Northeastern Michigan County Selects Ameresco for Critical Energy Efficiency and Infrastructure Upgrades
Ameresco,
Inc., (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy
company, announced today that it has begun work on a $1.6 million Energy
Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with Alpena County in
northeastern Michigan. Expected to be completed by the end of the year,
it is projected that the ESPC will save the County more than $100,000 in
annual energy and operational savings through numerous energy efficiency
and critical infrastructure improvements throughout County-owned
buildings and facilities.
“Our partnership with Ameresco will enable us to improve the energy
efficiency of our buildings and repay the investment with the guaranteed
savings provided through the energy savings performance contract,” said
Commissioner Lyle VanWormer, Chair of Finance Committee, Alpena County.
“Faced with a strained annual budget, this was the perfect solution. The
ESPC model allows us to bond the project, complete the necessary
infrastructures upgrades and avoid future capital costs.”
Prior to beginning work on the ESPC, Ameresco performed a full
investment grade audit to identify areas where energy savings measures
could be implemented throughout the County’s buildings and facilities.
The wide-ranging ESPC will involve the implementation of several energy
conservation measures in multiple facilities including the Northern
Lights Arena, jail, courthouse, pool, County fairgrounds, airport, annex
and Michigan Department of Correction offices. The upgrades across
County buildings will include new lighting, building envelope and
weatherization improvements, water conservation measures, HVAC building
automation expansions and mechanical improvements.
“We are proud to partner with Alpena County to support their efforts to
improve their infrastructure and become more energy efficient,” said
Louis P. Maltezos, Executive Vice President, Ameresco. “The ESPC model
is a very effective tool for county and municipal governments to upgrade
aging equipment and avoid equipment failure without asking taxpayers for
additional funding. All the upgrades for this project with Alpena County
will be paid through energy, operational and maintenance savings, and we
have engaged local labor and subcontractors whenever possible to help
support the local economy.”
The ESPC project will streamline all control of County equipment into
one open, non-proprietary system with web-access and remote alerts.
Ameresco will also replace the old boiler and mechanical equipment at
the County’s pool with a high efficiency boiler to improve comfort and
operating costs. In addition, Ameresco will install a low emissivity
ceiling over the Northern Lights Arena’s ice surface that will reflect
heat and save energy. In an effort to reduce the Arena’s high demand
charge for electricity, the County will close the facility this summer
as a short-term solution until the new energy efficiency improvements
are complete.
Once complete, these measures will improve performance, control and
comfort at County facilities as well as reduce maintenance and operating
costs. In addition to expected savings on energy and operating costs,
greenhouse gas emissions are expected to be reduced by 601 metric tons,
which is the equivalent of taking 125 cars off the road or avoiding
consumption of nearly 1,400 barrels of oil.
This contract builds on Ameresco’s work throughout Michigan where the
company has completed ESPC projects with Montcalm Community College and
with Ovid-Elsie Area Schools, both in central Michigan. Ameresco has a
long history of partnering with counties, schools, and municipalities 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 in Michigan and
across North America. It 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
County repays that investment with their energy savings over time.
About Alpena County
Alpena County is located in the state of Michigan and is comprised of
1,695 square miles. Originally founded in 1840 as Anomickee County, it
is considered part of Northern Michigan and has a population of 29,396.
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.
The announcement of a customer’s entry into or commencement of a
project contract is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount
of revenue from such contract, of the company’s overall revenue for any
particular period or of trends in the company’s overall total
construction backlog.
Copyright Business Wire 2013