Ameresco and Children's Hospital Boston Continue Partnership through Latest Extension of Energy Efficiency Agreement

Over eight years and five phases, Ameresco has helped the Hospital realize over $1 million in annual energy and maintenance cost savings

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC), a leading comprehensive energy efficiency and renewable energy company, announced today that it has finalized the fifth phase of its energy efficiency agreement with Children's Hospital Boston. Since Ameresco started working with the hospital in 2002, it has undertaken five phases of comprehensive energy audits and turnkey energy retrofits that have resulted in significant savings for Children's Hospital Boston including an average of $950,000 in annual utility cost savings and $76,000 in annual maintenance cost savings.

"We are very excited to begin work on our next phase of energy efficiency initiatives with Children's Hospital Boston," said David J. Anderson, Executive Vice President, Ameresco. "We value long-term relationships with our customers, and this partnership with Children's epitomizes that philosophy. During our eight years of collaboration, we have helped Children's realize significant energy and maintenance savings as part of a strategy of service excellence, which supports the hospital's overall vision of being the worldwide leader in improving children's health."

During its long-term collaboration with Children's Hospital Boston, Ameresco has undertaken the following energy efficiency measures over five different phases of work that have included audits, upgrades and retrofits:

    --  Extensive lighting upgrades for buildings throughout the hospital and as
        part of campus expansion;
    --  Subsequent re-lamping of light fixtures installed in the first phase
        with new generation, higher efficiency fluorescent lamps;
    --  Installation of lighting controls, both occupancy-sensing and
        day-lighting controls;
    --  Installation of water conserving plumbing fixtures in both patient and
        common area bathrooms, new fixtures include EPA WaterSense certified
        1.28 gallon-per-flush toilets and low flow faucet aerators and
        showerheads;
    --  Installation of HVAC motor replacements and variable speed fan and pump
        controls;
    --  Installation of chilled water and steam pipe insulation, as well as
        specialty insulation jackets for steam valves and fittings;
    --  Air-side heat recovery upgrades and commissioning;
    --  Ventilation air rebalancing, testing and commissioning; and
    --  Demand ventilation controls.

"Our ongoing energy efficiency work with Ameresco has resulted in an important re-investment in our facility, with substantial operational and maintenance improvements," said Paul Williams, Director of Engineering for Children's Hospital Boston. "The changes were implemented in a cost-effective manner, without disruption to normal hospital operations. This project has benefits beyond financial as these improvements have enhanced the hospital environment for our patients and staff alike."

When commenting on the most recent phase of this project, Jack Connerty, Utilities / Energy Systems Manager for Children's Hospital Boston added, "It is always a personal satisfaction for me when we move forward with new initiatives and energy projects to know that I have a company like Ameresco working with us. As always, the company has never failed to give nothing short of 100 percent."

Children's Hospital Boston is an internationally recognized 392-bed comprehensive center for pediatric healthcare. As one of the largest pediatric medical centers in the United States, the hospital records approximately 25,000 inpatient admissions each year, and its 225 specialized clinical programs schedule more than 524,700 visits annually. Additionally, the hospital performs 25,000 surgical procedures and 200,000 radiological examinations every year. The hospital's clinical staff includes approximately 1,077 active medical and dental staff, as well as 980 residents and fellows, 1,596 nursing and clinical personnel, and 5,200 other full- and part-time employees. Children's Hospital Boston is also home to the world's largest pediatric research facility.

In addition to its work with Children's Hospital Boston, Ameresco has an excellent track record of working on energy efficiency projects with hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout North America. Hospitals and healthcare facilities typically use more than twice as much energy per square foot as office buildings, so these customers are excellent candidates for energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits. In particular when one considers that third-party providers set reimbursement rates, hospitals cannot pass along these costs. Ameresco can help healthcare providers improve energy efficiency by an average of 30 percent, thus creating a new source of capital to invest in facilities, state-of-the-art medical equipment, staff salaries, or other mission specific critical needs.

About Ameresco, Inc.

Ameresco, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in April 2000 and is a leading independent provider of comprehensive energy efficiency solutions for facilities throughout North America. Ameresco's solutions include upgrades to a facility's energy infrastructure, and the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy plants. With corporate headquarters located in Framingham, MA, Ameresco has 55 offices in 29 states and four Canadian provinces. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.

    Source: Ameresco, Inc.

Released February 3, 2011