Ameresco Expands Presence in South Florida with Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development Energy Performance Contract

FRAMINGHAM, MA and MIAMI, FL – June 5, 2012 – Ameresco, Inc., (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, announced today it has been awarded an energy performance contract with Miami-Dade County through the Public Housing and Community Development Department (MDPHCD).  Ameresco will perform a comprehensive facility-wide audit of energy and water usage and then provide recommendations on how to reduce the $8.6 million that MDPHCD currently spends on energy and water utilities annually in Public Housing.  This project comes on the heels of a nationally-recognized energy infrastructure project with the City of Miami Beach, and further expands Ameresco’s role in South Florida.

“We are committed to leveraging our resources to reduce energy and water consumption, and identify potential savings that will have a direct and positive impact on our public housing residents,” said Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez of Miami-Dade County.  “Ameresco’s excellent track record of success working in South Florida and with housing authorities across the country to identify potential energy savings will allow Miami-Dade County to further advance our commitment to providing our community with the highest level and most efficient service possible.”

MDPHCD operates over 9,200 units of conventional public housing at several sites throughout the Miami-Dade County area.  Ameresco was selected in response to a public Request for Proposals (RFP), which received several submittals.  Over the next few months, Ameresco will complete an energy and water consumption audit and make recommendations for conservation improvements.  Upon approval by the County and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Ameresco will manage the design and implementation of the retrofit installations.

“The energy performance contracting model allows customers such as Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development to stretch limited budgets and maximize value to make much-needed infrastructure upgrades and facility improvements,” stated David J. Anderson, Executive Vice President at Ameresco.  “With the near completion of our City of Miami Beach project, we look forward to working with other organizations and communities in South Florida to implement similar energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions funded with the guaranteed energy savings from their existing utility budgets.”

The HUD energy performance contract program provides incentives to public housing authorities across the country to implement energy and water savings improvements to their housing units.  The performance contract with MDPHCD is expected to make its own dramatic impact, cutting down costs for future infrastructure investment.  By leveraging energy performance contracting, a budget-neutral model pioneered by Ameresco to pay for infrastructure upgrades with a portion of guaranteed energy savings over time, MDPHCD will reduce utility costs, upgrade its equipment, and provide improved resident comfort.

This contract builds on Ameresco’s work in South Florida where a major project with the City of Miami Beach (CMB) is near completion.  Earlier this year, Nancy Sutley, President Obama’s principal environmental advisor and Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, toured the renewable energy project that has enabled the City to reinvest the annual savings of $1.2 million back into infrastructure improvements.  The CMB project features a geothermal condenser water cooling system at the City’s police headquarters that utilizes recycled groundwater, a geothermal district cooling plant that serves the Convention Center, City Hall, and the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater, as well as significant HVAC, water conservation, and lighting enhancements to over 50 municipal buildings.

About Ameresco, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, and renewable energy solutions for facilities throughout North America. Ameresco’s services include upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure and the development, construction and operation of renewable energy plants.  Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with federal, state and local governments, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers.  With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco provides local expertise through its 62 offices in 34 states and five Canadian provinces. Ameresco has more than 900 employees. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.