Answers to questions we hear most often
What to know about facility improvements, performance contracting and working with Omni Energy Partners.
Good planning starts with the right questions.
If you’re considering facility improvements, you probably have questions about how performance contracting works, how projects are funded, what the process looks like and of course, about partnering with us.
The Basics
What performance contracting is, how it differs from traditional construction, and what it can cover.
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Performance contracting is a way to upgrade facilities so that the improvements pay for themselves. Omni Energy Partners can assess your buildings, identify where energy and operating dollars are being lost, and design solutions to address those items. Over the life of the project, energy cost savings and operational cost avoidance (repairs, emergency replacements, and maintenance you no longer must pay for) cover the project cost.
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In traditional design-bid-build, you pay architects and engineers up front, bid the design, and manage the gaps between designer and contractor, which is where change orders and finger-pointing come from. With Omni Energy Partners, one team designs and builds the project under a single contract:
No upfront fees. No architectural or design fees are charged until a contract is approved.
No change orders. The price you approve is the price you pay.
One accountable partner from the first assessment through completion.
Independent research supports the design-build approach. A 2018 study of 212 U.S. building projects by the Construction Industry Institute and the Charles Pankow Foundation found design-build projects were delivered more than twice as fast as design-bid-build. A study of public university buildings found design-build projects had about one-third the change-order costs and finished on schedule, while traditional projects ran nearly 30% late.
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No. Energy is part of it, but many projects are driven by aging equipment, deferred maintenance, safety, indoor air quality, and optimal working or learning environments. Avoided repair and replacement costs are often as important as lower utility bills.
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Most building systems: HVAC, boilers and chillers, building automation and controls, LED lighting, building envelope (roofing, windows, insulation), safety and security, electrical infrastructure, and renewable energy, including geothermal systems. Projects can also include related work such as ventilation and indoor air quality, and accessibility upgrades.
Risk, Cost, & Funding
How can project be reduced, how savings are guaranteed and verified, and where the money comes from.
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Risk shifts from the customer to Omni Energy Partners. Because we design and build the project under one fixed contract, we are responsible for design errors, coordination issues, and cost overruns, not you. There are no change orders, no surprise invoices, and no gaps between designer and builder for issues to fall through.
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Before construction, we establish a baseline of your current energy use and operating costs. After the project is complete, we measure actual performance against that baseline, adjusting for weather, occupancy, and changes in building use. We follow industry-standard measurement and verification protocols (IPMVP), and provide you a final analysis.
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Omni guarantees the savings. If verified savings fall short of the guaranteed amount, we pay the difference. That's how the performance risk stays with Omni, not with you.
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You get more done for every dollar. A comprehensive project bundles quick-payback improvements with longer-payback needs, so savings from one help fund the other. You also get a single design, less administrative work, and systems built to work together rather than piecemeal fixes.
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You're already paying for inefficiency: high utility bills, emergency repairs, and maintenance on equipment past its useful life. A performance contract redirects those dollars toward new improvements. Over the project term, energy cost savings and operational cost avoidance cover the full cost of the work.
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No. Omni charges no fees for the assessment or project development. You can learn what your buildings need, what it would cost, and how it could be funded before committing to anything. No fees are charged until a contract is approved.
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Most projects combine several sources. Omni Energy Partner identifies the options that fit your project and helps you pursue them. Funding sources can include:
Utility incentives and Focus on Energy rebates
Federal and state grant programs
Existing capital funds
Federal tax credits available to public entities through elective pay
Low-interest financing
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The project is priced and scheduled before you commit. Omni Energy Partners then owns both the budget and the schedule from that point forward. There are no change orders; unforeseen conditions and coordination issues are our responsibility, not yours. You receive regular progress updates on schedule throughout the project.
Timing & Planning
Phasing, timelines, and how to tell whether performance contracting fits your facility.
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Absolutely. We can sequence work across buildings, budget years, or construction seasons, starting with the most urgent needs and building a long-term plan around the rest.
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That's a great time to start the conversation and begin planning. We can assess your facilities, prioritize needs, and build a roadmap at no cost, so you're ready to act when timing, funding, or board approval lines up.
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Often, yes. Because savings fund the work, many organizations complete projects years earlier than a traditional capital plan or referendum would allow. Waiting also has a cost: you keep paying for wasted energy and the risk of failing equipment.
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There is no single timeline because projects vary widely in size, complexity and funding requirements.
Some projects can move relatively quickly, while larger programs may involve several months of planning, design and coordination before construction begins.
School calendars, procurement requirements, funding schedules and project phasing can also affect the timeline. Omni works with each client to develop a schedule that reflects the realities of the project and the facility.
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It's often a strong fit if your buildings have aging equipment, high utility costs, or a growing deferred maintenance list, and limited capital to address them. The easiest way to find out is a no-cost assessment from Omni.
Working With Omni
What one point of contact means in practice, and what to expect during construction.
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It means Omni Energy Partners coordinates the overall project rather than requiring the client to manage multiple separate relationships.
We help organize planning, design, contractors, schedules, construction and other project elements through one coordinated process.
For the client, that means clearer communication, fewer moving parts to manage and one team accountable for keeping the project moving.
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We're on site every day. Omni Energy Partners manages subcontractors, schedules, quality, safety, and communication with your staff from start to finish, so your team isn't left coordinating trades or chasing answers.
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Planning is built around how the facility is actually used.
That may include scheduling work during summer breaks, evenings, weekends or other lower-impact periods, along with carefully sequencing construction so essential operations can continue.
The approach will vary by project, but minimizing disruption is considered from the beginning.
Omni handles the coordination, paperwork, and day-to-day management so your facilities, business, and administrative teams can stay focused on their own jobs.
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Definitely.
More than 90% of Omni’s work comes from repeat clients and referrals, and we are happy to connect prospective clients with organizations that have worked with us firsthand.
You can also review client reference letters, case studies and client videos here.
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Contact Omni Energy Partners to schedule an initial conversation. We'll learn about your facilities and goals, then complete a no-cost assessment to identify opportunities and estimate costs and savings. There's no obligation, and no fees are charged until a contract is approved.
Have a question we haven’t answered?
We’d be happy to talk about your facility needs, performance contracting or what it’s like to work with Omni Energy Partners.