Healthy schools
ABM, SC District Partner on Energy Performance Contracting Program
Facilities solutions provider ABM recently announced that it has launched an energy performance contracting program with the Abbeville County School District (ACSD) in South Carolina. A press release reports that the solution will modernize facility infrastructure at all schools in the district and save the district approximately $4.9 million in energy and operating costs over the next 15 years. It will also provide general financial relief needed to invest in future learning initiatives while enabling the district to improve learning environments and improve indoor air quality for students and staff.
“The pandemic has highlighted infrastructure needs nationwide, but it has also forced schools to invest more in alternative learning, teachers and technology,” said Mark Hawkinson, president of ABM Technical. Solutions. “Today, we can do more for schools than save them energy costs. We provide solutions that address the capital investment needs and operating cost challenges schools face so they can make the best use of funds for the benefit of students and teachers. »
The project will provide ACSD’s eight schools and its Adult Education and Career Centers with lighting, HVAC and water conservation upgrades, as well as variable refrigerant flow units, to help the district to save money. Flow units are designed to increase outdoor air ventilation and provide bipolar ionization technology to improve indoor air quality.
Other solutions provided include build controls; sensors to measure outdoor air conditions as a method of maximizing system efficiency; and seismic, wind and vibration equipment for hurricane and earthquake protection.
ABM has implemented its energy performance contracting program in more than 500 K-12 districts across the country to allow them to invest in major facility upgrades without drawing new funds from the community.
“We had no way to equitably improve our schools for all of our students with our current spending structure,” said ACSD Superintendent Dr. Mason Gary. “ABM was able to mount a project that helped us better allocate our ESSER funds, turn our capital budget into an investment in our community assets, and free up our general fund to invest in teachers and educational initiatives for our students. . »
About the Author
Matt Jones is editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].
