Elevation Carbon

Why Outdated ASHRAE Standards Are Holding the Industry Back ASHRAE standards have shaped building design for decades. But the problem? We’re still designing to benchmarks from 2010 and 2016 for buildings that won’t be completed until 2030. That means projects are being built based on?climate assumptions that are 20+ years out of date. The industry’s reliance on these outdated baselines leads to: Oversized HVAC systems?that don’t align with real-world energy use. Inefficient buildings?that struggle to meet actual operational demands. A compliance-first mindset?instead of performance-driven engineering. If we’re serious about?building for the future, we need to move beyond legacy standards and start designing with?real climate projections, future-ready energy models, and performance-based targets. Elevation Carbon is focused on closing this gap. We integrate?advanced simulation, operational insights, and passive-first design strategies?to ensure buildings don’t just meet old compliance rules—they actually perform. Are we ready to leave outdated standards behind?

Ramadan Kareem! ?? As the holy month of Ramadan begins, we take a moment to reflect on the values that drive us—patience, resilience, and generosity. It’s a time for community, gratitude, and renewed focus, both personally and professionally. To our colleagues, clients, and friends observing this month, we wish you peace, prosperity, and fulfillment. May this Ramadan bring clarity in purpose, strength in action, and success in all your endeavors. Wishing you and your loved ones a month of health, happiness, and meaningful connections. #RamadanKareem #Reflection #Community #Growth

?? Building Performance Engineering – The Missing Link in Sustainability Sustainability in buildings is?often talked about in two ways: 1???Green building certifications?– LEED, Estidama, WELL… they set important benchmarks but don’t guarantee real performance. 2???Renewables & offsets?– Slapping solar panels on a building?doesn’t make it efficient?if demand is still too high. But there’s a missing link between?design intent and actual performance—and that’s?Building Performance Engineering. Why Does It Matter? Most buildings are modeled to?pass certification, but once they’re built: ???Handover gaps emerge?– Systems aren’t optimized, and operational teams inherit inefficient setups. ???Energy models don’t match reality?– Theoretical performance ≠ real-world usage. ???Carbon reduction targets get missed?– Without ongoing tracking, buildings drift far from their design efficiency. What’s the Fix? ??Performance-based energy modeling?– Moving beyond compliance to align models with real conditions. ??Operational readiness from day one?– Engineering systems that work as designed, across their lifecycle. ??Bridging the gap between design & operations?– Buildings should be continuously optimized, not just left to ‘perform’ on their own. The Future of Sustainability is Performance-Driven High-performance buildings?aren’t just designed well—they’re engineered to deliver. It’s time for the industry to?stop treating performance as an afterthought?and start making it the standard. ???What’s the biggest reason buildings fail to hit their energy targets? Let’s discuss. #BuildingPerformance #EnergyModeling #Sustainability #NetZero #EngineeringExcellence #ElevationCarbon

Great to have you on board Andrew Lang!

?? Client Story: How Elevation Carbon Helped a Major Development Achieve Performance Goals Not all buildings perform as expected. Designs get value-engineered. Operations teams inherit systems they don’t fully understand. And energy models??They don’t always reflect reality. That was the challenge for this?major development—a project with ambitious sustainability targets but a growing gap between?predicted vs. actual performance. The Problem ?? The building was designed to hit strict?energy and carbon targets, but the?handover process lacked real accountability. ?? Systems were?commissioned to spec but not optimized for real operational conditions. ?? The developer wanted?confidence that they would meet their sustainability commitments—not just compliance paperwork. What We Did ??Validated the original energy models?against real operational data, identifying key mismatches. ??Re-commissioned critical building systems, optimizing settings for actual occupant usage. ??Implemented a performance monitoring strategy?to track and adjust real-time efficiency. The Result? ???Energy demand reduced by 18%?through targeted optimizations. ??Operational energy use aligned with design intent—a rare win in the industry. ???The developer gained full confidence?that their project wasn’t just “certified” but was truly?performing as promised. This is the difference between?engineering for compliance?and?engineering for real-world performance. ???How often do you see buildings that don’t perform as originally designed? Let’s talk about fixing that. #BuildingPerformance #EnergyModeling #Sustainability #NetZero #OperationalReadiness #ElevationCarbon

?? Why We’re Building the Region’s Best Performance Engineering Team We’re not here to be another green building consultancy.?Elevation Carbon is building the best performance engineering team in the region. Why? Because the industry needs it. Too many buildings are designed for?compliance, not real-world performance. Too many sustainability strategies are?box-ticking exercises, not engineering solutions. And too many projects fail at the critical handover stage, where?the difference between theoretical performance and actual results is exposed. That’s where we come in. The Future of Performance Engineering We believe in buildings that?actually deliver on their energy targets—not just on paper, but in reality. That means: ??Operational readiness is part of the design process.?We don’t just model performance; we engineer for it. ??Handover isn’t the finish line—it’s where real accountability begins.?We work to ensure buildings don’t just look good in reports but function as they should. ??Energy audits and operational tracking are essential.?We analyze how buildings perform post-occupancy and help optimize them over time. Buildings are long-term assets. If sustainability strategies don’t extend beyond design-stage modeling,?they’re incomplete. We’re setting the bar for?building performance engineering in the region.?If that excites you, stay tuned—big things are coming. ???What do you think is the biggest gap in how buildings are designed vs. how they actually perform? #BuildingPerformance #EngineeringExcellence #NetZero #OperationalReadiness #Sustainability #ElevationCarbon

? The Future of Net Zero Buildings in the Region – What Developers Need to Know Net Zero has become a buzzword in the industry. Every new project wants the label. But is?Net Zero?really the best path for buildings? We don’t think so. Here’s the problem: ? Many Net Zero strategies rely on?offsetting carbon without reducing demand. ? In regions where the grid?doesn’t compensate for power production, the economics of on-site renewables become questionable. ? The focus is often on?maximizing renewables rather than minimizing demand—which is completely backward. The Future: LETI’s Net Zero Carbon Approach Instead of just chasing a Net Zero label, the future of building performance lies in the?LETI (London Energy Transformation Initiative) framework—a structured, performance-based approach to carbon reduction. 1???Staged Targets for Embodied & Operational Carbon?– Instead of a blanket Net Zero claim, we break it down: >>Embodied Carbon: Driving down material emissions before a project even starts. >>Operational Carbon: Ensuring energy efficiency first, then considering renewables. 2???Energy Use Intensity (EUI) Limits by Asset Class?– Different building types require different targets. A blanket approach won’t work. Setting?strict EUI targets?for offices, retail, and residential buildings ensures real reductions, not just certification optics. 3???Optimizing for Passive Performance First?– Before even thinking about renewables, buildings should be designed to?consume less energy in the first place. >>High-performance envelopes. >>Intelligent solar shading & glazing strategies. >>Passive cooling and ventilation. High-Performance Buildings = The Future The future isn’t about just getting a?Net Zero sticker—it’s about proving?compliance with stringent performance targets. High-performance buildings are not just more sustainable—they’re more?valuable, resilient, and cost-effective over time. At Elevation Carbon, we don’t do Net Zero as a?marketing gimmick. We help designers and developers: ??Achieve real energy demand reductions?through performance-based modeling. ??Hit LETI-driven carbon & EUI targets?specific to each project type. ??Prove operational compliance?through continuous tracking and validation. The future is?smarter, high-performance buildings that don’t just promise efficiency—they prove it. #NetZero #BuildingPerformance #LETI #SustainableDesign #ElevationCarbon

?? Case Study: How We Closed the Performance Gap in a High-Profile Project Most buildings look great on paper. The energy models say they’ll perform. The sustainability reports tick all the right boxes. But then,?reality hits—and energy use is higher than expected, systems aren’t optimized, and performance falls short. That was the challenge in this project: a?high-profile development that had all the right sustainability credentials but wasn’t tracking to deliver its energy targets. The problem? A?performance gap between design-stage models and real-world operation. Here’s how we closed it: ??Engineering, not just modeling?– We refined the energy strategy, ensuring that assumptions matched real-world operating conditions. ??On-site adjustments?– We worked alongside the construction and commissioning teams to fine-tune system setups before handover. ??Tracking & monitoring?– Post-occupancy data allowed us to recalibrate performance, ensuring the building operated as efficiently as promised. The result? A building that didn’t just meet certification requirements—it actually?delivered on its energy and carbon targets?in real-world use. Performance isn’t solved by an algorithm. It’s solved by expertise. #BuildingPerformance #EngineeringExcellence #EnergyEfficiency #NetZero #ElevationCarbon

??Why Elevation Carbon’s LEED Approach Delivers Real Energy Performance LEED is one of the most widely recognized green building certifications, and for good reason. But certification alone isn’t enough—it’s how you implement LEED principles that determines if a building truly delivers on energy performance. At Elevation Carbon, we take LEED beyond compliance. We focus on: ??Energy modeling that reflects real-world conditions, not just design-stage assumptions? ??Bridging the gap between design, construction, and operations to ensure efficiency post-handover? ??Optimizing systems so they don’t just meet LEED targets, but exceed them in real use Buildings shouldn’t just pass certification—they should perform. If you're aiming for LEED, let's make sure your project actually delivers the energy savings it promises. #LEED #BuildingPerformance #SustainableDesign #EnergyEfficiency #ElevationCarbon

?? New Newsletter: Rethinking Net Zero for Real Performance Net Zero has become the ultimate goal in building design—but are we applying it in a way that actually delivers? Too often, Net Zero strategies focus on?maximizing renewables rather than minimizing demand, leading to inefficient buildings that rely on offsets instead of real performance improvements. In our latest?Elevation Carbon newsletter, we break down: ? Why traditional Net Zero approaches?miss the mark ? How the future is about setting clear, staged carbon reduction targets ? How to apply?performance-based Net Zero strategies?in different regions The future of sustainable buildings isn’t just about hitting a Net Zero label—it’s about proving compliance with meaningful performance targets. ???Read the full newsletter ?? What’s your take? Should global Net Zero targets be redefined for regional realities? Let’s discuss. #NetZero #BuildingPerformance #LETI #SustainableDesign #ElevationCarbon