The Role of the Engineering Firm in Incorporating Established Sustainability Frameworks Within New Projects

The Role of The Consulting Engineer in Incorporating Established Sustainability Frameworks Within New Projects <>Originating Concept

Sustainability is generally defined as "meeting today's needs without compromising our ability to do so tomorrow."  As the global population approaches 9 billion by 2050 the ability to satisfy those consumer needs with the resources of one planet compels producer-driven emphasis upon Resource and Energy Reduction, Re-Use, Recycling and Recovery.

Sustainability is increasingly mandated for material- and energy-consuming commercial activities (including both Construction and Operations-Maintenance) either by Clients or Authorities Having Jurisdiction through Statute, Regulation or Corporate Compliance. 

Voluntary rating systems, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), Green Globes, the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), and the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), et.al. are morphing into regulatory requirements.  Separate from these, Client-originated sustainability frameworks are increasingly driving decision making efforts internally and within and without their supply chain networks.

  <>Presentation Content <>Clients increasingly require the ability from their service providers to identify and/or satisfy profit-maximizing (revenue-growing, cost-reducing) opportunities; frequently within established Sustainability frameworks. Depending on the market sector, aptitude, awareness, and motivation, the consulting engineer (or firm) is compelled to adapt to a client's "slot" in this spectrum in order to be responsive and productive. It is thus incumbent upon the firm to develop strong technical competence in sustainability matters to deliver both technically-compliant and framework-compliant product(s). Matters of Good Engineering Practice continue to be a driving force in development of the engineering aspects of a project, but the ability to espouse these to a Sustainability framework is a new skillset requiring time, dedication, and ongoing development. <>We will discuss our learning path and share our experiences as they relate to matters of Sustainability and their impact on and influence over engineering efforts. Elements of this path include the effort required and challenges to: <>·         Identify of market sector-based needs and specific frameworks having merit and influence <>·         Source authoritative and objective education on selected frameworks <>·         Develop the ability to recognize client needs as they pertain to a given framework <>·         Develop metrics to enable clients to make informed, correct, and wise decisions <>·         We will also discuss our efforts to internalize Sustainability principles to apply in our daily work environment and administration. <>·         Finally, we will outline case studies illustrative of the implementation of these learnings <>o       Alternative Fuels - conversion of landfill waste to fuel gas, offsetting use of coal and natural gas <>o       Industrial Chiller Ice Storage - use of ice as a source of stored energy to minimize peak loads <>o       Animal Waste Handling - use of anaerobic bioreactor to generate biogas and minimize environmental risk <>Closing <>Public (consumer and otherwise) and Jurisdictional demands upon Producers to demonstrate Sustainability will continue to increase, justifying incremental or breakthrough capital spending to deliver long-term benefits including reduced operating costs [Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)] and | or improved Life Cycle Assessments. <>About the Author: <>Mike Berkshire, PE - Process Engineer <>Mike is presently employed with Process Plus, a full-service engineering firm in Cincinnati, OH and he has over 13 years of process engineering experience as a consultant in a variety of industries including specialty chemicals, ethanol, foods, grain milling, fuels, waste water, and automotive manufacturing.  He has experience with major design efforts for large-scale facilities involving various unit operations, including dewatering, drying, heat exchange, size reduction, evaporation and membrane separation, reactions, material transport and piping, mixing, storage, and more.  Mike is also familiar with a wide variety of project requirements, including project workflows, code compliance, and process construction. <>Mike is a graduate of the University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio, and he is a Certified Project Manager (CPM) from Xavier University. <>