by Brianna Crandall — November 21, 2018 — Ameresco, a Framingham, Massachusetts-based energy efficiency and renewable energy company, recently announced contracts with a Georgia county and a Texas university to achieve exemplary reductions in energy and water usage and costs through efficiency and the implementation of infrastructure upgrades — without any additional capital cost.
Douglas County, GA
Ameresco contracted with Douglas County, Georgia, for a $2.2 million Guaranteed Energy Savings Performance Contract (GESPC) to provide energy efficiency and infrastructure upgrades to 38 municipal government buildings.
Dr. Romona Jackson Jones, Commission Chair, noted:
Working with Ameresco allows Douglas County to upgrade energy infrastructure while also addressing critical capital improvement needs without any capital cost.
Funded through energy and operational cost savings, the project is expected to save the county more than $164,000 annually over the 15-year contract term. Ameresco is responsible for project development, design and engineering, construction management, energy savings measurement and performance verification, and training County staff on all installed equipment and systems. Once complete, the GESPC is expected to reduce County energy use by 1,588,002 kWh annually.
David J. Anderson, executive vice president and director of Ameresco, commented:
Our partnership with Douglas County is a demonstration on how redirected operating dollars can be used to modernize municipal building portfolios with energy and water efficient technologies. We applaud Douglas County’s vision and commitment to maintain sustainable facilities and operating practices, through the implementation of this GESPC.
This project consists of 11 energy conservation measures including replacing or retrofitting over 500 water fixtures, new rooftop units at the Fire Administration building, new air handling units at the Rideshare building, new direct digital controls, and smart irrigation systems.
Ameresco will also replace or retrofit over 7,400 interior and exterior lighting fixtures. This project is expected to improve building performance while lowering operation and maintenance costs. Additionally, new LED lighting and HVAC systems will improve air and light quality in the county’s buildings.
West Texas A&M University, TX
Ameresco also announced a partnership to begin construction on a $14.4 million Campus Energy Reduction and Modernization Project at West Texas A&M University, part of The Texas A&M University System. WTAMU is a four-year public university that serves a diverse population of more than 10,000 students hailing from 48 states and over 60 countries.
The project was initiated to help guide the physical operations of the university to achieve meaningful reductions of the university’s carbon footprint in energy usage, utility consumption, and energy cost through the implementation of infrastructure and modernization upgrades.
The project is underway and is scheduled to be completed by September 2019. Upon completion, the project will average over $1.1 million in annual energy and water savings for the university, thus all of the improvements are being funded in a budget-neutral manner without the need for additional capital budget dollars.
Stan Pena, director of Facilities and Construction, stated:
This project will positively impact energy and water conservation more than any other single initiative in West Texas A&M University’s history. This project was developed through collaboration with our Office of Business and Finance, SSC facilities team, the Texas A&M University System’s Office of Facilities Planning and Construction, and Ameresco, our energy partner. We are also thankful for the support of Utilities and Energy Services at Texas A&M and the City of Canyon.
Energy conservation and modernization measures will be implemented throughout 31 campus buildings and include retrofitting interior and exterior lighting to new high-efficiency light-emitting diode (LED) technology, improvements to the campus heating and cooling systems, water conservation measures, and automated controls that allow for the improved tracking of energy consumption on campus.
Robert Georgeoff, vice president, Ameresco, said:
Ameresco is honored to be working with West Texas A&M University to modernize their buildings through energy efficiency upgrades and realize a continued return on investment. This project demonstrates leadership and the university’s commitment to energy management, financial stewardship and environmental sustainability.
Ameresco is implementing the $14.4 million project under an Energy Services Agreement that provides a guarantee of annual energy savings to the university through 2037. In addition to annual energy and water savings, the university is expected to realize an annual carbon reduction benefit that is the equivalent to removing 2,050 passenger cars from the road, or carbon dioxide emissions from over 1 million gallons of gasoline consumed annually.
Randy Rikel, West Texas A&M University’s vice president for Business and Finance, remarked:
As stewards to the taxpayers of the State of Texas, it is essential that we do everything in our power to keep the cost of our students’ education reasonable and affordable. This project will be paid 100 percent from the energy and water savings, so additional funding is not needed. This partnership with Ameresco achieves these goals, plus it reduces our energy and water demand now, thereby benefiting the environment.
Founded in 2000, Ameresco is an independent provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout the US, the UK and Canada. Ameresco’s sustainability services include upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure and the development, construction and operation of renewable energy plants. Ameresco has successfully completed energy-saving, environmentally responsible projects with federal, state and local governments, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers.
