More than a small business.
Our collaborations inspire us daily.
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Dedicated to turning ideas into innovation.
Empowering optimization through tailored solutions.
Many markets for many types of clients.
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We make it enjoyable.
Repeat clients are the bedrock of business growth. Our clients have trusted our services by returning time and again.
UK
We coined Game changer in building systems TM because of our solid commitment to your building’s potential. Founded in 1986, Paladin is a woman-owned business that built upon engineering roots to deliver strategic commissioning, sustainability, and direct-to-owner engineering consulting services for new and existing facilities.
To show unwavering commitment to you and your project from day one through closeout.
To recognize key drivers for the project and measure to them.
To deliver a complete, efficient project using a strategic blend of talent and resources.
engineering since 1986 commissioning since 2001 sustainability consulting since 2005
Commissioning used to focus solely on energy savings. Now, it plays a crucial role in ensuring the successful operation of systems in both new and existing buildings. We understand the intricacies of building systems, from building envelopes to electrical systems, and we know how to maintain their functionality for the lifespan. Our process involves architects, engineers, owners, contractors, building managers, and maintenance teams to identify and resolve issues affecting occupant safety, experience, and overall building performance. Paladin provides a range of commissioning services for:
Even with clearly stated expectations for your new building systems, proper function is never guaranteed. Paladin helps ensure the correct installation and operation of systems of all sizes.
• MEP Systems Commissioning
• Building Enclosure Commissioning
• Building Automation Systems Commissioning
• Renewable Systems
Priorities range from carbon reduction and energy performance to operational stability, risk reduction, and operating cost containment. Our capabilities extend to your entire built environment to thoroughly address issues preventing you from reaching these goals.
HVAC, lighting, and other systems change over time. Ongoing commissioning ensures these systems are regularly reviewed to keep them in check. Paladin starts with a deep dive into your project and current facility requirements. We can also perform some ongoing commissioning steps remotely through metering and utility data.
Your building relies on complex, interconnected systems to function properly. If any component fails, it can reduce the building’s quality and lifespan.
Our streamlined design and implementation processes enable us to work directly with you, focusing on your business goals and enhancing the likelihood of achieving them. Since 1986, we’ve been a Game changer in building systemsTM optimizing operational systems to unlock building potential.
Our engineering services cover everything from managing current inventory to meeting energy goals, cutting emissions, and planning maintenance. Our process begins with an understanding of your goals and carefully studying the project. Then, we offer tailored recommendations and guide you through any implementation challenges. Whether it’s phasing out old equipment or planning upgrades, we forge partnerships to ensure seamless execution and maximum outcomes.
With decades of experience, our engineers specialize in custom upgrades and retrofitting. We handle everything from small commercial spaces to large industrial campuses.
Modern building requirements are more varied as the industry leans towards greater dependence on advanced building automation systems. Our BAS design is grounded in a thorough understanding of these systems and their evolving technologies.
Paladin helps owners turn sustainability goals into practical, cost-effective results. From design through operations, we optimize performance, reduce environmental impact, and support energy efficiency while guiding projects through certifications such as LEED, WELL, Fitwel, Green Globes, SITES, Energy Star, and LEED for Existing Buildings.
Our role is to simplify complex requirements and deliver strategies that fit your priorities and budget. Whether it’s planning, energy modeling, operational policies, portfolio assessments, or construction support, we balance environmental, social, and economic factors to ensure long-term value.
PaladinDTS works side by side with contractors and design teams to keep projects moving. We manage or coordinate Building Information Services (BIM), scan existing conditions, and run targeted field tests. Whether you need to check for clashes, validate an enclosure detail, or confirm air quality, we help you get it done, fast and accurately.
PaladinDTS gives contractors the tools to build smarter and move faster without guesswork. From managing models to testing enclosures and air quality, we solve challenges before they slow you down.
We plug in where you need us — during design, construction, or closeout — to help you avoid rework and stay on track.
• Building Information Modeling (BIM)
We handle full BIM or support your team with clash resolution, model alignment, and field-ready guidance.
• Building Enclosure Testing
From air and water infiltration to diagnostic support, we deliver clear results so you act fast
• Indoor Air Quality Testing
Quick-turn testing for CO₂, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulates that can also help with LEED certification.
• 3-D Scanning
High-accuracy scans of existing conditions to support as-builts, layout, and prefabrication.
Paladin’s David Burks is one of Kentucky’s two ABAA-certified Air Barrier Auditors.
No matter where you are in the project lifecycle, our team is equipped with the expertise and technology to move your project forward with clarity and confidence.
From system performance issues to field conflicts that didn’t show up in the plans, we help spot problems early and fix them before they slow you down or blow your budget.
Design teams hand off a model. We dig into the real world conditions, using the right tools to uncover what’s actually happening in your building. DTS gives you clear results you can use and the follow-through to keep your project moving.
We make sure what’s designed can actually be built — and built right. Whether we’re running tests or managing models, our goals are the same: to reduce rework, protect quality, and keep you on track.
Paladin specializes in making buildings work better while being kind to the environment. Our commissioning, direct-toowner engineering solutions, and sustainability consulting services can help boost a building’s value, optimize occupant comfort, and cut down on costs.
From commercial office buildings to healthcare and industrial facilities, educational campuses to municipal infrastructure, our portfolio reflects an unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation.
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY
Commissioning
LEED Administration
As the largest academic building in UK’s history, the 500,000 sq. ft. Michael D. Rankin, MD Health Education Building will house and significantly expand the colleges of Medicine, Public Health, Health Sciences, Nursing, and the Center for Interprofessional and Community Health Education. Paladin is guiding all commissioning services for this stateof-the-art facility, which will contain classrooms, simulation laboratories, research areas, and clinical training spaces.
68.5% total energy reduction
Glendale, KY
Sustainability Consulting
The 1,500-acre BlueOval SK Battery Park is an all-new battery manufacturing campus that produces batteries for Ford and Lincoln vehicles. The Park will employ 5,000 people, who will prepare for these future careers through training at the onsite Elizabethtown Community and Technical College BlueOval SK Training Center. Paladin’s efforts resulted in decreased indoor water usage, saving nearly 336,000 gallons per year, equivalent to conserving 25 million bottles of water annually. The energy cost savings is sufficient to power approximately 382 average homes for a year. In all, approximately 13 million pounds of waste were diverted from landfills.
Lexington, KY
Commissioning
Driven by patient and staff experiences in UK’s various ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 12th floor of UK Chandler Hospital is the new home to UK’s medical and cardiovascular ICU and includes a number of modifications and upgrades.
Paladin provided commissioning services for the new space that features 64 ICU rooms, all with negative pressure capability, built-in tubing access ports to enable flexibility with IVs and monitors, and can be doubled to handle an influx of patients. Eight rooms have built-in antechambers to allow both a positiveand negative-pressure environment for immunocompromised patients. The floor also houses a Serious Communicable Disease Lab, which allows for quicker blood and tissue testing.
Georgetown, KY
Whole Building Commissioning
LEED Administration
Ecofibre is an innovator in industrial hemp, and its U.S. headquarters is as sustainable as its high-performance products. Paladin provided commissioning and LEED administrative services for the 50,000 sq. ft. office, manufacturing, and warehousing space.
The team’s objectives included: 1) ensuring a fully operational facility; 2) shaping the facility as a marketing tool; and 3) ensuring LEED Platinum certification to demonstrate Ecofibre’s fundamental commitment to producing sustainable products.
The facility’s landmark product is Hemp BlackTM, a hemp derivative with antimicrobial and antiviral properties that can be added to anything; currently in use in textiles, furniture, and flooring.
47% energy cost reduction
Features include outdoor hemp garden, transparent manufacturing clean rooms, rainwater collection systems, geothermal HVAC, and photovoltaic panels.
Paladin has been Berea’s exclusive commissioning and LEED administration provider for over a decade.
Berea College
Berea, KY
Commissioning
The 133,000 sq. ft. Margaret A. Cargill Natural Sciences and Health Building is a state-of-the-art instructional facility with advanced science laboratories, nursing laboratories, interactive learning spaces, collaborative spaces, and planetarium. The building envelope system required special attention for its role in humidity control. Paladin commissioned all building, lab, and process systems.
Louisville, KY
Commissioning
LEED Administration
Paladin’s commissioning process ensured the building’s systems performed exactly as intended. We conducted fullscope functional testing across HVAC, electrical, and domestic hot water systems, collaborated during design reviews to identify issues early, and trained UPS staff to operate systems efficiently, reducing downtime and maximizing performance.
The project achieved a perfect score across all Green Globes lighting categories, from optimized power density to fully automated shut-off and reduction controls. The energy saved through efficient lighting is enough to power more than 100 average U.S. homes for a year.
Winchester, KY
The commissioning of this 60,000 gsf medical office building focused on field observation, functional test verification, and issue resolution. The VAV mechanical systems relied on manufacturer’s control sequences, challenging the controls contractor. Our commissioning revealed discrepancies between the engineer’s sequences and the equipment’s delivery. Paladin facilitated discussions among the owner and contractors, leading to solutions that balanced performance and cost. The initial schedule planned for testing before substantial completion, but testing during occupancy was required. The project reveals that even seemingly simple systems in non-critical spaces can present significant challenges.
Frankfort, KY
Commonwealth of Kentucky
Direct-to-Owner Engineering
Existing Building Commissioning
Paladin’s first project in 2015 was a solution to large utility bills, mold, and water infiltration. We identified simple repairs, like enabling heat recovery, as well as complicated repairs like notable building pressurization problems that were creating extreme negative pressure. Subsequent projects have included fit-up renovations for an expanding Kentucky State Police Forensic Lab, BSL-3 lab improvements, lab air handling unit replacements, and central utility plant upgrades.
Healthcare services include primary care, orthopedics, cardiology, imaging, laboratory services, and physical therapy.
NexCore Group London, KY
Commissioning (New Construction)
This two-story, 60,000 sq. ft. project is one of two medical office buildings that Paladin has commissioned for CHI. The facility consolidates physicians and staff into one facility, maximizes efficiency, and expands services. We focused on field observation, functional test verification, and issue resolution, which revealed discrepancies between the engineer’s sequences and the equipment’s delivery. Paladin facilitated discussions among owner and contractors that led to balanced performance and cost solutions.
Building Enclosure Testing
PaladinDTS conducted comprehensive inspections of the building enclosure, focusing on the Drainable EIFS Wall System, thermal insulation along the exterior perimeter, the Modified Bitumen Roof System, its subcomponents, and the Aluminum Storefront Window System. Our report included detailed accounts of site visit activities, observations, concerns, and recommendations, along with discussions with manufacturer representatives when necessary, to ensure the highest standards of construction quality and performance.
Testing glazing assemblies allowed adjustments to occur during construction.
Louisville Free Public Library
Louisville, KY
Commissioning
LEED Administration
Paladin performed multiple design reviews with particular emphasis on controls strategies and performance of the underfloor air system. Our previous experience with those systems informed the specifications and contractual requirements, ensuring correct installation, operation, and potential issue resolution.
Louisville Free Public Library
Louisville, KY
Commissioning
The Southcentral Regional Library serves as a new model of energy efficiency for Louisville. The library has reduced energy usage by 29%, exceeding the AIA 2030 Challenge for system performance.
Paladin created custom Owner’s Project Criteria as a strong foundation. Pivotal to the OPR and subsequent commissioning tasks was the library’s expectation for outstanding performance and equipment and component maintainability. LFPL is well-known for its vested interest in carefully monitoring building efficiency and watching the performance of geothermal fields for changes over time.
29% energy use reduction
Paladin’s commissioning resulted in $385,250 avoided costs over the life of the building.
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY
Commissioning
UK’s Center for Applied Energy Laboratory #2 is an energy research building with a living laboratory devoted to renewable energy and energy storage. Paladin commissioned the MEP, lighting, and controls systems, and also verified third-party turnkey dry lab and Class 6 clean rooms operation for the 43,000 sq. ft. lab.
The research space incorporates labs and testing areas for prototyping, characterization, evaluation and lifecycle testing of new photovoltaic and solar materials. The core of the first floor houses analytical instrumentation for bioenergy and biofuels.
Spaces include:
7 individual research labs
5 environmental rooms
1 Class 6 clean room
1 dry lab with a dedicated air-handling unit for 0.5% relative humidity 55% energy use reduction
Paladin’s Commissioning Team focuses on optimizing a building’s performance and functionality. With expertise in energy efficiency, system integration, and more, this team is committed to ensuring that everything operate as intended, delivering cost-effective solutions that can enhance overall building performance.
MBA, CCP, CxA, WELL AP, LEED AP BD+C President
Candice advises on projects ranging from residence halls to manufacturing facilities. “The key to successful implementation of commissioning is understanding the business needs behind the building and developing strategies that support those needs.”
Burks CxA, BECxP, CxA+BE, CAPM Principal
David brings expertise in commissioning, enclosure field testing, data gathering and analysis, reporting, and testing equipment, maintaining regular correspondence with owner representatives.
Kelsey Leslie PE, CCP Principal
Kelsey brings a wealth of expertise managing intricate HVAC systems and diverse BAS control platforms. Her experience encompasses educational, governmental, and healthcare facilities.
Mark Zoller PE, CxA, CEM Principal
Mark takes complex concepts and explains them clearly. He uses this skill to improve issues resolution in a way that is clearly understood by all invested parties.
A Triple Bottom Line analysis of the 11 credits pursued revealed that a $540,000 additional investment in sustainable design and construction strategies returned over $988,000 in benefits to stakeholders.
13.4% energy cost savings
Comprised of diverse talents and driven minds, we are a collective force dedicated to crafting solutions that transcend challenges. With a shared commitment to excellence and collaboration, we harness individual strengths to deliver results.
Dave conducts field observations, implements construction checklists, and facilitates test verifications. His hands-on approach enhances identifying and resolving early-stage coordination and O&M issues.
Ben supports commissioning activities through functional testing, on-site validation, and troubleshooting, helping ensure equipment and controls perform reliably. With a detail-oriented approach he helps translate requirements into dependable building operations.
Rachel combines engineering expertise with a background in community development. She leads projects from planning through closeout, coordinating teams, testing systems, and delivering documentation to ensure buildings perform seamlessly.
Morgan is a commissioning engineer with a strong background in building systems performance, data analysis, and integrated functional testing. She leads MEP and Building Envelope commissioning efforts across a wide range of project types.
Rhodes brings deep technical expertise to building performance and energy systems. He supports functional testing, field verification, and troubleshooting across diverse projects, helping ensure systems operate as intended. With a strong foundation in renewable energy and hands-on electrical experience, he bridges the gap between design intent and real-world performance.
Davis’s background as a master plumber, journeyman, and maintenance supervisor provides an operator’s perspective to building systems. He diagnoses equipment failures and offers functional, operable solutions.
As a Field Technician at Paladin, Karson brings technical skill and attention to detail to every job site. He performs critical on-site testing, system verification, and troubleshooting to make sure building systems operate the way they’re meant to.