
- Avoided construction of additional penthouse square footage, per previous recommendations

Olivet Nazarene University Student Life and Recreation Center
- ASHRAE Excellence in Engineering Award; First-Place: Chapter; Second-Place: Regional
- Approximately $347,000 received in grant / incentive funding
- Highly efficient vertical district geothermal field employed to optimize energy transfer

Olivet Nazarene University Ludwig Center
- Lighting design included energy efficient components that also met facility’s aesthetic requirements

UIC Residence Hall &
Academic Building
- Anticipated LEED Gold Rating Under LEED v4.0 New Construction