HDR Inc.

Sector: Corporate

Employees:

> Over 5,700 professionals in more than 140 locations in 60 countries.

TARGETS

> To incorporate integrated sustainable design into all projects to provide clients the best possible economic, social and environmental value.

Achievements

> Has developed over 5.8 million square feet of LEED-certified projects.
> Provided due diligence services for financing over $2 billion for renewable energy projects.
> Developed over 50,000 tonnes of daily recycling operating capacity
> Received a Green Star Award for energy efficiency measures at its HDR Alaska Inc. facility in 2006. 
> Ranked 17 in Engineering News-Record’s 2006 “Top 500 Design Firms”.
> Quickly emerging as one of the most influential and successful sustainability-focused engineering firms in the world.

Benefits

> HDR estimates its consulting services reduced client’s annual energy costs collectively by over $40 million.

Low Carbon Solutions

Background

An employee-owned firm, HDR Inc. is one of the largest architectural, engineering and resource management consultancies in the world. Based in Omaha, NE, HDR estimates that its consulting services have helped clients reduce energy costs collectively by over $40 million annually.

HDR issues several environmentally-focused internal publications throughout the year to keep employees informed on the latest innovations in technology, materials, design and practices available in the market, and provides a forum for circulating information about HDR’s projects and activities.

HDR offers expertise on building and site-focused work, such as: energy-saving technologies and practices; methods for evaluating energy use; energy pricing; relevant regulations; and project financing. The firm also performs macro-level analyses to be used to develop appropriate energy policies. HDR estimates that through its consulting services, it has helped clients reduce energy costs collectively by over $40 million annually.

HDR has worked on incorporating the principles and practices of sustainability into its business decisions for over a decade and in 2002 officially introduced the Sustainability Business Initiative into its long- term strategic plans for becoming “One Great Sustainable Company”. This best practice programme focuses on: building design; mobility; water resources; energy management; waste management and; community, economic and environmental modelling. The company has a Sustainable Business Manager in place to coordinate efforts.

By committing to this integrated approach, HDR incorporates recycling and employee commute options when locating and designing new offices, and a baseline environmental footprint is established for each of these new undertakings against which all sustainability programmes can be evaluated.

HDR became a member of The Climate Group in December 2006 and works with a number of organisations to ensure that it is abreast of innovative new technologies, designs and practices in its commitment to sustainable development. HDR actively builds partnerships with private and public sector organisations working in all the major areas of its expertise, including the US Green Building Council, the Columbia Earth Institute’s Global Roundtable on Climate Change, the Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Performance (MSWG), Cantor Fitzgerald Carbon Associates, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in Washington, DC, and the American Society of Civil Engineers. 

HDR provides consulting services to private and public sector clients. Its Climate Change Initiative was developed to help clients address potential near- and long-term concerns and focuses on 5 areas: climate risk and mitigation strategies; long range impact planning; energy planning and alternative fuels; carbon trading strategies and system design and; material selection. HDR has developed a Risk Analysis Process for forecasting the most likely future outcomes of decisions to reduce risk, minimise cost, capture opportunities, and foster consensus among stakeholders.

HDR has provided due diligence services for the financing of over $2 billion for renewable energy projects. Project design teams have developed rooftop solar photovoltaic systems for a number of clients, and have helped many local communities and companies develop small scale (1-5 MW) landfill gas-to-energy projects. Furthermore, HDR has generated more than 3,000 MW of wind power in the US and more than 2000 MW of biomass-to-energy and cogeneration projects. 

A leader in the green building industry, HDR Sustainable Design Services strives to develop buildings that are more cost efficient to operate, healthier for occupants, and with a reduced impact on the environment. Experts in both planning new construction projects and redeveloping existing buildings and sites, HDR provides consulting services on project planning, design, and construction, and has a Sustainable Products Database that features over 1,200 products. HDR has worked with the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system since its inception in 1994, and has developed over 5.8 million square feet of LEED-certified projects, including one LEED Gold building, one LEED Platinum building, and one pre-certified Platinum building.

HDR’s waste management services work on developing systems for waste reduction, material recycling, energy recovery, and residual disposal.  HDR has assisted in developing over 50,000 tonnes a day of operating capacity, and is developing innovative solutions such as: zero waste programmes; conversion of traditional landfills to resource recovery and warehousing systems; and state-of-the-art thermal conversion facilities that generate power from renewable fuels. The firm has been involved in the development of a number of integrated solid waste management plans for major US cities including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and estimates that one out of every ten tonnes of municipal solid waste generated in the US passes through or is processed at a client facility.