Ameresco and National Archives and Records Administration Commemorate Award-Winning Energy Conservation Project

Multi-phase energy partnership has provided for enterprise-wide sustainability measures, including rooftop solar, water conservation, energy efficiency, and waste reduction

FRAMINGHAM, MA and COLLEGE PARK, MD – October 13, 2015 – Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE: AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, joined officials at the National Archives and Records Administration II (NARA) in College Park, Maryland, to commemorate an award-winning multi-phase energy conservation project which began in 2005. Ameresco has completed construction of the most recent phase of an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) which provided for $7.3 million of new improvements, including water irrigation upgrades, rooftop solar and high-efficiency improvements to the lighting and HVAC systems in NARA’s record storage areas.

“Ameresco is proud to support the National Archives in achieving excellence in sustainability,” said Nicole Bulgarino, Senior Vice President, Federal Solutions, Ameresco. “Through this recent phase, the Archives II facility exemplifies outstanding stewardship in energy conservation and demonstrates how its significant records-keeping mission can operate in a highly energy-efficient manner.”

During the past decade, Ameresco has used a combination of federal contract vehicles to assist NARA in achieving their energy and sustainability goals, including the U.S. Department of Energy ESPC IDIQ and GSA Schedules. Energy conservation measures installed include a broad spectrum of high-efficiency and sustainable upgrades, including upgrades to the Energy Management System—a mission-critical system that maintains archival-quality storage of national historic records and artifacts.

Combined, approximately $23 million in improvements have been installed by Ameresco at Archives I in Washington, DC, and Archives II in Maryland. Measures include cool roofs, vegetative green roofs, LED lighting, high-efficiency HVAC, cogeneration, building controls optimization, water conservation, rainwater harvesting, mechanical upgrades, solar, and composting. The compost system at Archives II is producing approximately 1,000 pounds of compost daily which is used on site, thus reducing the need for purchasing mulch and hauling the waste.

Under the most recent phase of the ESPC at Archives II, NARA’s largest and most energy-intensive facility, Ameresco installed 430 kilowatts of rooftop solar, bringing the total installed solar to 585 kilowatts. Ameresco was also able to secure lucrative utility rebates for lighting and HVAC improvements. Other measures installed include a new high efficiency chiller/heater; a new open-protocol control system to automate, integrate, and optimize the facility’s HVAC system; an upgrade to the water irrigation system to supplement the rainwater harvesting system; complete facility lighting upgrades; and high efficiency motors and sensors to the air handling units in the records storage areas.

The HVAC systems controlling these records storage areas comply with the most stringent federal requirements for national recordkeeping, preserving microfilm, cartographic and architectural items, electronic records, motion picture films/video recordings, and the photographic and graphical works related to many national treasures.

“NARA prides itself on being a leader in operational efficiency and energy conservation at all its facilities,” said Mark Sprouse, Director of the National Archives Facilities and the agency Chief Sustainability Officer: “The initiatives we’ve launched in collaboration with Ameresco have established us as a leader among all federal agencies on energy conservation.  In addition to saving taxpayers money, we have become a resource for our peers. Now, other organizations are looking to NARA for ideas and innovations.”

NARA has been nationally-recognized for its outstanding leadership and energy initiatives undertaken with Ameresco. In 2008, NARA received a Presidential Award for Leadership in Energy Management and received the 2010 GreenGov Presidential Award for “Lean, Clean and Green”. In 2013, NARA received the Energy Star Award in Combined Heat and Power category from the EPA Combined Heat and Power Partnership.

Most recently, NARA received three 2015 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards, and was specifically recognized for its use of ESPCs to reduce NARA’s energy consumption by 30.2 percent in fiscal year 2014 as compared to fiscal year 2003.

About The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The National Archives is a public trust upon which our democracy depends, ensuring access to essential evidence that protects the rights of American citizens, documents the actions of the government, and reveals the evolving national experience.

About Ameresco
Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout North America and Europe. Ameresco’s sustainability 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 has more than 1,000 employees providing local expertise in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.