ABM to Reduce Energy and Operating Costs for the City of Fremont, Ohio, by More Than $12 Million

Wednesday, September 19, 2018


​ABM’s Energy Performance Contracting Program Allows the City of Fremont to Save Funds for Infrastructure Upgrades


ABM (NYSE: ABM), a leading provider of facility solutions, has initiated an Energy Performance Contracting program for the City of Fremont, Ohio. ABM's customized solution is projected to save the City of Fremont more than $12 million in energy and operating costs over a 15-year period, which the city will utilize to make infrastructure updates. The project launched in August 2018, and is scheduled for completion in July 2019.

Energy and operations savings will be achieved by upgrading city-owned street lights to energy-efficient lighting, retrofitting HVAC units and installing controls at eight of the city’s facilities. It also includes updates to the city’s water metering system, and residential and commercial water meters. The upgrades will save the City of Fremont$740,372 in energy and operating costs in the first year, which will climb during the life of the program, resulting in more than $12 million in savings.

“By leveraging guaranteed energy and operational savings, ABM will help the City of Fremont make upgrades that will positively impact its residents and the city’s infrastructure,” said Mark Newsome, President of ABM Technical Solutions.

The City of Fremont reached out to Campbell, Inc., in Northwood, Ohio, after a boiler and chiller failed at one of its facilities. Campbell, Inc., which is part of ABM Franchising Group’s Linc Service franchise network, has provided preventive maintenance programs for several of Fremont’s mechanical systems for two years. Campbell, Inc., approached ABM after city officials expressed interest in an energy performance contracting program.

“We told the City of Fremont we could help and contacted ABM, who we had successfully worked with on another energy performance contracting program several years ago,” said Bob Eaton, CEO of Campbell, Inc., in Northwood, Ohio. “Campbell is going to be working with ABM on the project as it relates to the city’s mechanical systems and HVAC equipment.”

City officials were working on developing a capital improvement plan to handle the expense when they became aware of ABM’s Energy Performance Contracting program. The city and ABM began working together when city officials realized the amount of improvements the Energy Performance Contracting program would allow them to do without upfront costs.

The project includes an investment in upgrading the City of Fremont’s water meters for 5,000 residential and commercial properties, which will eliminate the city’s practice of issuing fluctuating bills based on estimated water readings. The new meters also include automated leak detection, to help the city quickly detect and repair leaks.

ABM's Energy Performance Contracting Program will enable the city to make these upgrades without impacting its capital budget. The program is designed as a financial solution to meet clients' technical facility needs and sustainability goals. 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 a video to learn how ABM is providing facility and financial solutions to local governments without upfront costs or tax increases.

“ABM’s customized solution for the City of Fremont will allow us to upgrade our existing facilities through energy and operational savings, without committing any additional funding to update the city’s infrastructure for our residents,” said Fremont Mayor Danny Sanchez. "This will provide the city with funds to positively impact all of our residents.”

Click here for a complete listing of the energy-efficiency improvements at the City of Fremont’s facilities. Highlights of the project include:

  • Replacing residential and commercial water meters to eliminate estimated reads, increase longevity and leak detection, reduce maintenance and improve efficiency
  • Retrofitting lighting systems to energy-efficient LED lighting in city-owned streetlights, bridge lights and at eight facilities, including Fremont’s recreational center, municipal building, water treatment plant, police station, streets building, parks building, Central Fire Station and Eastside Fire Station
  • Replacing or retrofitting HVAC units at six facilities, which will be controlled by state-of-the-art HVAC control systems to maximize energy and operational efficiency
  • Upgrading building automation systems at the recreational center, municipal building and police station to increase usability and comfort for employees and occupants, while driving operating savings
  • Enhancing facility security by upgrading key-fob access and video monitoring to provide additional safety for occupants
  • Upgrading ventilation at each facility by sealing building envelopes and resealing windows to drive energy savings and to increase employee and occupant comfort

For more information on ABM's Energy Performance Contracting Program and other offerings, visit www.abm.com.


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