Monday, February 14th, 2011

AEF & Suites Pro – Environmentalism and IT Team Up to Deliver LEED Certification

Anaheim, CA – Today AEF Consulting, Engineering & Construction, Inc. (AEF) and Suites Pro, Inc. announce that they have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) certification for offices owned by Suites Pro, Inc.

AEF was hired to convert a 1,700 sq. ft. office/warehouse facility into 10 executive office suites with a front lobby and a conference room.   Environmentally friendly measures were implemented in the project from demolition to completion.  “We value delivering quality workmanship and implementing sustainable elements into our projects;  we don’t want to compromise either,” said Moe Fakih, AEF’s CEO.

This sentiment was echoed by Alexander Saca, CEO of Suites Pro, Inc.: “Our clients who lease our office space demand a comfortable and professional work environment, and when we saw benefits to sustainable construction – including the reductions in energy costs – it was a no brainer to go green.” However, Suites Pro’s services are not limited to leasing office space; as a technology workplace, it also provides   full turnkey IT services to its tenants.  Monitors, keyboards, desks and other items are provided to clients who access their computer desktops through Suites Pro servers.

Some owners may feel hesitant in pursuing LEED or other sustainability measures in a remodeling project for fear of escalating costs, yet doing so can actually allow projects to be completed within budget and without additional costs to the owner, as AEF has proven with its conversion project. “Reusing materials from demolition added to construction time, but the savings we had on material costs made up the difference.  We were able to pass the savings onto the owner,” said Brian Elzenga, AEF’s Executive VP of Construction.

Construction of the IT-based executive suites utilizing the LEED rating system yielded the following environmental benefits:

• 27% reduction in energy use
• 48% reduction in water use
• Over 90% of demolition and construction waste materials diverted from landfills
• 15% of demolition materials were reused on the project
• Energy performance maximized by installing solar tubes and light sensors in every office
• Cabinetry made from formaldehyde-free wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
• Use of fume-free, low VOC paints

About AEF Consulting, Engineering & Construction, Inc.

AEF is a green general contracting and sustainability consulting firm.  Possessing licenses in Class B construction and C-10 electrical contracting, AEF is able to benchmark building energy use, prescribe energy conservation measures, and implement construction and installation.  AEF certified the Hotel Carlton in San Francisco, the first hotel to earn LEED EB O&M Gold in the world.

For more information, please visit: www.aefincusa.com

About Suites Pro, Inc.

Suites Pro, Inc. is a property leasing company that offers IT integrated and eco-friendly business suites. They have developed a green, technology driven workplace that not only helps the environment, but provides one of the healthiest and most efficient working spaces to its tenants.  Professionals are able to rent office space and have their computer services virtually hosted.  Suites Pro’s integrated technology allows its tenants to connect to their desktop from any location around the world.  Professionals are able to have full access to conference room and copying facilities without worrying about keeping their computers up to date and/or virus free.

For more information please visit: www.suitespro.com/

Manhattan Beach, CA. C&F Consulting, Inc. today announced a fundamental commitment to protect the environment by becoming an ENERGY STAR Partner. C&F Consulting, Inc.’s voluntary partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR means that we will be working toward helping their clients improve the energy efficiency and performance of their facilities.

“We believe that an organization-wide energy management approach will help our clients enhance their financial health and aid in preserving the environment for future generations.”, says Founding Partner and CEO, Moe Fakih.

In partnership with ENERGY STAR, we will help our clients to:

• Measure and track the energy performance of their facilities at all locations.
• Set a goal to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings by 10% or more, in support of the ENERGY STAR Challenge

We will also:

• Encourage our staff and community to learn about the benefits of energy efficiency and to implement appropriate energy efficiency measures
• Encourage other companies/organizations with whom we work to join ENERGY STAR and take the ENERGY STAR Challenge

By helping our clients to reduce energy consumption by 20-30%, C&F Consulting, Inc. can save an estimated 1.7 million and 2 million kilowatt hours each year – the equivalent energy required to power 161 American homes.  This will also reduce air pollution by preventing over 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere – the equivalent of removing 93 vehicles from the road – and this is just a start!  We expect to improve upon these numbers year after year.

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ABOUT ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR is a voluntary partnership between businesses, government and others united to protect our environment for future generations by changing to energy-efficient practices today.  ENERGY STAR works with more than 9,000 partners to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses.  Businesses can use ENERGY STAR to improve efficiency, enhance profits, and create a competitive advantage.  In 2006 alone, ENERGY STAR helped businesses and consumers save more than $14 billion in energy costs while reducing global warming emissions equivalent to those from 25 million vehicles.

For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES.

Green Design Includes Solar Power, Reductions in CO2, Decrease in Water Use

SAN FRANCISCO, CA., JUNE 2, 2009 – C&F Consulting, Inc., an energy efficiency and green building company, certified the first hotel in the world to earn Gold level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Operations and Maintenance (LEED® EBO&M) certification.  C&F Consulting, Inc. has over 20 years of experience in the energy management and conservation field.  The firm focuses on reducing operating costs and implementing operational policies that help maintain efficiencies over time.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED® is an internationally recognized green building certification system. The system outlines best practices for buildings in the areas of energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable grounds, healthy indoor air quality, and environmentally friendly materials.  The net affect for engaging in green building practices is reducing operating costs, minimizing resource consumption, improving air quality, and implementing marketing strategies. There are four levels of rating: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum

C&F Consulting, Inc. worked closely with Hotel Carlton to deliver a LEED® certification within 6 months.  The firm assisted with building energy benchmarking and analysis, the creation of integrated, environmentally friendly pest management polices, material and supply purchasing polices, and calculating water use reduction to name a few.

To receive the LEED-EB O&M Gold rating, Hotel Carlton achieved:

• Energy Star Score – 100
• Annual CO2 Reduction from Energy Policy – 167 Tons
• 9% On-Site Renewable (Solar) Energy Production
• Occupant Controlled Lighting in 100% of Work Spaces
• 27% Reduction in Water Use
• 75% Reduction in Average Vehicle Ridership
• 80% Waste Diversion from Landfills

“We were able to take Hotel Carlton’s commitment to the environment to the next level by certifying their building as a green building through a credible third party rating system.  We can truly quantify the reduction in operation expenses as a result of energy conservation measures, which is a win-win for our client’s bottom line and for the environment,” said Moe Fakih, the green building consulting firm’s CEO.

“We are thrilled and proud that we can now say Hotel Carlton is LEED-EB O&M Gold certified, making it the highest rated hotel by LEED standards in San Francisco,” said Pamela Flank, the hotel’s general manager. “Sustainability makes good business sense because it conserves resources. Every operations decision we make at the hotel is filtered through our mission to reduce our impact on the environment.  C&F Consulting, Inc. made the certification process easier for us.”