Ulupono Initiative, a local investment firm with a goal of social improvement, has put $3 million into a mainland company that works to cut energy consumption in commercial buildings and recently opened a Honolulu office.

Ulupono’s investment in Carbon Lighthouse was part of $27 million raised by the San Francisco-based firm that was established in 2010 and is reducing energy use at three retail and warehouse properties on Oahu.

Carbon Lighthouse announced the venture capital infusion Wednesday and said the money will allow it to expand engineering teams and software to grow the company.

The company opened a Honolulu office in January and last year partnered with Hawaii’s second-largest retail property owner, Alexander &Baldwin Inc., to reduce energy use at Pearl Highlands Center, Manoa Marketplace and Kakaako Commerce Center.

A&B is guaranteed to save on energy costs for 10 to 12 years through changes to lighting, heating and cooling systems that should save around 22,600 barrels of oil throughout the life of the properties and prevent 9,700 tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere.

Carbon Lighthouse, which said it is profitable and has done work on about 500 buildings in 16 states, claims that up to 55 percent of the annual energy cost for commercial buildings can be saved in conjunction with eliminating 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.