en.Wedoany.com Reported - Pittsylvania County, Virginia, plans to implement energy efficiency upgrades to the Moses Building (which houses the county sheriff's office), originally constructed in the 1930s, to improve employee comfort. Chris Adcock, the county's Director of Public Works, stated that the building previously relied on over 50 window air conditioning units and a steam boiler for temperature regulation, resulting in offices that were often either too hot or too cold. Old windows also allowed moisture infiltration, causing paint to peel and plaster to crack.
With other large projects on the horizon and lacking funds for new construction, the county chose to sign an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with energy service company Ameresco. This contract allows the county to perform energy efficiency upgrades on the aging building in a cash-flow-neutral manner without violating historic building standards and regulations.
Adcock explained that Ameresco recommended installing new double-pane windows and a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) HVAC system. He believes this solution is well-suited to the project's needs, as it creates independent control zones without requiring extensive ductwork—a critical advantage for a 1930s building lacking chases or mechanical line spaces. Peter Christakis, Chief Operating Officer of Ameresco, noted that the ESPC concept, born nearly half a century ago, is increasingly becoming a popular method for retrofitting aging urban buildings. For cities and towns lacking capital funds, ESPC is an effective tool for making tangible, rapid facility improvements.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, energy service companies (ESCOs) like Ameresco typically undertake ESPC projects with contract terms of 10 to 20 years and amounts of at least $1 million. These contracts stipulate that the equipment installed by the ESCO is owned by the city or county, maintained by the ESCO during the contract period, and the ESCO must guarantee a fixed level of energy savings. Other companies implementing ESPCs include: Enfra, which has partnered with multiple universities; Honeywell, which completed a $2.45 million project in Bemidji, Minnesota (completed in 2016); Johnson Controls, which works with Cobb County, Georgia, and others to improve energy and water performance; Opterra Energy Services (formerly Engie Services US), whose citywide project in Oceanside, California, won a Smart Cities Connect award; Schneider Electric, whose project with Madison County Schools in Alabama received a U.S. Department of Education Sustainability Award; and Siemens, which has been replacing streetlights and upgrading facilities in Orem, Utah, since 2016, with projected savings of $11.5 million over 15 years.
Christakis said cities or counties typically finance ESPC upgrades through loans, tax-exempt municipal leases, bond issuances, capital funds, rebates, or grants, with the energy savings guaranteed by the ESCO ultimately used to repay the various funding sources—a balance-sheet-neutral type of arrangement. Adcock stated that Pittsylvania County incorporated the $1.5 million financing needed for the Moses Building upgrades into a Virginia Resources Authority loan. Although the ESPC contract with Ameresco guarantees energy savings, the project (completed in March) may ultimately require the county to cover some costs. Adcock said that with the new efficient systems and windows, the county hopes to achieve a certain return on investment. Even if it is not enough to repay the loan, every dollar saved helps for a rural county with a limited budget.
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