K-12 Schools
December 2, 2025
Ameresco Develops On-site Solar for Orange Unified School District
Twenty-five years ago, I sat with a couple of confidantes in a booth at Joe’s American Bar & Grill on Route 1 in Dedham, MA with a napkin and an idea. I had just left a company that I built from the ground up, sold, and spent a few years under new ownership realizing that my passion—what I truly believed in—couldn’t be contained within someone else’s vision. So, I did what any entrepreneur with a restless mind and a strong conviction would do: we started over. And with that, Ameresco was born.
Ameresco celebrates 25 years in business this month. It’s a huge milestone that brings about both reflection and gratitude in me. When I founded this team, I had one big goal in mind: to build a business that made energy efficiency and renewable energy not just possible, but practical.
I believed then—just as I do today—that energy resilience, sustainability, and smart financial decisions go hand in hand. If you can create solutions that reduce costs, boost localized energy supply, and improve reliability and infrastructure, why wouldn’t people do it? Especially when you know that buildings account for at least 30% of energy consumption, it makes great economic sense. That simple question has fueled every project, every innovation, and every risk we’ve taken along the way.
But the truth is, ideas don’t build companies—people do. From day one, Ameresco has been about the talent and dedication of our team. We’ve attracted some of the brightest minds in the industry, people who share a passion for problem-solving for our customers, and I get great satisfaction seeing them across our offices worldwide. They challenge the status quo, take on the impossible, and deliver real value to our customers. It’s incredible to watch them grow and take our company to the next level. I’ve always said: when you’re in the service business, the most important investment you can make is in your people. That belief has carried us through market shifts, industry transformations, and global challenges, and it’s what will propel us forward into the next 25 years.
I reflect fondly on our first major projects—when I personally guaranteed performance contracts because I believed so deeply in what we were offering. We’ve pioneered financing models that changed the way energy projects were built. Years ago, Mike Bakas and I stood at the landfill site in South Carolina, seeing potential where others saw waste, and turning methane into power for BMW. We’re continuing to develop innovative and tailored solutions for our customers, from floating solar systems at Fort Bragg and the Signal Hill Water Treatment plant to flexible panel solar atop London Stadium, the longest cantilevered roof in the world. We’ve helped ensure baseload energy resilience, reliability, and security at countless military bases to support critical mission continuity. I pinch myself because of what we’ve been able to accomplish.
The world has changed a lot—25 years feels like double that on some days. Yet, the urgency of the global energy transition continues to become clearer and stronger to me. What hasn’t changed though is our mission and vision to Energize a Sustainable World. We’re dedicated as a full-service partner to helping our customers achieve their energy goals in ways that are smarter, more sustainable, and financially sound.
Ameresco’s story is one of entrepreneurship, impact, and a relentless pursuit of progress. I couldn’t be more proud. When I look at what we’ve built, I know there is a lot more ahead. There will be opportunities to expand our portfolio, scale new technologies, diversify supply, and to continue to show the way. As data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart technologies proliferate, the pressure on infrastructure and strain on the grid will intensify. This will continue to drive solutions that enhance efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. We should remember that with 30% reduction through energy efficiency, we will need that much less new power resources. Ameresco is poised to meet these challenges head-on, leveraging our experience, expertise, and reputation as a trusted energy partner. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
To our customers, our partners, and most importantly, our Ameresco team—thank you! Here’s to the next 25 years of innovation, impact, and making the world a stronger, more sustainable place—one project at a time (and maybe even one napkin at a time).
# Originally published on LinkedIn. #
This free resource provides a tangible roadmap for organizations looking to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve net zero emissions. The built environment is responsible for roughly 40% of energy-related carbon emissions. This resource offers a holistic approach to cutting consumption, costs, and carbon and practical solutions for facility owners and operators.
