AMRC Partners with Albemarle County Public Schools for GESPC Contract

Ameresco, Inc. (AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, today announced that the Company contracted with Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) for a $7.5 million Guaranteed Energy Savings Performance Contract (GESPC) to provide energy efficiency and infrastructure upgrades to 22 schools encompassing a total of over 2.2 million square feet of space.

“Partnering with Ameresco enables Albemarle County Public Schools to fund facility upgrades and energy saving projects by using the utility savings to fund the projects,” said Dean Tistadt, the school division’s Chief Operating Officer. “In addition to improving the learning environment for students, this project will improve the performance of our buildings, lower operating costs and reduce our carbon footprint by 3,500 tons of carbon annually.”

The project is expected to save the school division more than $8.7 million over the 12-year term. It includes energy conservation measures (ECMs) designed to reduce overall energy consumption and emissions, and to optimize energy efficiency of the facilities, while improving the learning environment. Interior and exterior lighting will be retrofit with energy efficient LED lighting technology and controls throughout the school division, optimizing light levels in individual classrooms and enhancing savings. The extended life of LED technologies will greatly reduce lighting maintenance. The project also includes water reduction measures including low-flow efficient fixture retrofits at many school division facilities to help reduce water usage and save money.

“Ameresco is pleased to be the energy services partner for Albemarle County Public Schools on this division-wide upgrade project,” said David J. Anderson, Executive Vice President of Ameresco. “ACPS is taking a proactive approach to enhancing the physical learning environment at their schools. This project supports energy efficiency and water efficiency measures that are expected to deliver energy cost-savings and better facility conditions, allowing ACPS to improve classroom environments for students and staff. While this budget-neutral GESPC project provides sustainable solutions, it also demonstrates responsible environmental stewardship for the entire community.”

In support of the Division’s sustainability goals, the environmental benefits from this project include greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions of 3,500 tons of carbon annually.