Stamford’s $16 Million Investment In Energy Improvements at 16 Municipal Facilities is Guaranteed to Fully Pay For Itself Through Reduced Energy Bills
“Stamford to launch state’s first massive energy-efficiency plan”, Stamford Advocate, June 14, 2016
Bolstering its status as a national leader in energy management and sustainability, the City of Stamford today takes the first steps towards an ambitious, first-of-its-kind citywide energy savings initiative that positions Stamford as a leader in energy planning among cities in the United States.
Through a strategy originally developed by Governor Dannel Malloy during his tenure as Mayor of Stamford, the City’s Energy Improvement District (EID) has formalized a plan to invest in energy efficiency measures valued at $16 million dollars to be implemented in 16 public facilities across the City. The municipal properties comprise a total of approximately 2.5 million square feet of space, and include 15 school facilities as well as the Stamford Government Center.
Today, the City of Stamford announces the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Eversource that will provide the City with significant financial incentives for achievement of aggressive energy reduction goals. Under the terms of this MOU, the City and Eversource will jointly develop a Strategic Energy Management Plan and sequence of actions intended to achieve deep and comprehensive energy savings across City facilities.
Furthermore, the City has contracted with ConEdison Solutions, an energy services company based in Valhalla, New York, to develop specific energy savings measures that will allow the City to achieve the energy reduction goals specified in the MOU. Through an “energy savings performance contract”, ConEdison Solutions guarantees that the City will achieve its targeted energy cost savings or ConEdison Solutions will pay the difference.
The financial incentives provided by Eversource, valued at up to $3 million, coupled with the guaranteed reductions in the City’s energy bills resulting from the energy savings measures to be implemented by ConEdison Solutions, allows this comprehensive program to be privately financed. City taxpayers will thus be shielded from paying any of the capital cost.
“Under this precedent-setting program, we want to serve as an example for other communities by implementing technologically sophisticated energy solutions with guaranteed results,” said Hank Ashforth, Chairman of the Stamford Energy Improvement District. “This initiative brings together the City and the Energy Improvement District with our private-sector partners ConEdison Solutions and Eversource to begin to realize the EID’s long standing vision of improving reliability, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and better managing energy costs within the City of Stamford. The steps we take today will further enhance the economic attractiveness of Stamford for all current and future residents and businesses, and move us towards a brighter energy future.”
Leveraging its expertise in advanced energy management technology, ConEdison Solutions will undertake a variety of improvements including a new building management control system, which features the full retrofit of existing pneumatic controls to full direct digital controls within five of the city’s highest energy consuming schools, as well as the Stamford Government Center. The advanced digital system enhances flexibility, improves monitoring capabilities, and enables Stamford to manage energy usage on a citywide basis.
The program also includes LED lighting upgrades across multiple school buildings, street lighting upgrades, and implementation of an energy management technique called “retrocommissioning,” whereby a facility’s existing energy systems are audited to identify sub-optimal performance and then undergo necessary upgrades to maximize energy efficiency.
Additional elements of the citywide initiative include a new, more efficient cooling tower for the Government Center and other technology upgrades.
Further reflecting the City’s commitment to leadership in energy management, Stamford’s innovative EID program is an element of its participation in the national “2030 Districts” initiative. Stamford is one of only twelve cities nationwide participating in “2030 Districts,” which advances an array of creative private/public partnerships to serve as “business models for urban sustainability through collaboration, leveraged financing, and shared resources.”
