lots of money inside bags

ABM, provider of facility solutions, initiated an Energy Performance Contracting program for Bryan County, Georgia. ABM's customized solution is projected to save Bryan County more than $16.4 million in energy and operating costs over a 15-year period, which will allow the county to dedicate funding to providing additional services as the county continues to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2020.

Energy and operations savings will be achieved by implementing lighting, HVAC and control upgrades, and water conservation throughout the county’s 36 facilities. The upgrades are projected to save Bryan County more than $500,000 in energy and operating costs in the first year, which will climb during the life of the program, resulting in a projected total savings of over $16.4 million.

“As the population within Bryan County continues to grow, so will the demand for its public facilities,” said Mark Newsome, President of ABM Technical Solutions. “By implementing ABM’s Energy Performance Contracting program, Bryan County will be able to control costs and create an environment that will better serve its residents.”

Bryan County is divided into two parts – North Bryan County and South Bryan County and includes Fort Stewart, which primarily serves the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. Since 1980, due in part to Fort Stewart, Bryan County’s population has surged from approximately 10,000 to more than 37,500 residents.

Bryan County officials selected ABM to develop a customized solution to take a long-term, comprehensive approach to modernize the county’s facilities to decrease energy and operations expenses. The county plans to use the savings to offer additional services, such as a new fire station, for its burgeoning population.

ABM’s solution includes upgrading lighting, HVAC systems and building automation controls at 36 facilities. It also includes roof repairs and replacements, sealing building envelopes to control airflow, and the installation of water conservation measures at several facilities.

Several facilities are receiving additional enhancements, including the installation of new Cool Play Synthetic Turf and LED lighting at North Bryan County’s Hendrix Park. Full-building emergency electricity generation systems will be added at the Bryan County Courthouse and the Bryan County Administrative Building, as well as the facilities that house the county’s Public Safety services, Board of Commissioners and Planning & Zoning.

ABM's Energy Performance Contracting Program will enable the county to make these upgrades without impacting its capital budget. The program is designed as a financial solution to meet clients' technical facility needs and sustainability goals. The goal is to drive costs out of a client's operating budget, allowing savings to be reallocated to fund additional services for residents.

“ABM’s customized solution will allow us to address the needs of our facilities without affecting our budget,” said County Manager Ben Taylor. “This solution will give us the ability to generate savings, while providing facility improvements, and have a positive impact on current and future Bryan County residents.”

Highlights of the project include:

• Retrofitting lighting systems to energy-efficient LED lighting and replacing or retrofitting HVAC units, which will be controlled by state-of-the-art HVAC control systems to maximize energy and operational efficiency

• Installing of Cool Play Synthetic Turf and LED lighting at North Bryan County’s Hendrix Park

• Installing full-building emergency electricity generation systems at the Bryan County Courthouse and the Bryan County Administrative Building, as well as the facilities that house the county’s Public Safety services, Board of Commissioners and Planning & Zoning

• Improving ventilation at several facilities by sealing building envelopes to increase occupant comfort and drive energy savings