FRAMINGHAM, MA and SUMNER, NE – Ameresco, Inc., a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, announced that it has begun work on an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with the Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (SEM) Public Schools in Sumner, Nebraska. The project will include over $1 million in energy efficiency upgrades on 57,000 square feet of the consolidated School District’s facilities, and is expected to save SEM Public Schools an estimated 31 percent in energy costs annually. Slated to be completed in early 2014, the improvements are expected to significantly reduce the SEM Public Schools’ carbon footprint.
“The process started several months ago with a Technical Energy Audit of the school facilities,” said Jeff Walburn, Superintendent, Sumner-Eddyville-Miller Public Schools. “The audit identified many measures that can and will improve the learning environment, while significantly reducing utility and operational costs. The cost savings, from reducing energy and operational expenses, can be used on much needed facility upgrades and replacement of aging equipment. There will be no tax levy to pay for these improvements.”
As part of the ESPC, Ameresco will handle procurement, design, construction, commissioning and project management. This comprehensive ESPC includes improving energy efficiency in multiple buildings with the installation of new heating and cooling units, lighting retrofits, window replacements and electronic controls.
Focusing on a key energy concern for the school, the project is also expected to reduce the school’s dependence on propane heating through an expanded ground-source heat pump system. It is also expected to lower the cost of electricity. Other issues addressed include eliminating drafts and providing cooling where none was available. With the guidance of school officials, Ameresco developed a series of measures that will address these needs while reducing operating costs and energy consumption for years to come.
“This partnership with the local community is a great example of how public and private entities can work together to improve our schools. Upgrading infrastructures, improving energy efficiency, optimizing energy use, reducing energy costs, and realizing the additional environmental benefits, all contribute to a more sustainable future for our children,” said Louis P. Maltezos, Executive Vice President, Ameresco.
Ameresco has a long history of partnering with school districts to improve energy infrastructure and install renewable energy technologies. Its 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 school repays that investment with their energy savings over time.
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