MER
EnergySystems
Recurring · $3-6k/mo · Cancel anytime · CMVP-signed

After the project ends, MER stays in the room.

An ongoing IPMVP-compliant M&V retainer where an independent CEM + CMVP engineer keeps the numbers honest, quarter after quarter. Where the relationship becomes an annuity for you and an ally for your board. Continuous trend monitoring, quarterly board-ready summaries, annual re-baselining, on-call verification.

Talk through the retainer fitStart upstream with a Sprint
Why the retainer exists

Savings don't sustain themselves.

Setpoints drift back. Operators get transferred. Contractors make undocumented changes during maintenance. Without ongoing verification, the savings you paid for evaporate over 18-36 months. The retainer is the guard against that.

ESG reports survive audit

IPMVP-compliant M&V is the standard for utility rebate programs, third-party ESG assurance firms, and increasingly for financial-grade sustainability disclosure. Numbers you report are numbers you can defend.

Savings claims stay honest

When your controls contractor or ESCO reports 20% savings, we verify it against actual utility bills. Weather-normalized. Occupancy-adjusted. Independent CMVP signature. No self-reported inflation.

Board gets the same story every quarter

Quarterly board-ready summary with charts. LL97 trajectory, savings claimed vs. verified, rebate captured, next-quarter recommendation. One document, one signature, one number the C-suite can act on.

The engineer stays in the room

When your controls contractor, ESCO, or MEP launches a new measure, MER is present from day one. Baseline preserved. Trend logs configured before startup. Vendor accountable for what they promised.

What's included every month + quarter + year
  • Weekly automated trend review + monthly analyst review across metered systems
  • M&V verification for ECMs where MER established the baseline (up to 2 per year included)
  • Additional ECM verification available at hourly rate
  • Annual re-baselining with weather + occupancy corrections
  • Quarterly board-ready summary with charts (feeds ENERGY STAR, GRESB, CDP, LEED reporting)
  • Annual M&V summary report
  • First-priority scheduling for one-off diagnostic requests
  • On-call for ECM launches (baseline preserved, trend logs configured, vendor accountable)
Pricing tiers

Sized to your portfolio, scaled to your ECM velocity.

Single building, single system
$3,000/mo

One central plant system (e.g., steam-only or HW-only). Small operator team.

Single building, multi-system
$4,000-5,000/mo

Multi-system plant (steam + HW + CHW). Typical large commercial or institutional building.

Complex plant or portfolio
$5,000-6,000/mo

Multi-building portfolio, complex central plant, or high-ECM-velocity buildings with multiple retrofits per year.

Portfolio pricing (5+ buildings) negotiable below single-building rates. Cancel anytime, no lock-in. Most retainer clients originate from a completed Plant Optimization Sprint or Capital Planning Energy Study where MER established the baseline.

The End Game

Every entry path leads here.

Bill reduction sprints. ESG programs. Capital protection. Audits. Diagnostics. All designed to end at the M&V Retainer where the numbers stay honest and the relationship becomes an annuity for you and an ally for your board.

FAQ

Questions owners ask before signing.

Who typically buys the M&V Retainer?+
Owners who just completed a Plant Optimization Sprint, ESCO retrofit, or Capital Planning Energy Study and want to sustain the verified savings over time. Also owners with active ESG reporting obligations (GRESB, CDP, LEED) who need defensible measurement infrastructure. Rarely a first-touch product. Usually the natural continuation after paid diagnostic + sprint work.
Can we cancel anytime?+
Yes. Month-to-month, no long-term commitment. Most owners renew because independent M&V pays for itself the first time a vendor's savings claim doesn't match the utility bill.
Do we need to have already worked with MER?+
Not required, but recommended. If MER established your baseline via a Plant Optimization Sprint or M&V Readiness Assessment, the retainer includes 2 ECM verifications per year. If we're starting from scratch on an existing building, we'd typically scope a Baseline Establishment engagement first ($10-18k, one-time) to build the foundation.
What format is the quarterly board summary?+
PDF, 4-6 pages, chart-heavy. Sections: energy consumption vs. baseline (per fuel), verified savings YTD, LL97 pathway progress, ESG data package for reporting, rebate capture, next-quarter recommended actions. Written for a C-suite or board audience, not for engineers.
How does this feed ESG reporting?+
The IPMVP-compliant M&V infrastructure produces auditable emissions reduction data. That data feeds ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, GRESB, CDP, LEED credit tracking, and LL97 pathway modeling. We do not fill out GRESB or CDP submissions on your behalf, but the data package we produce goes directly to your sustainability lead for those filings.
Do you handle multi-building portfolios?+
Yes. Portfolio pricing scales by number of buildings and complexity. For a REIT or PM firm with 5-15 buildings under one contract, we typically negotiate a portfolio rate that undercuts the per-building total. Ask on the intake call.
What about ongoing on-call support?+
The retainer includes first-priority scheduling for one-off diagnostic requests (e.g., 'we're seeing unusual usage this month, what's going on'). It does not include unlimited engineering hours. If a request requires deeper analysis than a few hours, we scope it separately and offer retainer-client pricing.
Ready to talk through fit?

Start with a free 30-min conversation.

We walk your building portfolio, existing baseline (if any), ECM velocity, and reporting obligations. Then we scope the right tier and confirm month-to-month terms.

Book free intake callSee the ESG program overview