|
Codes and Standards Research and Development
HMG works with numerous states, federal agencies, and utility
programs to improve building and appliance energy efficiency codes
and standards. This includes conducting cost effectiveness
analysis, market assessment, technology assessment, stakeholder
coordination, and code language development.
Program Design, Management and Administration
HMG designs and manages incentive
programs to promote energy efficiency. We worked on several
California programs, including the
California New Homes Program, Savings By Design,
and Designed for Comfort. We also assisted Seattle City
Light and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District in developing a
program portfolio responsive to their ratepayer needs.
Building Science Research and Analysis
HMG conducts research to better
understand how various building systems perform and how they could
be improved to provide better performance and increased energy
savings. HMG has been a pioneer in estimating the results of new
building science developments on the broader market, through such
studies as our research on demand response technologies, our
domestic hot water field studies, and our emerging technologies
assessments.
Market Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation
HMG's EM&V reports inform
policymakers and program developers who are involved in market
transformation. The studies are designed to provide baseline
and market characterization data, program impacts, and/or consumer
and staff feedback. Topics include relative energy efficiency
of program participant and non-participant buildings, market
penetration of utility program activities, characteristics of energy
efficiency measures, structure of design teams and their decision
making practices, and overall trends in the building market.
Human and Environmental Factors Research
HMG has explored the relationship
between the built environment and non-energy benefits. In
particular, we have completed studies researching correlations
between daylight availability and human productivity in multiple
building types. Our schools study found significant
improvements in test scores to be strongly correlated with daylight
in classrooms. Our retail study found that retail sales were as much
as 40% higher in stores with skylighting.
Professional
Training and Technical Writing
HMG has been in the forefront
of market-transformation and information dissemination work
throughout the country for more than a decade. We share our
expertise in a variety of ways, from providing training programs
and seminars to speaking at conferences and meetings. We
have been involved in numerous design manuals and guidelines,
such as the Advanced Lighting Guidelines and the California High
Performance Schools Manual. We've also developed web-based
tutorials for Energy Design Resources and the U.S. Dept. of
Energy.
Analysis Tool Development
We've developed customized
applications for efficient building design, sustainability
practices, and demand response modeling. Applications include
SkyCalc, a tool to help building designers determine the optimum
skylighting strategy that will achieve maximum lighting and HVAC
energy savings for a building, and the EDR Green Calculator, a tool
to analyze shading and water impacts of building projects.
|
|
AREAS
OF EXPERTISE
Electric
Lighting and Daylighting
Building
Design and Productivity
Analysis
Energy
Efficient Multifamily Buildings
Nonresidential New Construction Buildings Market
Building
Energy Simulation |
