City of West Richland, Washington Partners with Ameresco to Install LED Street Lights with Wireless Controls

One of the first cities in U.S. to use control-based energy metering to achieve a lower cost rate tariff.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. & WEST RICHLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ameresco, Inc., (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, announced today that it has completed an LED street lighting and control project for the City of West Richland, WA. The project team converted 1,097 high pressure sodium (HPS) street lights to energy efficient LED luminaires and installed a wireless monitoring and control system. The new LED street lights are expected to reduce the system’s annual electricity consumption by 61 percent, saving the City approximately $67,000 in energy costs per year. Under an agreement with the City’s electric utility, Benton Rural Electric Authority (REA), the lighting control system will enable the City to implement dimming strategies projected to reduce energy use by an additional 10 to 20 percent.

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The West Richland project team converted 1,097 high pressure sodium (HPS) street lights to energy efficient LED luminaires (Photo: Business Wire)

"It makes good economic and business sense for the City to install new LED street lights and a wireless control system that reduces energy use by more than 60 percent while improving illumination, safety and addressing dark sky considerations," said Brent Gerry, Mayor, City of West Richland. "In addition to dramatic energy and maintenance savings, the control system will also enable us to move to a lower cost metered rate schedule that provides further cost reductions."

The lighting control system will help to maximize savings through enhanced monitoring and control functions, and will enable the City to move from a flat utility rate to a consumption-based tariff, reducing the City’s average cost per kWh by more than 26 percent.

“Benton REA saw this project as an opportunity to partner with the City of West Richland to provide improved public lighting while also conserving energy,” said Clint Gerkensmeyer, Benton REA General Manager. “The added safety of the new lighting and the energy savings to the city will benefit all residents. As a cooperative, Benton REA is committed to improving the communities we serve and bringing additional value to our member-owners.”

The cost of the project is budget-neutral to the City. Funding is partially provided through local grants, including an energy efficiency grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce of $281,937, and utility incentives from BREA totaling $195,000. The balance is financed for 12-years through the WA State Treasurer Local Option Capital Asset Lending program, and paid for through savings.

“Ameresco is excited to partner with the City to provide an LED solution that is financially and aesthetically attractive for the community and taxpayers,” said Louis Maltezos, Executive Vice President, Ameresco. “This project is unique in that there were many constituents involved and the collaboration provided a great outcome.”

The amount of the CO₂ emissions reduction is approximately 527,481 pounds annually, which is the equivalent of removing 50 passenger cars from the road each year.

About the City of West Richland, Washington

West Richland is a fast-growing community in southeastern Washington with a population of nearly 14,000 residents. The vibrant community features an unrivaled quality of life, breathtaking panoramic views, excellent neighborhoods and a relaxed lifestyle. The region boasts some of the best recreational opportunities around, including water-skiing, boating, bicycling, fishing and wine tasting, and there are over 300 days of sunshine each year. The city's integrated park system, river shore and wide-open living spaces add to city’s appeal. West Richland is nestled between urban “Tri-Cities” metropolitan area and agricultural areas including the Red Mountain American Viticultural Area, a premier and world-renowned wine grape-growing region.

About Ameresco, Inc.

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.

The announcement of a customer’s entry into a project contract is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such contract, of the company’s overall revenue for any particular period or of trends in the company’s overall total construction backlog.

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West Richland
Drew Woodruff, 509-967-5434
drew@westrichland.org
or
Ameresco
CarolAnn Hibbard,508-661-2264
news@ameresco.com

Source: Ameresco, Inc.

Released August 12, 2015