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News & Announcements
7/15/2010 | Green-building consulting jumps ahead as key BLJC service
Green building consulting is a rapidly growing BLJC service offering.
The implementation of a new initiative into Canada last year that targets the greening of existing buildings has opened the doors wide for BLJC to offer this consultative service.
Today, the BLJC energy and sustainability team of about 30 staff is working on 12 projects, where the end goal is certification under this new initiative, The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Canada for Existing Buildings : Operations and Maintenance (EBOM).
The BLJC team is also involved with an additional 60 buildings for another green building program, GREEN UP of the Canada Green Building Council.
This program is geared towards facilities that can’t immediately meet the prerequisites required for LEED EBOM certification, but could benefit from introducing practices and changes to help reduce their environmental footprint.
The team provides consulting as well commissioning and retro-commissioning services for these projects.
For example, they work with clients to identify and implement changes around the use of chemicals for cleaning, water fixture adjustments and energy reduction.
Director of sustainability Michael Wymant says the momentum around the greening of existing buildings is exciting to observe and participate in.
“It’s not just one client coming to us, asking us for help in making their facilities more environmentally responsible. It’s all of them,” he says.
Wymant also points out that the growing green-building market is shifting the way BLJC does business, as all lines of service, from project management to space planning to facility management, are increasingly affected.
To stay ahead of the curve in this regard, the energy and sustainability team is providing regular LEED training to staff across the company, through both web forums and in person.
“We want our own staff to be really able to deliver this to clients at all levels in one way or another,” says Wymant.
The BLJC team also provides LEED training to client groups.
LEED EBOM was introduced to provide a system for existing buildings to maximize operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impact, similar to the LEED system for new construction.
The process of achieving certification can take about 18-24 months, with the option to recertify every three to five years.
A range of ratings can be attained, from basic certification to platinum, which signifies the highest comparable level of green building operations and changes.
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