Many cities have passed legislation requiring owners to lower energy costs in their commercial buildings. In Los Angeles, examples of these laws include California's Title 24 and the city's EBEWE (Existing Buildings Energy and Water Efficiency) program, which require buildings to produce an Energy Star benchmarking report. This report is used as a scorecard that is made public for prospective tenants to see, and also for the enforcement of these new laws.

Few property owners and managers are aware that one of the biggest culprits for high electric consumption is a lack of proper window insulating, specifically retrofitting with window film. Expertise in window film technology sometimes rests outside the domain of traditional energy consultants, some of whom may lack specifics and informed recommendations.

“Our firm specializes in fenestration, or the windows and glass doors,” Campbell Window Film CEO Brad Campbell said. “We work in tandem with other energy consultants to help them really dial in with pinpoint precision the energy savings that can be derived from a specific window film that is properly suited for a particular building. We are the window consulting experts; that is where we truly shine.”

Campbell also works as a stand-alone consulting firm, which is usually the case if window film is approached as a stand-alone project.

Campbell’s representatives meet with the client to craft a custom solution for the property. The reps evaluate floor plans and energy bills from the previous year in addition to analyzing the property’s interactions with its immediate environment and surrounding buildings, creating a baseline profile for the property. Campbell then sends out a team of surveyors to take detailed measurements of glass thickness and solar heat gain coefficients to determine if there are existing coatings or films on the glass.

The team compiles the information into an unbiased report using a sophisticated computer modeling program, then provides a true cost estimate, as well as return on investment, life cycle and rebate reports. Clients who require greater detail beyond the initial reports can take advantage of the consultants’ proof of technology offering, in which the team records building interior temperatures over an extended time period, comparing filmed windows to untreated windows.

“The Department of Energy and Consol Energy each completed a major study,” Campbell said. “Our window film strategy has a typical investment payback of less than three years. The study also revealed that window film is one of four top-tier technologies with a maximum rating for cost-effectiveness and probability of success.”

Not Just An Expert On Windows

Window film analysis is only part of the brand’s consulting services. Campbell Energy Consulting also specializes in helping property managers work their way through the often-daunting mounds of paperwork.

“We’re very familiar with all the rebates and legal requirements and can help leasing agents and managers work their way through that maze,” Campbell said.

Campbell also provides expert consulting for building security and facade renovation.

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