Page 16 - Sept-Oct2017 Vol35 No3

KNOXVILLE By Chris Pianta

Ambitious Energy Savings

Energy efficiency has become the Solar installation on the Knoxville Convention Center. Photos by Brian Blackmon, City of Knoxville
foundation for all sustainable energy
strategies. Both public and private owned buildings totaling 2.3 million measurement, verification, and
entities understand the increasing square feet, as well as 40 ballparks/ maintenance costs annually. The
global need to implement energy athletic fields and three public golf city’s guaranteed energy savings were
efficiency projects to decrease their courses in and around Knoxville. The anticipated to range from $1.14 million
carbon footprint by reducing fossil project was designed to save money in the first year to $1.84 million in the
fuel consumption and greenhouse gas in energy and maintenance costs, and 13th year, averaging around $1.5 million
emissions. However, implementing a took advantage of special funding a year. The savings provide a significant
comprehensive energy efficiency plan options available for this type of energy- reduction to the approximate $7 million
that pays for itself through the energy infrastructure investment. Under an the city currently spends annually in
savings can be a difficult task without the Energy Savings Performance Contract, utility bills.
proper experience. the energy savings realized by the City
would fully pay for the much needed Vice President of Ameresco, John
Energy Service Companies provide capital improvements. Bosch, agreed with Haslam and
organizations the expertise necessary complimented the City for its initiative.
to execute an effective energy efficiency Former Mayor of Knoxville Bill Haslam “Mayor Haslam and the entire City
plan. ESCOs have extensive design was excited about the partnership with Council have shown great foresight
and implementation experience Ameresco and understood that it was and aggressive leadership by utilizing
in integrating multiple efficiency more than just an opportunity to save a creative way to improve the City’s
measures and provide the financing some money. “In addition to the cost infrastructure, while reducing operating
necessary to complete the plan. They savings, the city will realize we will costs and helping to improve the
are distinguished from other firms that also avert the release of approximately environment. We look forward to making
offer energy efficiency improvements 18.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide this project a reality for the City.”
in that they use the performance- emissions annually, which is equivalent to
based contracting methodology. When taking more than 1,600 cars off Knoxville’s The contract provided the City an
an ESCO implements a project, the streets,” Haslam said. “So in addition alternative way to fund major capital
company’s compensation is directly to the financial benefits there are also projects without impacting the City’s
linked to the actual energy cost savings. significant environmental benefits for all operating budget. It generated an average
Therefore, for each plan, the ESCO acts of our residents.” annual savings of $1.1 million through
as the project developer, integrating the reductions in utility costs by bundling
project’s design, financing, installation Total costs of the energy services together several energy conservation
and operational components. agreement over the 13 years was measures that helped pay for each other
estimated at $13.4 million. The City despite the varying paybacks of the
In December of 2009, the Knoxville would also pay $86,694 for necessary individual energy conservation measures.
City Council approved an ambitious
energy services agreement with
Ameresco, a Massachusetts-based ESCO
providing for improvements that would
save the City millions of dollars while
reducing its energy consumption and
carbon emissions. The savings generated
by the almost $14 million energy
conservation package would pay for the
costs of installing and maintaining the
improvements in just over 12 years.

Ameresco initially entered into a
contract with the City of Knoxville in
2008 to conduct an energy audit of all
city-owned facilities. It was the first step
in a two-part process. The second step
involved using the findings from the
audit to develop energy-reducing capital
improvements in a manner where the
resulting savings would actually pay for
those improvements.

The City planned to upgrade 99 city-
16 TPW September/October 2017