DESIGN ASSISTANCE
SEDAC provides assistance to design practitioners by utilizing a whole building approach that will incorporate energy efficient building practices and components. The goal is to enhance the potential energy efficiency at the new building construction project or retrofit.

Individuals or companies with experience in green building methods or sustainable design and energy efficient practices serve the Illinois Smart Energy Design Assistance Center's customers in Illinois through the use of a continually updated list of qualified service providers and design assistance experts.

The program invites interested architects and engineeers to become service providers and/or design assistance experts by completing the Pre-Qualified Service Provider RFQ and/or the Design Assistance Expert RFQ.

PROGRAM DOCUMENTS

SEDAC Design Assistance, offered at no cost to the small business owner, provides four levels of service—initial consultation (Level 1), energy audits (Level 2), design assistance (Level 3) and project follow up (Level 4). SEDAC assistance is aimed at familiarizing project engineers and others on innovative, energy efficient design approaches.

Level 1
Assistance includes initial consultations such as one-on-one meetings, presentations, telephone calls, and other correspondence. Level 1 assistance informs individuals and organizations about the program opportunity, answers questions, and assesses the potential value of providing additional program services. Under Level 1, SEDAC works with any for-profit business in the program’s service area regardless of size or level of activity.
 
Level 2

Assistance provides preliminary energy audits to program participants. This includes a review of any existing plans for planned new construction or renovation or in the case of existing facilities it may include a site visit and consultation. The result in either case is suggestions for project engineers, architects, business owners on how to develop and incorporate innovative and efficient design techniques and elements for projects. Facilities that receive Level 2 assistance must meet the specific size and activity requirements: small for-profit businesses that are at least 8,000 square feet in size and/or have annual utility costs of at least $50,000. Facilities between 5,000 and 8,000 square feet may also qualify if the business has multiple locations.
For each preliminary energy audit, the SEDAC Team will analyze the building usage requirements and general building characteristics, and rank energy cost reduction measures (ECRMs) relatively (without detailed analysis). All audits will consider the use of geoexchange systems. Once the energy audit is completed and the potential for energy savings has been determined, the Project Team will evaluate the benefit of a complete design assistance process and will make its recommendations to the client.

 
Level 3

Assistance depends on the outcome of the energy audits performed in Level 2. This level of assistance will involve a more in-depth building analysis than the energy audit, and will include four steps:

  1. Energy simulation modeling of the facility.
  2. An ECRM evaluation.
  3. A life cycle cost analysis (LCC) that identifies specific energy
    conservation measures and potential savings.
  4. A final Feasibility Report to the client and DCEO.

If an applicant elects to have design assistance services provided under Level 3, we require that all recommended energy cost reduction measures be considered wherever cost effective, i.e. projects with an estimated return on an investment of 15 percent or more.

 
Level 4
Assistance is provided with implementation of the recommended energy efficient technologies. This follow-up support is an important element of the SEDAC program since the ultimate goal is to install energy efficiency improvements, in order to realize potential savings. Project representatives will include engineers, architects, and design experts skilled with designing and implementing energy efficient construction techniques. These experts can review bid documents, complete and/or review life cycle cost analyses, and provide assistance with a variety of design and other project documents.

 
 
  Contact:
Phone: 1-800-214-7954
Email: info@sedac.org
School of Architecture
College of Fine and Applied Arts
Office of Continuing Education
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
school of architectureuiuc

 

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