In an era where environmental sustainability is paramount, energy master planning is essential for organizations aiming to reduce energy consumption and decarbonize their facilities. Loring’s Energy Services Group is dedicated to guiding clients through this crucial process, offering comprehensive planning and design solutions that align with both current and future energy needs. Understanding Energy Master Planning Energy master planning involves a strategic approach to managing energy use, optimizing efficiency, and integrating renewable sources. This process supports environmental goals while enhancing operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Our team at Loring is equipped to help organizations navigate energy planning complexities, ensuring informed decisions for sustainable outcomes. Our Approach At Loring, we follow a structured approach to energy master planning, which includes:

• Assessment: Conducting a thorough evaluation of current energy usage and infrastructure to identify improvement opportunities.
• Establishing Goals: Collaborating with clients to set clear and achievable goals for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.
• Infrastructure Evaluation: Assessing electrification options and energy-efficient technologies, along with renewable energy integration, to meet goals effectively.
• Lifecycle Cost Assessment and Carbon Assessment: Evaluating the comprehensive lifecycle costs and carbon impact of proposed solutions.
• Scope of Work and Phasing: Developing tailored work scopes and phasing plans aligned with organizational needs and priorities.
• Energy Tariffs and Legislation: Guiding clients through the complexities of energy tariffs, legislation on carbon penalties, and available incentives or rebates. Our deep understanding of these factors helps in navigating the regulatory landscape and capitalizing on financial opportunities.
• Implementation Planning: Providing support throughout implementation to ensure plan execution is smooth.
• Measurement and Verification: Implementing robust protocols to monitor energy performance continually and verify solution effectiveness.

Benefits of Energy Master Planning

• Cost Reduction: Optimizing energy use lowers utility expenses and building operations costs significantly.
• Decarbonization: Transitioning to electrification and renewables reduces emissions, supporting global sustainability goals by minimizing reliance on fossil fuels and promoting the use of clean energy sources.
• Regulatory Compliance: Our solutions ensure compliance with energy use and emission regulations.
• Enhanced Resilience: Master planning increases facility resilience against energy price volatility and supply disruptions. Additionally, it helps avoid or minimize carbon penalties in markets that penalize buildings for excessive carbon emissions.
• Specialized Expertise: Entrusting your energy planning to specialists in energy management ensures that all aspects, from technical details to regulatory and financial intricacies, are expertly handled.

Case Studies and Success Stories Our portfolio includes diverse and successful energy master planning projects, ranging from healthcare facilities and academic institutions to public buildings. We cover a spectrum of project types, from single building endeavors to campus-wide and portfolio-wide initiatives. Savings goals range from deep carbon reductions to achieving complete net-zero performance. Loring is proud to have received an ACEC NY Platinum Award for the “Clean Energy Master Plan for SUNY Downstate.” This recognition highlights our commitment to excellence in energy master planning and our ability to deliver impactful, sustainable solutions. Get in Touch Contact Loring’s Energy Services Group today for tailored energy master planning solutions. Together, we’ll create a sustainable energy future for your organization. Contact Information Kalpak Karule, Principal for the Energy Services Group Phone: 646-674-6176 Email: kkarule@loringengineers.com

Last week, Loring’s Michael DesRochers, Steve Kenah and Andrew Franceschina attended the 30th Anniversary luncheon of ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York, where scholarships were given to talented High School Students interested in future careers in the AEC industry. Loring, one of the original member firms at the inception of the ACE Mentor program back in 1994, is a proud sponsor of a scholarship that was awarded to Athena Notis, who attends Lakeland High School and who intends to major in Mechanical Engineering. Congratulations Athena! Andrew serves as a mentor on Team #12, led by NYU Tandon School of Engineering.

Loring is pleased to support the next generation of engineers by providing a $5,000 annual award through ACEC NY’s scholarship program. This year’s deserving recipient of the Loring Consulting Engineers Scholarship is James Aravena, a rising senior at The Cooper Union majoring in Chemical Engineering, with an interest in energy efficiency and the design of electric and gas systems. Oneil Gayle, PE, CEM, CBCP, CEA, LEED AP, CEO of Loring and a Board member of ACEC NY, was on hand at the Metro NY’s meeting last week to present James with his award. Congratulations!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and, while promoting mental health is important all year, this special month of recognition raises the much-needed awareness surrounding mental illness, its prevalence in society, and how it affects people of all ages and backgrounds without discrimination. Most important is educating the public about mental health issues to prioritize mental well-being and to remove any stigma for individuals living with mental health conditions. Architects and engineers are rethinking the design of behavioral health spaces. The status quo for a very long time was to separate spaces used for physical healthcare from those focusing on mental healthcare. This resulted in poorer outcomes for patients who suffered with both chronic illness and behavioral issues. Recent research has demonstrated that a holistic comprehensive patient-centered care model that integrates behavioral and physical healthcare results in better patient outcomes. This transformative approach has significant implications for healthcare facilities, both in terms of design and operation. Some key design considerations to address when creating spaces that seamlessly blend medical and behavioral health services from an architectural perspective include creating a comforting and soothing environment, providing ample natural light, and reducing the institutional feeling, making patients feel more at home. Retrofitting existing healthcare spaces for this integration presents various challenges. The Office of Mental Health (OMH) issues guidelines to provide a safe environment. Engineered solutions for these spaces need to comply with these guidelines while simultaneously preserving the architectural aesthetic. OMH supports a multi-directed approach to the reduction of patient harm on inpatient psychiatric units including the following:

• Completion of a patient risk assessment
• Completion of a physical plant risk assessment
• Ongoing staff training to ensure awareness of potential risks on units
• Routine inspections of inpatient psychiatric units to ensure safety levels are maintained

Today, all psychiatric healthcare facilities, whether new or existing, are required to meet comprehensive accreditation standards to ensure that the risks to patient safety are minimized. Principles that support patient safety strategies include avoiding systems, assemblies and materials that can be weaponized, yield sharp edges, or provide ligature points in all locations accessible to patients. MEP design considerations include the use of anti-ligature fixtures, sizing HVAC equipment and systems for the increased pressure drop associated with ligature-resistant HVAC diffusers and minimizing equipment in the ceiling above patient rooms. Great strides have been made in de-stigmatizing mental health issues and in the design of spaces to care for individuals with behavioral health conditions. Health Disparities, Chronic Conditions and Socioeconomic Factors are all barriers to mental healthcare, which still exist and that we need to change by incorporating some of the above-mentioned methods to promote improved mental health and well-being. Loring provides expertise in designing specialty MEP systems behavioral and mental health spaces both inpatient and outpatient as well as substance abuse and addiction centers. Rahul Tikekar, Loring’s Principal in Healthcare recently was a moderator for 9th AMFP Greater NY – AMFP discussion on Integrating Behavioral Health and Medical Facilities. In 2023, Loring also presented one of our behavioral health design projects as a case study at the National Capital Regional Society of Healthcare Engineers.  

Loring Consulting Engineers, Inc. is pleased to welcome Joseph Fricchione as Vice President – Business Development Manager.  With over 17 years of sales and business development experience in both design and construction, Joe brings his passion for fostering sincere, trusted relationships and his expertise in developing strategic business growth initiatives to the firm. “We are confident Joe will be an asset and help Loring continue to grow and diversify in the services we bring to our clients,” says Oneil Gayle, CEO of Loring. “I am extremely excited and honored to be joining a firm with such a rich history, and I look forward to contributing to the continued success of Loring,” says Joe.  

Last week, Loring’s Rahul Tikekar, PE,MS,MBA served as a panel moderator for 9th AMFP Greater NY - AMFP discussion on Integrating Behavioral Health and Medical Facilities. His expertise on the subject kept the conversation flowing and sparked engaging conversation. Kudos to Rahul for his instrumental role in shaping the future of healthcare through insightful discussions. We also would like to extend our appreciation to the amazing panelists who contributed their expertise and insights to make the event a huge success! Your thoughtful contributions provided invaluable knowledge to the audience. Tina Macica, PMP, LEED AP, Grant E. Mitchell, M.D. and Bryan Pennington, AIA, ACHA, your passion and expertise truly shone through, and thank you for your dedication to making the discussion unforgettable.

Keeping up with technology can be a challenge, but determining which IT solutions to include in your technology upgrade or new build-out doesn't have to be. Loring’s Technology Services Group provides the advice, planning, and design capabilities needed to develop infrastructure and engineering solutions to meet your needs. Wired or Wireless? Premise vs the Cloud? Single-Mode or Multi-Mode Fiber? Let Loring help you separate facts from fads to provide you with the optimum technology to meet your current and future needs. Loring’s Technology Services Group provides IT, Security and Audio-Visual services for private and public sector clients, including leading financial, academic and healthcare institutions. Our work can be found at facilities throughout the US, and in Canada, South America, Europe, and Asia. For more information on how Loring can assist you with the challenges you might be facing, contact David Stumer, Vice President Technology Services, at 646-674 6132 or dstumer@loringengineers.com.  

Loring is proud to be the recipient of two ACEC NY Awards. We received a Platinum Award for the “Clean Energy Master Plan for SUNY Downstate” and a Silver Award for “Rockefeller University, Detlev W. Bronk Laboratory Fire Alarm/Sprinkler Infrastructure Upgrades” at Rockefeller University. Both awards were recognized at the Engineering Excellence Awards in New York City on Saturday, April 13, 2024.  

Loring’s Chairman, Michael DesRochers, was recently elected President of Design Professional Risk Control Group (DPRCG), an organization committed to Risk Management in the AEC Industry.  Mike has served on DPRCG’s Board of Directors since 2020 and was most recently its past Vice President/Secretary. Congratulations Mike!

We are thrilled to shine a spotlight on Senior Vice President, Rahul Tikekar’s contribution as a panel member at last week’s Commercial Observer Spring Healthcare Construction Forum. As a panelist, Rahul brought insightful perspectives, industry expertise, and a passion for innovation to the discussion. His contributions truly elevated the event and showcased Loring’s commitment to staying at the forefront of Unveiling Innovations in Healthcare Construction