Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) is partnering with energy efficiency and renewable energy company Ameresco on $14.8 million ESPC to improve buildings and increase operational efficiency. This newly announced ESPC is a second-round contract with Ameresco.
The project includes upgrades to 50 buildings comprised of approximately 4.3 million square feet. Some of the energy efficiency measures include: updated exterior lighting systems, LED technology and controls; energy management systems upgrades; bi-polar ionization and demand control ventilation; building envelope improvements; domestic water conservation; HVAC system renovations; boiler and chiller replacements; and other stringent energy control measures. At Riverside and Sedgefield Elementary Schools, the heating, ventilation and cooling systems will be completely replaced and upgraded to a high efficiency water source heat pump system to provide both heating and cooling. Deer Park Elementary School will benefit from a complete boiler plant renovation.
“Our contract with Ameresco allows us to replace our aging infrastructure, upgrade our buildings and make improvements, during a time when the school division’s capital improvement funding is flat. The project includes efficiency measures that will deliver $1,048,853 in annual energy savings, benefiting the schools and local community for years to come,” said Keith Webb, Executive Director of Plant Services, NNPS.
The environmental benefits from this project include the reduction of more than 10 million pounds of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to eliminating 878 passenger vehicles from the road annually, saving enough electricity to power 668 homes each year, or the equivalent of planting 1090 acres of pine forest annually, according to Ameresco.