Ameresco Reports First Quarter 2012 Financial Results

• First quarter revenue of $146.6 million
• First quarter net income of $1.5 million
• First quarter net income per diluted share of $0.03

FRAMINGHAM, MA – May 8, 2012 – Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2012. The Company has also furnished prepared remarks in conjunction with this press release in a Current Report on Form 8-K.  Those prepared remarks contain supplemental information, including non-GAAP financial metrics, and have been posted to the “Investor Relations” section of the Company’s website at www.ameresco.com.

Total revenue for the first quarter of 2012 of $146.6 million was flat when compared to $146.4 million for the same period in 2011. Operating income for the first quarter of 2012 was $3.4 million, compared to $8.3 million for the first quarter of 2011, a decrease of 58.8% year-over-year. First quarter 2012 adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, was $9.1 million, compared to $11.8 million for the same period in 2011, a decrease of 22.8% year-over-year. Net income for the first quarter of 2012 was $1.5 million, compared to $5.3 million for the same period in 2011, a decrease of 71.5% year-over-year. First quarter 2012 net income per diluted share was $0.03, compared to $0.12 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2011.

“Ameresco’s first quarter revenue was in line with our expectations for this seasonally slow period, and reflects a comparison against an unseasonably strong first quarter last year,” stated George P. Sakellaris, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ameresco. “The investments that we made to solidify our market position and expand our service offerings during 2011 combined with lower than expected employee utilization rates led to an increase in salaries and benefits expense during the first quarter. While slightly impacting net income compared to our expectations, these investments contributed to strengthening Ameresco’s market position during the first quarter as evidenced by an improvement in pipeline activity. During the first quarter, total construction backlog increased 10% year-over-year, driven by a 51% year-over-year increase in awarded projects. Further, the amount of new proposals in our pipeline increased 14% year-over-year. We are very pleased that the favorable trends within our pipeline continued into the first quarter. We believe that we are well positioned to meet our expectations as well as our long-term growth targets and are leaving our 2012 guidance unchanged.”

Additional First Quarter 2012 Operating Highlights:

• Revenue generated from backlog was $103.3 million for the first quarter of 2012, a decrease of 13% year-over-year.
• All other revenue was $43.2 million for the first quarter of 2012, an increase of 54% year-over-year.
• Total construction backlog was $1.28 billion as of March 31, 2012 and consisted of:
  • $412.7 million of fully-contracted backlog, which represents signed customer contracts for installation or construction of projects that are expected to convert into revenue over the next 12-24 months, on average; and
  • $871.5 million of awarded projects, which represents estimated future revenue for projects for which contracts are expected to be signed over the next 6-12 months, on average.

FY 2012 Guidance
Ameresco’s guidance for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012 remains unchanged as follows:  total revenue in the range of $800 million to $825 million; and net income in the range of $39.5 million to $42.5 million. This guidance assumes continued improvement in the environment for converting awarded projects to signed contracts for the balance of the year.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release and the accompanying tables include references to adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure. For a description of this non-GAAP financial measure, including the reasons management uses this measure, please see the section following the accompanying tables titled “Exhibit A: Non-GAAP Financial Measures”. For a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to operating income, the most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with GAAP, please see Other Non-GAAP Disclosure in the accompanying tables.

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.

Safe Harbor Statement

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Ameresco, Inc., including statements about pipeline and backlog, as well as estimated future revenues and net income, and other statements containing the words “projects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “will” and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the timing of, and ability to, enter into contracts for awarded projects on the terms proposed; the timing of work Ameresco does on projects where it recognizes revenue on a percentage of completion basis, including the ability to perform under recently signed contracts without unusual delay; demand for Ameresco’s energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions; the Company’s ability to arrange financing for its projects; changes in federal, state and local government policies and programs related to energy efficiency and renewable energy; the ability of customers to cancel or defer contracts included in our backlog; the effects of our recent acquisitions; seasonality in construction and in demand for its products and services; a customer’s decision to delay the Company’s work on, or other risks involved with, a particular project; availability and costs of labor and equipment; the addition of new customers or the loss of existing customers; and other factors discussed in Ameresco’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2012. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Ameresco’s views as of the date of this press release. Ameresco anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while Ameresco may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Ameresco’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.