Services Delivered
Through our national delivery platform, we provide a full suite of services that will reduce energy and operating costs, improve your work environment and productivity, lessen effects on the environment and deliver return on your investment.
Feasibility Assessment
Fee-based Engineering Grade Audits
Financial Analysis
Financing Services
Timeline and Project Management Tools
Facility Upgrades and Retrofits
Lighting Design
Management and Installation
Disposal Services
Project Close-out and Database Management Services
Feasibility assessment
We have proven tools and the knowledge to quickly help you prioritize your energy savings projects across the US. Our assessment is based on preliminary evaluation of your facility, often via walk through, or based on information you provide. The assessment approximates energy savings, construction budgets and incentive benefits that drive the estimated payback and ROI. Assessments help prioritize which facilities offer the greatest potential for savings and whether or not financial hurdles are likely to be achieved. Feasibility assessments are free to all clients and prospects.
Fee-based, Engineering Grade Audits
Our experienced auditors and the SES Operations team will work closely with you to conduct an investment grade audit on the projects that were prioritized during the feasibility assessment. We conduct a detailed inventory of every component of your current lighting system as well as their performance. We literally count every ballast, fixture, lamp, HID, incandescent and sensor to conduct our analysis. Your lighting is then evaluated for efficiency, wattage used, light output generated and quality, the intensity and color rendition. The findings are then analyzed with a number of criteria in mind, lighting requirements for specific tasks or facilities, opportunities for energy cost savings and investment recovery time. We analyze your facility holistically - office space, exterior, common areas - to ensure the project is done correctly and completely the very first time. The final deliverable is a comprehensive audit with recommendations of what components should be converted, to what technology and the associated savings. This serves as the basis for our estimates, equipment orders and the design of your new lighting system.
Financial Analysis
All energy efficient lighting projects are governed by financial considerations. The facility owner is essentially making an investment that will deliver returns over future months and years. To ensure that the upgrade investment meets or exceeds your required rate of return, SES deploys sophisticated financial modeling tools as an outgrowth of the engineering audit. We collect utility usage information through invoices or measurement and verification methods. The proposed energy retrofits for each line item are based on specifications uncovered through interviews with site personnel to identify specific lighting needs and usage. Light levels are measured in all areas and energy savings are then calculated for each line item. We estimate the installed cost of each energy retrofit and calculate the payback for the proposed project by site, including MRO savings. During the process we provide a detailed explanation of each energy retrofit code. And to improve the project's potential payback we will research and forecast all available utility incentives.
If you prefer, we will also use client based models that include IRR, depreciation schedules, tax rates and cash flows. SES will have a clear understanding of all assumptions including your threshold for return to develop a comprehensive case to support your lighting initiatives.
Financing Services
Up front financing of a complete lighting upgrade could create substantial financial implications. We understand the investment and we also understand the benefits. So to assist you in gaining the financial benefits of an energy efficient lighting project, we offer financing services to help in funding your project. SES has partnerships with a variety of regional and national banks to provide financing for your project. And we will help you navigate through the paperwork to ensure you get the terms and rates that are best for your situation.
Timelines and Project Management Tools
We carefully "Plan the Work" so when we begin your project we will "Work the Plan" according to our established timeline. A project team will be assigned and all interface and management protocol will be determined. We will perform a site construction survey, conduct intensive installation training specific to your facilities and will obtain all necessary permits and licenses. Up front we will determine materials management procedures and confirm hazardous materials disposal requirements. All safety compliance protocols will have been reviewed and the sequence of work will be laid in a final and comprehensive Project Schedule.
Throughout the project we manage stakeholder expectations with communications. We hold on-going construction meetings with action item follow-up, deliver site specific end-user communications as appropriate and we design and send daily reports and progress/trouble reports.
Facility Upgrades and Retrofits
The quality of light in your work environment can greatly affect the health, morale and productivity of your management and staff. By upgrading your facilities and offices with energy efficient lighting fixtures using the proper design, the quality of your work environment can be dramatically improved. We've seen lighting that reduces glare from computer screens or printed materials actually alleviate eye strain, headache and fatigue and reduce the errors and absenteeism that results. And lighting fixtures that make colors appear more natural can transform a drab and dreary environment into one that is appealing and inviting, resulting in higher spirits and productivity.
Lighting Design
The design of your new lighting retrofit is a complex task so your project will be assigned to a Lighting Engineer. Using information provided by the energy audit, the designer takes into account the nature of the work being performed in a particular area when determining the appropriate light levels. The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) publishes recommended levels for almost every imaginable application that may serve as a guideline. The designer must then find a way to deliver the desired light output that is energy-efficient, cost-effective, low-maintenance, and pleasing. The solution typically involves numerous choices of equipment and configurations, as well as input from clients on their unique needs and goals. In our design solutions we provide a break out of what lighting is required to meet local, state, and federal safety codes and IESNA (Illuminating Engineering Society of North America) recommended standards. And we use low mercury lamps wherever possible and only electronic ballasts so there are no PCB's.
Management and Installation
When the lighting design has been completed and approved, the contractor and client develop an installation plan which takes into account such issues as scheduling; material orders, delivery, and storage; permit application and inspection; and more. The installers and ground crew, under the supervision of an on-site construction supervisor, proceed with the installation. We manage all aspects of the project from procurement of material and implementation of labor, to onsite field construction management and financial and customer project management.
The management of on-site materials is flexible, efficient and accurate and will not interfere with your daily operations. Local supply liaisons and truck assignments ensure materials are where they need to be when they need to be there. And our up & down line inventory and schedule reports keeps all interested parties informed.
While we “Work the Plan” crews receive daily assignments. Both internal and external daily reports are generated including progress and "as-built" reports. Time cards are managed by SES. And a keen eye is kept on the daily clean up of the job site. Upon completion, lighting is tested and desired light outputs verified.
We understand that a complete design-build energy efficient lighting retrofit installation is a major undertaking. SES takes special care to ensure that your work environment remains safe and as free from disruption as possible.
Disposal Services
The disposal of many lamps and ballasts is regulated by federal standards through the Environmental Protection Agency under the Toxic Substance and Control Act. Lamps that have above standard levels of mercury must be disposed of according to those regulations. High levels of mercury are considered hazardous waste. And, PCB's, polychlorinated biphenyls, are also considered hazardous and have been shown to have detrimental health effects. Prior to 1977 they were widely used as insulators in electrical equipment but have since ceased being produced. Lamps containing PCB's and high levels of mercury are restricted from being disposed of in landfills. SES references the regulations of the state in which they are conducting an installation and the subsequent clean-up to ensure that the disposal process meets those state regulations for disposal and recycling.
You will receive a certificate from SES proving the hazardous materials were disposed of properly.
Project Close-Out and Database Management Services
When your project is completed you will receive a final project documentation package from SES. Your final report will include reports from our database management service including the inspection reports, client sign-off reports, as-built reports and factory commissioning reports. Included in the package is warranty information for the materials installed in your facility. You will have a detailed inventory of all materials that are left at your site. If sensors were installed during your project you will receive the instructions for your equipment. We will provide a recommendation for service and maintenance of your new lighting system to ensure maximum performance and savings. And we can conduct service training at your site. We will also assist you in qualifying for energy efficient certification like ISO14001 by providing the data you will need to prove your improved energy efficiency and waste reduction.