Formed in 1997 by industry veteran James Maitilasso, Quality Conservation Services, Inc. (QCS) has become "the gold standard in green." QCS is a national leader in the energy conservation industry and has developed site improvements and energy efficiency projects for customers in the real estate, education, healthcare, government, and business sectors. QCS is a licensed and insured contractor and contract administrator with offices in New York, northern and southern California, and New Jersey. The company was developed as an offshoot of an existing energy services company (ESCO) by Maitilasso, who has more than 25 years experience in the energy services industry and is known for his innovative and entrepreneurial spirit throughout the energy services community. He brings together professionals from the ESCO realm and from demand side management (DSM); the sum of these parts equals a company that has successfully designed, financed, installed, operated and maintained weatherization, conservation and lighting programs nationally. The New York area real estate market has benefited from QCS' solutions to reduce energy use and costs in low-income housing; multi-unit low, mid- and high-rise managed properties; single family homes; and both small and large commercial and industrial properties. QCS partners with utility companies and energy users to install passive weatherization measures at a relatively low investment rate, with little disruption to the property and its occupants, and with a shorter payback period. The company's comprehensive customized energy reduction programs focus on creating energy efficiency and reducing costs associated with weatherization measures and services. The proactive approach of these programs not only addresses current usage and costs but also helps customers meet future carbon emissions standards. QCS is an approved contractor for Con Edison's Targeted DSM Program and has successfully implemented lighting improvements in specific territories of Manhattan, Brooklyn and The Bronx for the past five years. QCS instituted the GreenSmart Energy Reduction Program® in 2008 in direct response to needs outlined by multi-unit housing property owners, managers and cooperatives in the New York metropolitan area. This DSM program increases energy efficiency and tenant comfort with passive site improvements that immediately conserve energy, decrease operating costs and reduce the building's carbon footprint while generating recurring annual energy savings in the overall building envelope. These measures are in the areas of water/sewer, air infiltration/penetration and lighting. Unlike the more costly and intrusive implementations of solar panels, geothermal systems or boiler replacement, the QCS team can install these low-cost, high-impact improvements quickly and efficiently, without interfering with daily operations. After a free Energy Reduction Needs Analysis, QCS will devise a customized plan that includes a comprehensive package of full weatherization measures and services that address the entire building's envelope. These simple solutions are the first step towards energy savings with the GreenSmart Energy Reduction Program®. For a relatively low capital investment and a financing vehicle requiring no capital outlay, these weatherization measures yield immediate results and a much shorter payback period than more aggressive energy reduction projects. These are sustaining, long-term results that put the building on an energy diet, which reduces load on the power grid and improves the owner's bottom line month after month, year after year. Weatherization projects make a difference immediately in tenant comfort and building profitability. From reducing water use and sewage fees to lowering electric and gas bills, QCS has been helping building owners and managers in the New York area bring down energy use and expense, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase profitability. Many people would be surprised to discover that according to the U.S. Department of Energy, every $1 that is spent on weatherization measures returns $2.10 in energy-related benefits. The GreenSmart Energy Reduction Program® offers approximately 100 unique measures and services contingent upon the results of the free Energy Reduction Needs Analysis that QCS performs on every property they service. Implemented together, these measures add up to significant savings on utility bills and cut down on a building's carbon footprint on a meaningful level. As one of the most experienced energy services companies in the country, QCS has installed weatherization measures in nearly 200,000 single and multifamily homes to date. In 2009, QCS has installed weatherization measures in more than 10,000 apartment units already nationwide. According to Melanie Gately, corporate marketing manager, these passive measures in N.Y.C. have reduced their customers' energy usages by an average of 30-40% per unit, which reduced greenhouse gases by more than two million pounds just from these properties alone. There are also hidden costs that affect a building's profitability such as maintenance and replacement costs, which can also decrease after implementing QCS' solutions, especially in the area of lighting. "I've been doing this type of work for decades," said Maitilasso, president and founder of QCS. "Now the rest of the world is finally catching the wave to conserve energy in ways that are cost effective and relatively simple." Maitilasso points out that the government is now pressuring businesses to rein in energy use and lower costs, and offering stimulus dollars and tax incentives to comply with new emissions standards. He also notes that utility rates are rising. "Our approach helps building owners take steps towards being 'green' while curbing costs. That's the bottom line," he said. As an ESCO, his company provides energy conservation services in a number of ways, often without the complicated, expensive projects but rather with simpler passive solutions. As for the New York real estate market, he said, "Property owners wanted an approach that immediately lowered energy costs, without large-scale construction and minimal impact to building operations. The GreenSmart Energy Reduction Program® was developed directly in response to this feedback by taking the guesswork out of selecting which 'passive' energy improvements would deliver a swift return on investment and provide the most 'bang for your buck'."