by Shane Henson — December 28, 2012—Ameresco Inc., an international energy efficiency and renewable energy company, has announced the completion of the first phase of a $28 million energy savings project with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility, located on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
As part of the $15 million first phase of the facility-wide project, Ameresco installed high-efficiency lighting, decentralized an antiquated steam plant by installing a propane distribution system with more than 60 building-level condensing boilers, and upgraded and expanded an existing energy management control system (EMCS), it says.
According to Ameresco, the first phase of the project is projected to reduce energy intensity by 35 percent. To support the Wallops Mission Plan and NASA’s overall effort to reduce energy consumption and improve aging infrastructure, Ameresco is currently engaged in building and deploying a $13 million second phase to the energy savings project. The scope includes a geothermal energy efficiency project at the site that is projected for completion in 2013.
This project is being made possible through Wallops Flight Facility’s energy savings performance contract (ESPC) with Ameresco.Through an ESPC, Ameresco pays all costs involved in identifying and installing new or upgraded energy-efficient equipment. The energy upgrades are paid for by a portion of the cost savings resulting from these improvements over a set term. At the end of the ESPC, the customer owns all of the improvements and receives all of the continuing savings.
During the first phase of the energy savings program, Ameresco worked with Wallops to replace the central plant fuel-oil fired boilers with high-efficiency, propane-fired condensing boilers while installing more than five miles of new underground propane gas piping. As part of the ESPC, more than 9,950 interior and exterior lighting fixtures were replaced with higher efficiency units and technologies. Ameresco also upgraded and expanded the existing energy management control system in 14 buildings and interconnected newly installed gas meters to the EMCS.
Through Ameresco’s work, Wallops is expected to save more than 77,000 million BTU’s a year. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to be reduced by more than 8,600 metric tons, which is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 1,700 passenger vehicles, says Ameresco.
