While the desire to implement sustainable solutions continues to accelerate and grow, energy conservation has been practiced by Elara’s principals since the 1980s and has continued undiminished since the firm’s inception in 2001. Providing sustainable solutions will always remain a cornerstone of Elara’s innovative strategy for the built environment.
Sustainability Defined
For Elara Engineering, we believe that sustainability cannot practically be achieved without thoughtful and consistent consideration of a project or building’s entire life cycle and a commitment that incorporates each of the following elements.
- A thorough and detailed understanding of the building design, functional purpose, energy use, and existing and planned MEPFPIT systems.
- Extensive industry knowledge of appropriate and economically viable sustainable technology options to achieve maximum benefit.
- Proven design expertise to customize and engineer for the entire lifecycle of the selected sustainable technology to maximize its long-term positive effects. Sustainable technologies are only as good as the engineering design used to incorporate/maximize the technology within a client’s unique building.
- A long-term view that incorporates ownership and management ability to track and respond to system data to proactively operate the installed sustainable technology to maintain reliability on an ongoing basis.
Sustainable Solutions
While we continue to identify, investigate, and assess new technologies and design approaches for the benefit of our clients, some of the green/sustainable solutions we frequently employ include:
- Geothermal
- Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
- Solar Thermal
- Sanitary/Sewer Waste Heat Recovery
- Heat Recovery (multiple forms)
- Air-Source Heat Pumps
- Natural Ventilation
- Daylight Harvesting
- Smart Building Automation
- Wind Power Generation
By leveraging our design team’s deep experience and accrued expertise, Elara’s practical and cost-effective application of sustainable technology results in constructible, tangible projects where our client’s success sets them apart from their competition today and well into the future.
SUSTAINABILITY RESULTS
- Supported by Elara’s approach to sustainability, Loyola University has been honored as one of the greenest schools in the United States in multiple publications including the US Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, NACDA, USGBC, Sierra Club, and the Princeton Review, thus increasing recognition and recruitment for the University.
- Elara has designed multiple new buildings that use assisted and unassisted natural ventilation for substantial portions of the year resulting in enhanced indoor air quality and student connection to the outdoors in educational buildings creating a positive learning environment while simultaneously reducing carbon footprint.
- Elara’s geothermal design have included over 64 miles of vertical drilled boreholes resulting in significant energy and carbon savings and the cost effective electrification of over 1 million square feet.
- Elara’s retrofit of LED lighting in Pre-12 educational institutions in addition to increased ventilation rates achieved without increasing energy usage due to the application of energy efficient HVAC systems has a positive impact on the student learning environment with the potential to enhance student academic performance.
