ABM’s Energy Performance Contracting Solution Helps Finance Energy-Efficiency, Green Energy and Water Conservation Improvements across District
ABM (NYSE:ABM), a leading provider of facility solutions, announced that Salida Union School District in California will implement comprehensive infrastructure improvements through ABM’s energy performance contracting program. ABM’s customized solution is projected to save Salida Union School District more than $4.6 million in energy and operating costs over a 20-year period by providing energy-efficiency enhancements and water conservation measures to multiple schools within the district. The projects are scheduled to be finalized in summer 2017.
ABM’s energy performance contracting program is designed as a financial solution to meet clients’ technical facility needs and sustainability goals. For ABM, the goal is to drive costs out of a client’s operating budget, allowing savings to be reallocated to fund mission critical facility needs.
View an infographic on how ABM is building value for educational facilities through its energy financing solutions.
Salida Union School District had been facing rising operating and maintenance costs due to aging facility equipment. In fact, all of the HVAC systems at Dena Boer Elementary, Mildred Perkins Elementary, Salida Elementary School and Sisk Elementary School were over 25 years old - making equipment failures regular and costly events. The district did not have the money necessary to replace its equipment, nor did it want to burden local citizens with a tax increase to replace these failing systems.
Fortunately, the California Clean Energy Jobs Act (Proposition 39) allocates revenue to local education agencies to support energy-efficiency and alternative-energy projects, along with related improvements and repairs that reduce operating costs and improve health and safety conditions in public schools. The California Energy Commission approves and allocates these funds according to strict accountability requirements that aim to ensure the funds will deliver the expected outcomes.
To develop this solution for Temple Terrace, ABM conducted an extensive audit of the City’s public buildings. The audit revealed that 57 percent of the HVAC equipment surveyed was 15 years old or older with several units showing signs of deterioration. With a detailed list of the City’s assets, their conditions and expenses, ABM was able to create an extensive project plan and financial solution to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and boost operations savings by upgrading HVAC equipment, adding state-of-the-art HVAC controls, installing energy-efficient LED lighting, fortifying building envelopes and more.
To help the District qualify for these funds, ABM conducted an extensive energy audit and worked closely with leaders of the District to discover failing equipment and energy-efficiency opportunities for multiple schools. Using this information to create a detailed energy-efficiency plan and project scope, ABM’s team helped the District navigate the California Energy Commission’s strict guidelines to successfully obtain a Proposition 39 grant to fund the project. ABM also helped secure a zero-interest loan through the California Energy Commission’s Energy Conservation Assistance Act for Education.
In all, ABM’s customized performance contracting program provides infrastructure upgrades that will result in estimated annual savings of 925,000 kilowatt-hours of energy; 3,100 therms of natural gas; and 1.9 million gallons of water. This equates to more than $175,000 of utility cost savings per year. Highlights of the energy-efficiency, water conservation and facility improvements include:
- Replacing 84 HVAC units that were 25+ years old with new, energy-efficient units.
- Installing outside economizers and/or fresh air intakes to improve indoor air quality and reduce the cooling load for Dena Boer Elementary, Mildred Perkins Elementary, Salida Elementary School and Sisk Elementary School.
- Mounting solar photovoltaic energy systems at Salida Elementary School and Mildred Perkins Elementary to provide renewable, emissions-free energy sources – creating energy savings in excess of $46,000 per year.
- Implementing a cool roof restoration at Dena Boer Elementary School that covers almost 40,000 square feet.
- Upgrading to water-saving equipment at Dena Boer Elementary, Mildred Perkins Elementary, Salida Elementary School, Sisk Elementary School, Salida Middle School and the District Office.
Supporting Quotes
“ABM is excited to support Salida Union School District in its efforts to improve the learning environment, energy efficiency and sustainability of its schools, while also creating general fund relief that can be used to support educational programs for many years to come,” said Scott Giacobbe, President of ABM Building & Energy Solutions.
“Salida Union School District’s primary goal is to provide an excellent educational experience for our students. By conducting a very thorough and thoughtful analysis, ABM was able to upgrade our facilities, minimizing our carbon footprint on our environment. These upgrades reduced our monthly utility costs and increased the programs and learning opportunities for our students. These cost saving measures allow the district to re-invest money back into our future and our greatest asset, our students,” said Twila Tosh, Superintendent of Salida Union School District.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to upgrade our facilities, reduce energy costs and eliminate maintenance headaches; all with great financial benefits for the City and no burden on our taxpayers,” said Michael Dunn, Public Information Officer for the City of Temple Terrace.
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