Ameresco Applauds Knoxville Convention Center on Earning LEED Silver Certification
Ameresco,
Inc., (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy
company, today commended its customer, Knoxville Convention Center, on
earning the prestigious LEED Silver Certification for Existing Buildings
by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the facility’s
sustainable operational policies. A ceremony was held today to recognize
the Convention Center’s sustainable achievement, as well as its honor of
being the first convention center in Tennessee to achieve LEED
certification for its green initiatives. Ameresco Executive Vice
President David J. Anderson joined Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and
Knoxville Convention Center’s General Manager Mary Bogert in today’s
events to celebrate the accomplishment.
“We commend the City of Knoxville and the Knoxville Convention Center
for their commitment to environmental stewardship and leadership in
sustainability,” said David J. Anderson, Executive Vice President,
Ameresco. “Ameresco is proud to be a valued partner, and we congratulate
the Knoxville Convention Center for earning the prestigious LEED Silver
certification, and demonstrating their vision to the municipal
community.”
In order to achieve LEED Certification for Existing Buildings, the
Convention Center was scored in accordance with rigorous guidelines set
forth by the USGBC. The Convention Center verified that Ameresco
installed a 120-kilowatt rooftop solar photovoltaic system as part of a
comprehensive energy efficiency project. In addition to the solar
installation, the facility added new energy efficient boilers, a 30-ton
air cooled chiller, window film, a new domestic hot water system and
lighting systems to reduce the center’s carbon footprint and make the
building more sustainable.
“The Convention Center is committed to being a facility that takes the
environmental impact of its operations seriously, and our sustainable
practices are intricately woven into our everyday operations,” said
General Manager Mary Bogert. “This certification demonstrates this
commitment. We are grateful to the City of Knoxville for placing high
value on sustainability and to the City of Knoxville Department of
Sustainability and its energy contractor, Ameresco, for partnering with
our staff to help achieve this goal.”
“I applaud the staff of the Knoxville Convention Center on their
commitment to sustainability and congratulate them on this award,” said
Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero. “Their commitment furthers the City of
Knoxville’s focus on sustainability and renewable resources. Recently,
we were proud to place the largest solar panel installation on any
City-owned facility on the roof of the Convention Center to provide
clean, renewable energy to the region.”
In 2010, Ameresco and the City embarked upon a $13.8 million Energy
Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) that implemented improvements at 104
buildings, 40 ballparks and fields, and three golf courses. These
improvements are now delivering $1.1 million in annual energy savings
for the City. Energy conservation measures included new lighting systems
to provide effective lighting control and uniform lighting, solar hot
water system, HVAC improvements including a variable air volume
conversion, water conservation, irrigation solutions for ball field and
golf courses, pool covers, new steam boilers, and a city-wide energy
management system (EMS) for remote monitoring, controlling, and
troubleshooting of the HVAC systems.
Ameresco has a long history of partnering with counties, schools,
municipalities and commercial entities to improve energy infrastructure
and install renewable energy technologies. Their pioneering of the ESPC
financing model has made the budget-neutral solution an increasingly
popular option for customers across North America, which enables
budget-neutral energy efficiency upgrades by guaranteeing a minimum
level of energy savings over the term of the contract. Ameresco
coordinates the upfront project costs and the City repays that
investment with their energy savings over time.
About the Knoxville Convention Center
The Knoxville
Convention Center, managed by SMG, is located in downtown Knoxville
adjacent to the Sunsphere. It boasts a 120,000 square-foot exhibit hall,
a 27,000 square-foot divisible ballroom and up to 25 meeting rooms. For
more information, visit http://www.knoxvilleconventioncenter.com.
About SMG
Headquartered in Philadelphia, SMG provides
management services to over 200 public assembly facilities including
arenas, stadiums, performing arts centers, theatres and convention,
conference and trade centers. As the recognized industry leader since
1977, SMG provides construction and design consulting, pre-opening
services, venue management, sales and marketing and event booking and
programming. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through our in
house catering company, Savor…catering by SMG, currently servicing 65
accounts worldwide.
With facilities across the United States, and in Puerto Rico, Mexico,
Canada, Europe and the Middle East, SMG controls over 1.5 million
entertainment seats worldwide and manages more than ten million feet of
exhibition space.
About Ameresco, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc.
(NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services,
energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and
renewable energy solutions for facilities throughout North
America. Ameresco’s 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. With its corporate
headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco provides local expertise
through its 66 offices in 34 states and five Canadian
provinces. Ameresco has more than 900 employees. For more information,
visit www.ameresco.com.
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