Sustainability & Resiliency

Sustainability Planning

RS&H realizes that individual clients have unique environmental, social, operational, and economic characteristics. RS&H believes incorporating sustainability and resilience principles at the project level or helping to develop programmatic strategies for an organization to become more sustainable are not mutually exclusive. The planning and design process needs to understand the organization’s sustainability vision and objectives and help to establish the roadmap for achieving a more sustainable and resilient facility. RS&H implements our sustainability approach by understanding internal and external stakeholder initiatives and building a core objective rather than a secondary consideration. We consistently work with our project team to integrate sustainability and resilience in every applicable element of the project in a manner that best aligns with the project type, governance structure, and overall needs of the organization.

Energy Conservation & Renewables

We help organizations develop and implement solutions to conserve energy through more efficient operations, ultimately improving the environment and their bottom lines. Using the latest technology in energy modeling and lifecycle cost analyses, we identify optimal designs for both existing and new infrastructure. Our certified energy engineers find savings opportunities through various tools, including utility bill audits, energy surveys, and commissioning. Renewable options are becoming more and more attainable, and we are at the forefront of implementing technology to maximize opportunities for incorporating renewable energy. Our in-house training programs focus on practices that help clients maintain the most efficient energy profile practicable. Such practices include developing custom-designed, web-based reporting systems that allow our clients to measure and continually improve their energy conservation efforts using accurate and real-time data.

Waste-to-Revenue

Whether your organization faces high disposal costs or pursuing zero-waste initiatives, our waste diversion experts can benchmark your waste stream and identify revenue and cost-reduction opportunities through enhanced recycling, improved process efficiencies, employee education, and many other programs. Our highly efficient teams offer in-depth experience in managing all types of waste streams, including organics, solid, construction and demolition (C&D), hazardous, emerging, and universal waste. Our custom-integrated web-based tracking and reporting systems provide a sustainable way for our clients to measure and continually improve their long-term recycling and waste diversion performance.

Verification & Recognition

RS&H’s sustainable and socially responsible planning documents and designs result in resource-efficient infrastructure that preserves the natural environment while creating lasting benefits for our clients and surrounding communities. From Envision verification or LEED certification to incorporating water conservation, energy efficiency measures, and sustainable construction, our integrated teams identify solutions that reduce operating costs, improve marketability, increase occupant productivity, and conserve natural resources.

GHG Inventories & Climate Action Plans

We recognize the importance of both carbon neutrality and moving toward a carbon-negative footprint. We use industry-approved greenhouse gas estimation tools to help clients assess their projects’ carbon footprint and develop means to reduce it within our projects, helping to leave a positive impact and improve public image. By 2050, the United States must achieve carbon neutrality, and proactive organizations are preparing to understand their contributions to GHG emissions and incorporating means to reduce energy consumption. We work with clients to inventory GHG emissions using established protocols to identify energy and fuel consumption “hot spots.” Using pragmatic business logic, we collaborate with clients to develop climate action plans to minimize risk and enhance operational efficiency.

Water Conservation

From leak audits and water conservation programs to stormwater management and aquifer recharge projects, we deliver solutions that reduce water consumption while improving the overall quality and sustainability of surface and groundwater resources. These solutions include a systematic process to benchmark and troubleshoot water consumption practices, pollution prevention strategies for preserving ecosystems, and innovative stormwater management techniques that do triple duty by restoring aquifers and enhancing wetlands.

Clean Fuels

We provide clients with comprehensive services for all phases of alternative fuel project implementation. Our diverse experience helps clients enhance their services, protect the environment, and increase revenues. From rocket fuel to electric vehicles, RS&H has decades of experience providing planning, design, and owner’s representative services that support a full range of alternative fuels.

Resilience Planning

We help clients identify and plan for risks associated with climate change and sea level rise impacts. Our technical expertise at identifying vulnerabilities, evaluating risk, and planning adaptation strategies ensures the organizations we work with are prepared to meet any future challenges.

Commissioning & Asset Management

Through RS&H’s diverse offering of commissioning services, our clients often see a rapid return on investment through reduced risk, significant energy savings, waste reduction, and many other benefits. RS&H developed a unique process, Positive Feedback Commissioning^TM (PFCx), to monitor and improve operational performance throughout the life of a facility. We also provide commissioning services for new construction, existing buildings, and LEED certification.

Energy Management

Our teams provide sustainable, high-performing designs, and offer clients proactive and progressive solutions to better power their operations. Our energy engineers support our in-house design professionals by reviewing work products for energy efficiency, creating baseline and as-designed energy models, developing capital cost estimates, calculating energy and cost savings,  and performing lifecycle cost analysis for energy saving features.

Once a building is occupied, we can meter and monitor the building’s use of energy and water to verify that the building is performing efficiently and meets the design objectives, as well as energy and water-use intensity goals. This metering and monitoring service is often via the web, allowing us to quickly identify and correct any changes in operational strategies that are adversely affecting energy and water-use performance.