by Shane Henson — December 13, 2013—Ameresco Inc., an energy efficiency and renewable energy company, recently announced that through an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) with Hawaii’s Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), it will be working to reduce energy and water consumption through the installation of state-of-the-art technology in 33 buildings located on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii’s Big Island.
The company’s pioneering of the ESPC financing model has made the budget-neutral solution an increasingly popular option for customers such as the state of Hawaii, by providing energy efficiency upgrades using a guaranteed savings approach. Ameresco says it coordinates the upfront project costs, and the customer repays that investment with their energy savings over time.
According to Ameresco, this ESPC project is expected to save DAGS more than a million dollars in the first year, and lower operational costs by $28 million over the 20-year term.
The design-build implementation period, expected to take two years, will include energy conservation measures such as replacing or retrofitting 13,000 light fixtures, expanding the energy management system to include 2,750 control points, installing seven new chillers with state-of-the art bearing-less compressors, and replacing 53 transformers with premium efficiency custom-wound transformers.
New photovoltaic arrays will also be installed. The new arrays will consist of more than 3,370 solar panels connected to 17 inverters spread across the five islands. The arrays are expected to cumulatively generate about 1.3 million kilowatt hours a year in renewable power from the sun, which will help DAGS facilities lower the state’s dependence on electricity produced from fossil-fueled power plants, notes Ameresco.
The annual emissions reduction is expected to be approximately 5.6 million pounds of CO2, 14,200 pounds of SO2, and 12,700 pounds of N2O, the equivalent of taking 466 cars off the road, adds Ameresco.
