U.S. Interior Department Awards Contract to Framingham Company

The U.S. Department of the Interior has awarded Ameresco an Energy Savings Performance Contract.

The contract, valued at $77 million over the 20-year term, is designed to provide for the implementation of water conservation and energy efficiency measures, and ongoing energy management services to the U.S. Department of the Interior headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

“Ameresco is excited to serve the Department of the Interior in leading by example at its headquarters building in the nation’s capital,” said Nicole Bulgarino, Vice President and General Manager of Federal Solutions at Ameresco, in a press release. “This project will support the Department in meeting its sustainability goals through innovative water saving measures and ongoing services that are expected to save energy and optimize building operations for the next two decades.”

Through the comprehensive Contract, Ameresco will install a combination of measures to reduce energy and water consumption within the seven-story, 1.3 million square foot headquarters building. The project is designed to reduce domestic water consumption by 70 percent through the installation of new plumbing fixtures and the harvesting of groundwater that is currently collected under the building and discharged to storm drains.

Ameresco will treat and store the harvested groundwater in a re-purposed chilled water storage tank for non-potable uses including irrigation, cooling tower makeup water supply, and toilet and urinal flushing in bathrooms.

The energy efficiency project is expected to reduce electricity consumption by 31 percent and to reduce steam utilization by 12 percent. These reductions will be accomplished by the installation of over 9,400 solid state/light emitting diode (LED) technology fixtures. They will be controlled by a new advanced lighting control system that will be integrated into the building automation system to control space lighting in offices based upon occupancy.

A new open-protocol direct digital control (DDC) system also will be installed to optimize the overall energy performance of the building through building-wide control of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC). To improve the envelope of the building, Ameresco will install over 500 new windows with between-glass blinds to reduce heating and cooling losses to the outside environment.

The Contract is expected to result in first year savings of more than $3.2 million and to provide for $87 million in energy and cost savings during the 18-year performance period and two-year implementation period of the contract.

Overall, the Contract will reduce the Department’s greenhouse gas emissions by 24 percent and it will support the Department in meeting Federal sustainability requirements, including several of those outlined in the March 19, 2015, Executive Order – Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade.

Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. is a provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout North America and Europe.

With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, Ameresco has more than 1,000 employees providing local expertise in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.