Energy conservation is a priority for all staff, both through our active field work as well as at the office. For the last 6 years, we have submitted our building to the Energy Star certification program and score, on average, a 95 out of 100. This score indicates that we are performing at the top level for a building of our size and type within the United States.

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we began to consider how we could provide the safest, healthiest, and most comfortable indoor environment for employees who wanted to return to the office. Because efficiency and sustainability are always a priority for us no matter what we’re doing, we landed on upgrading our office HVAC to a very high efficiency DOAS system (dedicated outdoor air system). The result was reducing our total HVAC energy use by 84%, total building energy use by 66%, and increasing our indoor air quality due to filtered 100% outside air being brought into the space at a higher ventilation rate.

We have also taken the initiative to install a plug-in charger for electric vehicles. We coordinate the use of our all-electric and hybrid company vehicles to cut down on unnecessary driving.

Visit our offices and you will quickly see how our core values and practices encompass many elements of a sustainable business. Our staff are committed to an ecologically balanced workspace. We practice reuse and recycling, bike commuting (even through the rainy season), and minimize waste wherever we can.

We actively look for opportunities to volunteer in our local community, and openly share ideas about how to further reduce our carbon footprint as a group.

As such, we were recently awarded a Gold level certification through the City of Portland’s Sustainability at Work program and can be found in their Green Business Directory.