Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced an energy performance contract between the Virginia Department of General Services (DGS) and Schneider Electric to make energy efficiency improvements to multiple government buildings, including the Patrick Henry Building which houses the Governor, his Cabinet and staff. The project includes six state office buildings and will result in annual energy and operational savings of $245,000. Construction is scheduled to be complete in 2018.
“As I stated in my Energy Plan, reducing energy costs and consumption in state government has been a top priority for my administration,” says Governor McAuliffe. “This project will deliver facilities upgrades with no upfront capital costs to taxpayers, while reducing the amount of electricity the state uses and taxpayer dollars going to utility bills. I am pleased that these improvements are being made in the building that houses my staff, my Cabinet Secretaries, and numerous other dedicated state employees and look forward to these cost saving strategies to continue for years to come.”
The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council honored the work with an award at the an annual awards ceremony Thursday evening at the University of Richmond.
Schneider Electric will implement a variety of energy conservation measures including the installation of LED lighting and low-flow plumbing fixtures to reduce water waste throughout the facilities. The project will impact key DGS buildings including the historic Patrick Henry Building and the Supreme Court of Virginia, as well as other office, laboratory, and warehouse buildings in Richmond. Schneider Electric has experience in retrofitting historic buildings so they can benefit from modern efficiency measures while still maintaining their architectural appeal and historic integrity.
“Energy efficiency is a component of the Virginia strategy to diversify and build the Virginia economy,” says Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore. “As one of the largest consumers of electricity in the state, our government has the opportunity to drive growth in the clean energy industry by utilizing tools such as energy performance contracting. This tool helps to stretch taxpayer dollars, while providing a pipeline of business for companies that do this work.”
“Many states face challenges in maintaining public facilities without placing additional tax burden on residents,” says James Potach, senior vice president, energy & sustainability services, Schneider Electric. “We are excited to deliver infrastructure improvements that will not only reduce operating costs, but will also improve comfort levels for the employees and constituents who utilize these buildings every day.”
Energy performance contracting is a financing tool that the public sector can use to make capital improvements to facilities that reduces energy and water consumption and lowers energy costs with no upfront costs. In the last 17 years, state and local governments have completed over $700 million in performance contracting.