our firm

Taitem Engineering, PC, is a consulting engineering firm based in Ithaca, NY, specializing in —

  • mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural design for high performance buildings,
  • commissioning,
  • LEED consulting,
  • energy studies & energy research, and
  • duct sealing.

Our mission is to apply technology thoughtfully for the benefit of the earth and for the living beings that depend on it.

Founded in 1989, the firm is a privately held professional corporation licensed to practice engineering by the New York State Education Department and the New York State Department of State. Our clients include public and private entities and our projects include buildings in all sectors as well as program- and agency-level support.

Taitem Engineering undertakes consulting services in the area of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural engineering, commissioning, LEED, energy modeling, sustainability consulting, energy studies and energy research. The company earned the national R&D 100 award for its work in developing TREAT energy modeling software. In 2006, Taitem Engineering led the technical effort to develop the EnergyStar rating system for new high-performance multifamily buildings, in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Taitem also provides technical training in energy code compliance, energy project construction management, and conducting energy audits.

Taitem has been the statewide Quality Assurance Contractor for NYSERDA’s Multifamily Energy Performance Portfolio since 2007. We believe we obtained this position because of our excellent record of honest work and outstanding quality throughout our entire organization and in all the work we do. In 2011 Taitem was awarded GSA schedule contract GS21F0026Y, allowing it to perform work for all branches of the executive branch of the federal government in the areas of energy management and consulting, building auditing and commissioning, programmatic support, and renewables.

In 2013, Taitem earned B-Corporation status, meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Taitem Engineering’s staff includes nine licensed professional engineers, six LEED-accredited professionals, BPI-certified energy auditors, certified energy managers, NABCEP-certified solar PV installers, a master plumber, and a master electrician. “Taitem” stands for “Technology As If The Earth Mattered,” reflecting the firm’s commitment to the environment.

our home

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Taitem’s main offices are in a “recycled” nineteenth-century downtown building that is LEED Platinum certified and on track to perform as a net-zero building. Among the building’s many green features are an ultra-efficient air-conditioning system invented by Taitem’s founder, a geothermal system, rooftop solar thermal and solar PV systems, an electric vehicle charging station, and abundant covered bicycle parking. Taitem also has a full composting, recycling, and paper reduction program.

You can see how our solar pv system at 110 S. Albany Street in Ithaca is performing, how much energy we produce, and what our carbon offset is at our Enphase Energy site.

our commitment to diversity

Taitem Engineering is committed to maintaining and increasing diversity in its workforce. Taitem acknowledges that this requires ongoing active commitment and continued effort and therefore commits to:

  • examine how our current workplace culture and procedures may perpetuate society’s historic and institutional forces of exclusion;
  • engage in practices that provide opportunities to people who might otherwise be at a disadvantage because of these forces of exclusion;
  • promote and undertake practices that will increase the diversity of Taitem’s workforce; and
  • foster a workplace culture that encourages a sense of belonging for everyone who works at Taitem.

We believe that a diverse workforce brings a wider variety of perspectives. We believe that this will help Taitem Engineering to be more adaptable and sustainable as a company.

our commitment to B

As a certified B-Corporation, Taitem is  leading a global movement to redefine success in business. By voluntarily meeting higher standards of transparency, accountability, and performance, Taitem and other certified B-Corps are distinguishing themselves in a cluttered marketplace by offering a positive vision of a better way to do business. B-Corps create higher quality jobs and improve the quality of life in our communities. And, as the movement grows, it has become an increasingly powerful agent of change.

B-Corp DeclarationB Corp

We envision a new sector of the economy which harnesses the power of private enterprise to create public benefit. This sector is comprised of a new type of corporation —the B Corporation — which is purpose-driven, and creates benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders. As members of this emerging sector and as entrepreneurs and investors in B Corporations,

    We hold these truths to be self-evident:

  • That we must be the change we seek in the world.
  • That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.
  • That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.
  • To do so, requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.