Ameresco,
Inc., (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy
company, announced today the Company is commencing implementation of a
$63.6 million Energy
Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) for the University of Illinois
at Chicago, as approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
The project is expected to save the University more than $1.8 million in
avoided energy costs annually for the 20 year term, and includes energy
efficiency and infrastructure upgrades to UIC’s Science and Engineering
Laboratories Complex, consisting of four teaching and laboratory
buildings and a supporting office building, totaling more than 1.2
million square feet.
“UIC is a leader in campus sustainability among Chicago-area higher
education institutions,” said UIC Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares. “We
expect the project to yield immediate cost-savings for UIC, but more
importantly, it supports UIC’s Climate Action Plan and will help meet
our goal to reduce our carbon emissions at least 80 percent by 2050.”
The project will also create many jobs during and after construction,
Allen-Meares said, “supporting the economic vitality of our neighboring
community.”
Cindy Klein-Banai, Associate Chancellor for Sustainability, said the
partnership with Ameresco “will create more efficient buildings and
reduce our energy use, allowing us to significantly reduce our carbon
footprint.” Klein-Banai said the annual emissions reduction will be
approximately 9,219 metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of
taking 1,921 cars off the road or planting 71 acres of trees.
The approximate two year-long construction period will include
infrastructure upgrades as well as energy conservation measures such as
new and re-commissioned air handling units, HVAC control systems and
equipment, chilled beam, new high performance fume hoods, lighting
retrofits, weatherization of building envelope, and the installation of
energy recovery systems.
“Ameresco is honored to have partnered with the UIC team for the past
few years to identify the solution to support the University’s unique
requirements, and we are delighted to have been selected to aid in
meeting their efficiency and sustainability goals,” said Louis P.
Maltezos, Executive Vice President, Ameresco. “The energy improvements
are expected to enhance the comfort of the facilities for students,
faculty and staff, while the budget-neutral ESPC delivers meaningful
dollar savings to the University and provides environmental benefits
that support UIC’s sustainability platform.”
Ameresco has worked with higher education campuses across North America
to stabilize and reduce ongoing utility costs through energy
infrastructure upgrades, including complete campus plant solutions and
education outreach. Ameresco partners with organizations on projects of
all sizes with its budget-neutral ESPC model, from modernizing a single
facility to providing comprehensive campus-wide central plant
replacements. These projects are financed primarily with future energy
savings, without burdensome up-front capital investments, and are built
from best-in-class energy-efficient and renewable energy solutions.
About UIC
UIC ranks among the nation's leading research universities and is
Chicago's largest university with 27,500 students, 12,000 faculty and
staff, 15 colleges and the state’s major public medical center. A
hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC
faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation
and government partners to improve the quality of life in metropolitan
areas around the world.
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 33 states,
five Canadian provinces and the United Kingdom. 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.
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