A Letter From the CEO
Insights from Ziv Rozenblum, Ekotrope CEO
Imagine if there were a cost effective way to convert all passenger cars in the US into hybrids. Think about the environmental savings! Actually, there is a way to make an even bigger environmental impact through the proper design of buildings. Research shows that the construction market offers a wide array of environmental solutions for new construction or renovation that are both energy-efficient and cost-effective. This includes walls, windows, and insulation as well as mechanical equipment like furnaces and air conditioning.The applicability of these solutions is amazing. If owners ONLY use energy-efficient solutions that save money for the owner – from month to month, the positive environmental and economic impact is staggering. It can actually reduce the amount of energy our buildings consume by over $80B every year in the US alone.I personally find this very exciting. This means that we have the power to make a significant impact on the world in two major aspects. In the short term, we can help people deal with the rising cost of living. In the long term, we can make the world a better place for future generations.
Unfortunately, there are several obstacles to overcome before we can see mass adoption of these energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions:
There is no “one size fits all” solution. Each solution need to be tailored according to building geometry, location, usage patterns, available incentives, and local cost of construction.
Tailoring the best solutions for a specific building and owner requires complicated whole-building analysis.
True costs of construction and utility that are crucial for cost-benefit analysis are very hard to get and predict.
Decisions need to be made early where information is missing.
This is why I co-founded Ekotrope. We provide a whole-building, personalized analysis of cost and performance, looking at all possible design options throughout the different design phases (as early as at bidding and programming, even before drawing). Our software allows owners, architects, builders and developers to find the design sweet spots that are best for their specific building (whether newly constructed or renovated).I invite you - whether you are an architect, builder, developer or owner dealing with new construction or renovation - to give Ekotrope a try and see if it can help you make a difference in the world.