ABM (NYSE:ABM), a leading provider of facility solutions, announced its ABM Building Services business signed a contract with Altar Valley School District in Tucson, Arizona to implement district-wide, comprehensive infrastructure improvements through its Bundled Energy Solutions program. The customized solutions will provide energy-efficient upgrades and facility enhancements to all three schools within the district. The program is estimated to save the district more than $732,000 in energy and operating costs over the next 15 years.
ABM’s Bundled Energy Solutions Program is designed to produce financial solutions that meet clients’ technical facility needs and sustainability goals. For ABM, the goal of this project was to drive costs out of Altar Valley School District’s operating budget, which allows the positive cash flow to be reallocated to fund other critical educational and operational needs.
After six months of careful analysis, ABM found a way to implement more than $430,000 in facility upgrades that will lower the District’s utility costs, energy consumption and other operational expenses for years to come. The changes do not impact Altar Valley’s operating budget and will not interfere with the District’s educational schedule. The project began in May and the majority of work is scheduled to be completed before the start of the 2014-2015 school year.
"ABM’s Bundled Energy Solutions program is an extension to custodial services already provided to the district, allowing Altar Valley School District to create a self-funding solution to the needs they face. Water management - both cost and consumption - is the critical component to helping make this solution possible due to tremendous annual savings on just that component alone. We’re pleased to have worked with Altar Valley to find an innovative way to help the schools make these much needed improvements," said Daniel Dowell, Vice President of ABM Bundled Energy Services.
ABM returned an abandoned well at Altar Valley Middle School to working order, enabling irrigation of campuses and athletic fields across the entire district. This one change alone provides an annual saving of approximately $23,000.
ABM is also installing a web-based, automated energy control system to better manage energy use, reduce repair costs to HVAC equipment and notify staff of problems as they arise at Robles Elementary, the district’s administration office and transportation buildings. ABM will be installing state-of-the-art LED lighting in Robles Elementary’s library and cafeteria. Of significant benefit to the district are the HVAC equipment upgrades at Altar Valley Middle School’s library, the district’s administration office and transportation buildings.
"There are many additional benefits besides that main savings aspect and addressing some of our infrastructure needs," said Dr. Nathan McCann, former Altar Valley School District Superintendent.
"This plan does not require the use of capital funds, and there will be no tax increase related to this. The improved energy efficiency will help the district reduce its carbon footprint and continue our commitment to preserving the natural beauty of the Altar Valley," McCann said.
ABM had been providing custodial services to the school district for more than a year when it became aware of the HVAC, energy efficiency and budget concerns confronting the school. Foremost among them were new budget cuts, as last November voters rejected the renewal of a 10% Maintenance and Operations Budget Override that effectively lowered the school’s budget every year for the next seven years. This was to begin in the 2014-2015 school year with an estimated budget decrease of $147,000, meaning administrators were faced with the possibility of having to cut spending in art, physical education, full-day kindergarten classes to charging in-state fees for sports participation or even the possibility of increasing class sizes across grade levels.
"This guaranteed energy performance contract, $433,000 worth of capital work, could not happen any other way. In our district, it is unfeasible and unrealistic to bond or have a capital override. But this is work that has to be done now, particularly on the HVAC side, we’ve identified 9 units district wide that were aging to the point that we were going to have to do something," McCann said. "Furthermore, ABM is a 1GPA Certified Vendor, which was obviously another major facet of helping to push this project through to completion."
1Government Procurement Alliance (1GPA) is an Arizona-based nonprofit, national governmental purchasing cooperative that allows public agencies to take advantage of existing public contracts to purchase the goods they need, at the most competitive prices. 1GPA awards contracts following the purchasing procedures mandated by state & federal laws and regulations.
"We are proud to assist Altar Valley in making improvements to their students’ learning environment at no additional cost to taxpayers," said Scott Giacobbe, President of ABM Building and Energy Solutions. "I hope other school districts take advantage of the solutions provided by 1GPA and ABM’s Bundled Energy Solutions program, so they can obtain vital building upgrades without impacting their budgets."
ABOUT ABM
ABM (NYSE: ABM) is a leading provider of facility solutions with revenues of approximately $4.8 billion and 110,000 employees in over 350 offices deployed throughout the United States and various international locations. ABM’s comprehensive capabilities include facilities engineering, commercial cleaning, energy solutions, HVAC, electrical, landscaping, parking and security, provided through stand-alone or integrated solutions. ABM provides custom facility solutions in urban, suburban and rural areas to properties of all sizes — from schools and commercial buildings to hospitals, manufacturing plants and airports. ABM Industries Incorporated, which operates through its subsidiaries, was founded in 1909. For more information, visit www.abm.com.
