Energy Efficiency Consultant

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. My most common projects involve performing:

Energy Efficiency Assessments
Performing Financial Analysis for ROI
Brokering turnkey solutions

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. The advice I always give clients is to become involve in the process of saving money for the organization.. Do not take a backseat and hope that everything will work out. A large portion of my work involves educating clients to position them to make better decisions.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Improving the bottom line in this economy means businesses have to get more creative. Property values aren’t increasing as quickly as we’d all hoped, but there still are ways to save money in one of the places you’d least expect: energy.

Many building owners believe added curb appeal or interior design renovations will bring the most benefit, but improving energy efficiency can make property worth a lot more. For example, instead of repaving a parking lot and retiling the lobby, doing an energy retrofit might make more sense. LEED Certified buildings command rent premiums of $11.33 per square foot and sell for $171 per square foot more than non-LEED competitors, according to a study by a commercial real estate research firm.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. 1. Does your company have a written CEO- or Board-approved policy that includes reducing energy consumption?

2A. How have your PAST significant energy projects been funded:

2B. Do you anticipate that your FUTURE significant energy projects will use:

3. What level of cost share is your company willing to commit towards implementation of cost effective energy projects?

4. Which systems or areas are you interested in utilizing expert help?


5. For energy projects, what's the acceptable hurdle rate or payback period at your facility? (For example: Payback of 2 years or less)

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. Key Benefits:

A. Helps building owners, designers, and operations managers assess the cost benefits of energy efficient technologies, designs, and operations.
B. Can help to refine scenarios to uncover the most fiscally and environmentally responsible systems that work within your design
C. All costs associated with a good or service become visible, especially operating costs such as maintenance or energy consumption;
D. It allows an analysis of business function interrelationships. Low purchasing costs may lead to high service costs in the future;
E. Expenditures in various stages of the life cycle are highlighted, enabling public authorities to draw up budgetary predictions.
F. Save a significant amount of money evaluating existing building systems to find the strategies and systems that work in favor of building and budget over the long term
G. Improve the reliability of project information, predictive methods, risk assessment and innovation in decision-making
H. Analyze costing data during the design phase, enlist Atlas to “follow” and forecast fiscal risk and opportunity throughout the project lifecycle, and provide third party validation of proposed project data

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. My company, Atlas Project Support, was founded on the principle that saving money and improving the bottom line can happen in non-traditional ways. My background is originally in traditional construction, but when I saw the building industry take a severe hit two years ago I turned this challenge into an opportunity.

So, at the same time my daughter was born I started Atlas Project Support. I now use my years of experience in the traditional construction industry to help businesses find areas where they can save money through energy efficiency while making the world a little cleaner for future leaders like my daughter.

Energy efficiency and clean technology are a part of my core belief system because they benefit my community and help make the world a better place for my two-year-old daughter. Moving from traditional construction into this space was a way to both pursue my dreams of making a difference while saving my clients money.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. A lot of people are wary of energy retrofits because of the myths surrounding clean technology. Some believe that it will be too expensive, while others have unrealistic expectations of what they can achieve. I try to find the middle ground, and nurture the conversation about what can be done. My goal is to work with people to understand their goals and help them make an action plan. In the end, it’s all about saving money and increasing profit.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. My favorite story involves the selection to the State of California Department of General Services Solar Power Purchase Program. A team I put together was selected among numerous entries. The opportunity of a new small dynamic company competing against the big boys in the industry always makes me smile.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. Key features of our services:

A. Providing access to financing options
B. Consultation with the entities to discuss the possibility of carrying out a holistic audit to identify additional opportunities, at this point or at a future date
C. Clearly stating the components of all cost estimates and cite sources for all inputs
D. Stating all key assumptions in savings calculations including those based on energy models or other software
E. Financial analysis of recommended measures, including: cash-flow impacts, simple payback, IRR, NPV, cost of waiting, and property valuation impact symbolize via decision tree analysis
F. Stating the level of accuracy for each savings and cost estimate, and provide sensitivity analyses on key variables.
G. Developing a list of qualified installation contractors
H. Consult with entities upon receipt of each Level 1 or Level 2 ASHRAE audit report to help identify an implementable scope of work, discuss funding options / sources, and overall project economics to increase likelihood of implementation.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. Energy efficiency and clean technology are a part of my core belief system because they benefit my community and help make the world a better place for my two-year-old daughter. Moving from traditional construction into this space was a way to both pursue my dreams of making a difference while saving my clients money.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I just completed developing a 4-hour curriculum about Photovoltaic Uses, Technologies, and Safety. I presented the training in a classroom environment to a large construction company whose aim is to train their staff to allow functionality in the Renewable Energy space.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I am an experienced Instructor Led Trainer in the fundamentals of Photovoltaic technologies and uses.
Vargas earned a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Project Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management. Michael completed a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration at San Diego State University, along with a Certificate in Green Building and Construction. He is recognized by
the California Association of Building Energy Consultants (CABEC) as a Certified Energy Plans Examiner and is a LEED Accredited Professional with the Green Associate designation supporting the US Green Building Council. Michael has a Contractor Quality Manager certification from the United States Naval Facilities Engineering Command.
Other professional and technical designations he holds are:
* Certified Cost Technician- Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering
* Oracle University, Primavera P6 Certified Scheduler
* Construction Manager in Training- CMAA
* Quality Control Manager- Los Angeles City and American Institute of Steel Construction
* OSHA, DOT and EPA 40-Hour Asbestos Supervisor Training. South Coast Air Quality Management District 1403 Certified.
* OSHA 29 2-Hour Lead Hazard Awareness Training.
* Licensed CA Home Improvement Salesman No. 716538

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. My industry is constantly changing. And there’s a new law that is making this transition to improved energy efficiency more widespread, it’s called the Global Warming Solutions Act, or AB 32. It requires energy providers to get more of their electricity from clean, renewable sources like wind and sun. It also requires tougher energy efficiency standards on appliances, homes and commercial buildings.

Why are these requirements so important for consumers? Because conventional energy prices are volatile, experiencing dramatic price spikes that get passed on to you and me. California’s clean energy and climate security law is landmark legislation that will help level the playing field between old and new sources of energy. Once AB 32 is implemented, it will provide the certainty businesses need to help them invest in clean technology solutions.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. I just completed developing a 4-hour curriculum about Photovoltaic Uses, Technologies, and Safety. I presented the training in a classroom environment to a large construction company whose aim is to train their staff to allow functionality in the Renewable Energy space. I created an interactive presentation with handouts and demonstrations. The price was $4500 for the entire creation and delivery with materials and took 2 weeks to put together and delivery in two distinct sessions.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. I charge per project with many variables involved. I perform pro-bono work for non-profit groups looking to reduce operational costs and meet sustainable practices policies.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. I would suggest that all newcomers take their time and become familiar with the various pending legislation and financing vehicles. The flux of the market will make it difficult for newbies to navigate the many new laws and regulations.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. When the opportunity for companies to save money and make a difference in the environment can be achieved, why wouldn't you learn more about it?

I haven't found a good answer to this one yet!