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Evolution Sustainability Group Expands To EU and UK Markets as Emerging Building Standards Create Demand for Compliance

October 8, 2024

Evolution has opened an office in Amsterdam, with a UK office to follow, to provide energy management, engineering, and sustainability consulting and implementation services.

The Evolution Sustainability Group Team

The buildings and construction sector contributes 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As the world works to meet the sustainability targets set out by international climate agreements, many jurisdictions are updating their building regulations to reflect this endeavor. These regulations include the European Union’s revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which supports the introduction of Minimum Energy Performance Standards for non-residential buildings and the phase-out of building heating powered by fossil fuels, among other climate initiatives. Meanwhile, the UK’s Building Safety Act outlines changes to areas such as water and energy efficiency, building accessibility, and fire safety.

Seeing the surge in the demand for sustainable buildings caused by changing standards, Evolution Sustainability Group (Evolution), a full-service energy management, engineering, and sustainability consulting firm, has opened an office in Amsterdam. This timely move expands the US-headquartered company’s services into the European Union, which is a single market that covers 27 countries. The new office is headed by Guillermo Dekker, Managing Director for EU.

Dekker is a seasoned expert in building consultancy and sustainability, with more than a decade of experience in renewable energy integration, energy efficiency improvements, and sustainable development strategies. He participated in the development of impact studies for the European Environment Agency (EEA) that informed the formulation of the EPBD. He was also part of the core group that initiated the Circular Building Coalition in Europe, which gathered the private sector, industry leaders, policymakers, and NGOs to develop a roadmap towards carbon neutrality in the built environment for the whole continent.

Guillermo Dekker states, “Too often, the real estate market is flooded with portfolios full of energy audits, ESG reports, and studies, but very little action to implement the solutions they recommend. At Evolution, we’re here in Europe to bridge that gap—moving beyond analysis to real, measurable outcomes. We help companies turn insights into implemented impactful actions that not only reduce costs but also drive sustainability forward.”

Evolution will soon open another office in the UK, with the identity of this office’s Managing Director to be announced before the end of this year.

To date, Evolution’s holistic approach to building sustainability has helped the owners and managers of more than 400 buildings optimize their properties for energy efficiency, reducing their consumption by 23,000,000 kWh per year. This translates to annual CO2 equivalent emission reductions of more than 14,000 tons and cost savings of over €3.2 million ($3.57 million). Evolution Sustainability Group operates across three divisions and business lines, each supporting different facets of the built environment.

The first division is Evolution Energy Partners, which offers tailored energy procurement strategies that mitigate risks, manage costs, and align with the client’s sustainability goals. Its end-to-end services help clients select and implement the best-fit renewable options, whether localized green supply, PPAs, or on-site generation, ensuring that the client’s energy portfolio is optimized for both financial savings and regulatory compliance. Next is Evolution Engineering Partners, which applies a Whole Facility Approach, targeting multiple energy-consuming systems, such as lighting, HVAC, and refrigeration, to deliver significant cost savings and carbon footprint reductions. Its services go beyond retrofitting and it also offers a comprehensive, no-cost, and no-obligation ASHRAE Level 2 equivalent audits. Third is Evolution ESG Partners, which offers turn-key strategy, planning, and implementation solutions that help companies meet stringent compliance and reporting requirements that align clients’ built assets with relevant standards. This enhances client profitability and meets the growing consumer and employee demand for sustainable practices, which encompass not only environmental issues but also social and governance matters such as risk management, diversity, equity and inclusion, and health and safety.

Evolution was founded in 2015 by Chuck Hurchalla, who has more than 30 years of experience in developing comprehensive energy management solutions that meet or exceed energy efficiency and sustainability goals. He is an expert in various hedging strategies and the fundamental and technical drivers of movements in the energy markets, including renewable products. Recently, Hurchalla was named by Ernst & Young LLP as a regional finalist for Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 for the Greater Philadelphia area. The award recognizes “audacious leaders who disrupt markets, revolutionize sectors, and have a transformational impact on lives.”

Chuck Hurchalla states, “Our expansion into Europe is a testament to Evolution’s commitment to advancing sustainable building performance worldwide. Evolution services are unlike mainstream consulting because we not only advise but implement our recommendations. Evolution delivers turn-key sustainability in the built environment. By establishing a presence in the EU, and soon in the UK, we are well-positioned to bring our proven expertise and innovative solutions to a new market that is ripe for sustainable development. We look forward to working closely with European asset owners and managers to help them achieve both financial savings and positive environmental impact.”