Hill has since added additional services to its roster, including energy audits for local utility ComED, an initiative that dovetails nicely with firm efforts to ramp up its recommissioning efforts.

“The objective is to help building owners better understand and realize their sustainability goals, whether by reducing energy consumption or better managing their use of water and sewers,” says Teri Lewand, Hill energy solutions manager. “Depending on the project, we may perform renovations that leverage our construction capabilities.”

Hill even identifies potential sources of funding for clients, including federal tax incentives, utility rebate programs and private grants.

For now, Lewand's group is placing particular emphasis on health-care and higher-education facilities, though she acknowledges that neither is low-hanging fruit from a contracting perspective. “Hospitals are very energy-intensive,” she says. “What's holding them back is a recent spate of mergers and acquisitions as well as potential changes to their reimbursement plans.”

The higher-education market is proving problematic for other reasons. “Many universities have maxed out their debt,” Lewand says.

Even so, Hill has a way of starting small and finishing big. “It gets our juices flowing,” says Krier.