Engineering Services.

Engineer in a Box

A cost-effective alternative to site visits

RE Tech’s clients demand cost-effective, scalable, environmentally friendly approaches to solve their building engineering challenges. Engineer in a Box™ (EiB) is one of many solutions RE Tech deploys to provide real-time access to our engineering expertise and help clients identify, diagnose, and implement high performance strategies to reduce cost, improve comfort, and drive efficiency.

RE Tech’s EiB toolkit provides on-site property teams real-time virtual access to an engineer. Using the diagnostic tools, property/facility management personnel can virtually engage with a Professional Engineer to verify ENERGY STAR applications for certification, or the toolkit can be used as a mechanism for RE Tech engineers to get eyes on an issue or challenge that a property engineer is encountering. In addition, the property engineer can take various measurements as directed to confirm that the building meets acceptable indoor environmental quality standards, thermal environmental conditions, and illumination. Depending on use case the virtual visits can be completed in as little as two hours or can be used on an ongoing basis to identify efficiency issues in conjunction with ongoing property support. EiBs have proven to be an effective alternative to site visits during travel restrictions and provide a cost-effective, efficient way to scale assessments and to drive consistency of service, in locations where on-site visits may not be feasible or cost-effective.

How can EiB be deployed?

  • Due diligence and onboarding

    A virtual tour of sites during due diligence or onboarding to familiarize RE Tech staff with the site, mechanical equipment, appliances, fixtures, controls, and other types of equipment, as well as an initial introduction to O&M and CapEx practices on site. RE Tech uses the findings to produce a preliminary assessment of opportunities and next steps.

  • Virtual site visit

    Encompasses aspects of a Fast Find & Fix™ to identify opportunities for energy savings. While not as comprehensive as an on-site visit, RE Tech engineers can find often-missed opportunities, suggest immediate fixes, and generate the nearly immediate payback that Fast Find & Fix events have generated.

  • Diagnostic analysis for technical/engineering issues and challenges

    A mechanism for site teams to deploy RE Tech engineers to get eyes on an issue or challenge they are encountering. This has become very useful where local engineering/technical resources are unavailable and RE Tech has familiarity with the site and site team.

  • Alternative to site visits

    When unable to access the site during travel restrictions, when sending an engineer onsite is not cost-effective, or supplement other engineering projects such as remote visits associated with commissioning.

Fast Find & Fix (FFF) events combine site assessments and workshops run in partnership with site teams. They take place over the course of 1 – 3 days, depending on the type of site and size. Some events will include staff from multiple sites to maximize lessons learned across the portfolio. FFF events cover a full range of site-level operations, energy and water management opportunities, maintenance practices, and gather additional technical information to inform site and portfolio recommendations. Where possible, site teams and contractors fix issues immediately.

Why Fast Find & Fix?

  • Within 2-weeks of a FFF event, a detailed Action List highlighting recommendations from the visit is delivered. The Action List is sent to the site team, then reviewed over a call. Additional areas of interest, and targeted savings calculations may be identified during this follow-up call. RE Tech provides follow‐on support as the site team addresses Action List items.

  • Depending on site characteristics and travel restrictions, FFF events can be conducted virtually by leveraging RE Tech Engineer in a Box™ (EiB).

  • An onsite meeting at the end of the FFF is held to present a high-level overview of the top opportunities identified. Site leadership, such as site general managers, often attend.

Site selection

Sites with larger more complex systems provide the largest opportunities for energy savings and should be prioritized for FFF events.

Considerations with selecting a site

BenchSMART was designed to specifically meet the management, reporting, analysis, and operational needs of today’s sophisticated real estate organizations. BenchSMART provides temporary use of non-downloadable software for analysis of energy consumption and assessment of return on investment in real estate holdings. Specific features include:

  • Historical energy performance

  • ENERGY STAR® score or other in country energy efficiency rating (if applicable)

  • Building type

  • Building size

  • Energy intensity and performance over time

  • Building systems (e.g. BAS and central plant)

  • Unique technical issues, typical challenges

  • New acquisition and hold period

  • Utility spend and energy cost