Implement

An owner’s representative provides independent support on behalf of the building owner. This role can help manage scope development, procurement, consultant coordination, contractor communication, project documentation, budget tracking, and overall alignment with the owner’s goals.

An owner’s representative is especially useful when the owner needs a trusted advisor to coordinate across technical, financial, regulatory, and operational considerations.

A construction manager supports project execution and helps coordinate construction activities. This role may include schedule management, contractor coordination, site logistics, budget tracking, change order review, and construction documentation.

Depending on the contract structure, a construction manager may serve as an advisor to the owner or may take on greater responsibility for delivering the construction work.

A Construction Manager at Risk, or CM at Risk, typically takes responsibility for delivering the project within an agreed cost and schedule. This structure may be useful for larger or more complex projects where construction coordination, cost certainty, and delivery risk are major concerns.

Because contract structures can vary, owners should understand whether the construction manager is acting as an advisor, contractor, or delivery partner before work begins.

A commissioning or verification provider can help confirm that installed systems are operating as intended and that the completed work meets the scope of work. This support is especially important for HVAC, controls, heat pumps, ventilation, domestic hot water, and other systems where performance depends on proper installation, settings, testing, and handoff to building operators.

For smaller projects, a qualified contractor or vendor may be able to provide the primary implementation support. Owners should confirm that the provider has relevant experience, understands the project goals, can meet documentation requirements, and can support troubleshooting or warranty needs after installation.

The SOW clearly defines what work will be performed, how it will be done, when it will be done, who is responsible, and what outcomes are expected. A clear SOW ensures contractors understand expectations and can price work consistently, helping teams compare between bids more accurately.  

Other considerations to include in the SOW for building upgrade projects are:

• Performance-based outcomes: Success may be measured not just by installation but by verified performance such as energy savings or emissions reductions.
• Technology uncertainty: Rapidly evolving solutions such as electrification and energy storage require flexibility.
• Incentives and policy alignment: Utility rebates, tax credits, and local ordinances should be reflected in the scope.
• Operational impact: Upgrades must minimize disruption to building occupants and maintain indoor environmental quality.

The RFP communicates the project objectives, technical requirements, submission requirements, evaluation criteria, contractual expectations, and the SOW developed earlier. Utilizing an RFP allows teams to receive standardized responses from bidders, encapsulating methodology, cost breakdowns, timelines, and experience, all in a single easily accessible and comparable document. The RFP process helps ensure transparency, competition, and alignment between the project owner and vendors.

An effective RFP typically contains:

Pro Tip: Using an RFP in a building decarbonization project matter because it:

The RFB/Q provides a well defined scope or outcome for the project usually resulting in a single cost-effective objective. This request should formalize the need by asking for specific technical specifications to be met or detailed within a set timeframe. The goal is to have bidders provide competitive quotes for the same products or level of performance. 

You may also ask contractors to detail out a scope based on objectives of the plan. It is encouraged to be diligent within your review and consider:

Vetting can occur before and after issuing an RFP. Initial vetting helps identify qualified providers to invite to bid. Post-RFP vetting helps evaluate proposals and select the best partner based on cost, approach, relevant experience, communication, and ability to deliver the intended outcomes.

When evaluating providers, ask for examples of comparable projects, references from past clients, achieved savings or performance outcomes, commissioning or troubleshooting experience, and any post-installation support they can provide.

Many incentive, rebate, or technical assistance programs maintain preferred vendor or qualified provider lists. These lists can be a helpful starting point and may be required for certain programs. Confirm whether using a specific provider, contractor, equipment type, or installation process is necessary to remain eligible for incentives or rebates.

Select providers who can support not only installation, but also project coordination, commissioning, documentation, and post-installation performance tracking where needed. A carefully vetted partner can reduce project risk, streamline permitting and incentive processes, improve implementation quality, and help ensure upgrades deliver the intended long-term performance benefits.

Before construction starts, confirm that the project team understands the scope of work, project goals, expected outcomes, schedule, roles, and decision-making process. This may include the building owner, property manager, facilities staff, contractors, vendors, consultants, commissioning providers, and any other parties involved in implementation.

The team should understand what work is being completed, why it is being done, what outcomes are expected, who is responsible for key decisions, how field conditions or scope changes will be handled, and what documentation is required during and after construction.

Communicate the purpose of the retrofit in plain language. This may include improving building performance, reducing energy use or emissions, improving comfort, replacing aging equipment, reducing maintenance issues, supporting compliance, or preparing the building for future upgrades.

To successfully generate awareness of and support for performance improvements, it is important to connect upgrades to benefits that occupants can directly experience. While technical improvements such as envelope upgrades or equipment electrification may seem abstract, occupants often notice the results through more stable indoor temperatures, reduced drafts, quieter spaces, and improved overall comfort. Framing projects around these tangible quality-of-life benefits can help build understanding and support for building improvement efforts.

See Engage Occupants below for best practices

Pro Tip: Connect the project goals to outcomes that matter to building users, such as improved comfort, better system reliability, reduced disruption from emergency repairs, improved indoor air quality, or long-term building value.

Before work begins, confirm how installed measures will be tested, verified, and documented. Commissioning and verification help confirm that systems are installed correctly, operating as intended, and meeting the scope of work.

The project team should understand who is responsible for testing, training, documentation, issue resolution, and handoff to building operators. This is especially important for controls, HVAC equipment, heat pumps, ventilation systems, domestic hot water systems, and other measures where performance depends on proper installation, settings, and operation.

Before construction begins, develop a communication plan for residents, tenants, staff, board members, or other stakeholders who may be affected by the work. Provide advance notice of construction activities, including schedule, daily working hours, access needs, and expected disruptions such as noise, dust, temporary service interruptions, or changes to common areas.

Occupant communication should clearly explain:

Share information through reliable and accessible channels, such as email updates, newsletters, posted notices, resident or tenant meetings, text alerts, website updates, or in-person communication when appropriate.

Printed notices should be clear, legible, and placed in visible, high-traffic areas such as lobbies, hallways, elevators, gyms, laundry rooms, and other shared spaces. Communications should be available in the languages commonly spoken by building occupants.

If work requires access to occupant spaces, communicate how scheduling will be handled, how much notice will be provided, and what occupants need to do to prepare. Clearly identify any expected changes to entrances, passageways, common areas, parking, elevators, heating, cooling, hot water, ventilation, lighting, or other building services.

For projects with significant occupant impacts, use multiple communication methods and provide regular updates as schedules or conditions change. 

Occupants should have clear points of contact for questions, concerns, scheduling issues, and project updates. Building teams should review occupant feedback throughout the project and adjust communication methods as needed.

Clear pre-construction and ongoing communication can help reduce disruption, improve coordination, and support a smoother transition into construction oversight.

Before construction starts, confirm all required approvals, including municipal permits, historic preservation board approvals, property ownership or board approvals, and any requirements from external funding sources like utility incentive programs. 

Ensure that all builders/contractors thoroughly understand the latest rules and regulations, and how they might affect your project. Energy codes vary throughout Massachusetts, since many municipalities have adopted the energy “stretch code” which has required provisions that require building performance higher than the “base” code.

Visit Mass.gov | Building Energy Code

Coordinate with any external parties such as utilities if work includes changes to electrical, gas, or municipal plumbing lines. The electric utility should be brought in early if significant increases in electrical load are expected, such as due to fuel switching heating systems from gas to electric heat pumps. If the electric utility determines that upgrades to their transformers or distribution wiring are needed, multi-month or even multi-year delays may be experienced.

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While implementation of the project is underway, oversee construction activity to ensure it is completed on time, within budget, and according to the SOW. This includes coordinating schedules, monitoring progress, and managing communication between key stakeholders such as contractors, vendors, operators, and occupants. 

Plan for any temporary disruptions and clearly communicate timelines, access needs, and impacts to building occupants. A well-executed implementation sets the foundation for the next step of monitoring building performance, verifying installed measures are operating as intended, and identifying any opportunities for ongoing improvement.

Review each proposal for completeness, qualifications, cost, schedule, and alignment with the long-term building performance plan. A strong proposal should clearly describe what is included, how the work will be completed, what outcomes are expected, and how the project will support future performance, compliance, and operational goals. 

Bids should be reviewed for:

Value engineering is the process of reviewing a project scope to identify ways to reduce cost, improve constructability, or simplify implementation while preserving the project’s core goals. When done well, value engineering can help owners manage budgets and make projects more feasible.

However, value engineering should not simply mean removing decarbonization, efficiency, or enabling measures to reduce upfront cost. Taking out measures such as load reduction, controls upgrades, heat recovery, electrical enabling work, or electrification-ready infrastructure can affect the performance of the whole project. It may also prevent mechanical systems from being right-sized, increase future operating costs, or make later upgrades more expensive.

• Before accepting any cost-reduction proposal, confirm whether it affects long-term performance goals, compliance requirements, future electrification, incentive eligibility, or the phased building performance plan.
• Ask the project team to identify options that preserve the intended performance outcomes. This may include phasing work, selecting alternate equipment with similar performance, adjusting non-critical scope, or separating enabling measures into a future phase rather than eliminating them entirely.

Pro Tip: Removing decarbonization scope during implementation can lock a building into continued fossil fuel use for another equipment life cycle, often 15 to 25 years.