ABM, a leading provider of integrated facility solutions, announced today its ABM Building Solutions division is partnering with Washington-Holmes Technical Center in Chipley, FL to provide the higher education institution with major upgrades through its Bundled Energy Solutions Program. The initiative is expected to save the Washington-Holmes Technical Center an estimated $2 million.
ABM's Bundled Energy Solutions Program has been designed as a financial solution to meet clients’ technical facility needs. ABM’s goal is to drive costs out of clients’ operating budgets in a manner that allows them to reallocate funding for other facility enhancements.
The project, which is scheduled to be completed by August of this year, will reduce energy consumption on Washington-Holmes Technical Center’s 26-acre campus by over 1 million kWh per year. Along with significant utility and operating savings, ABM is set to offer students in the school’s Building Trades Program hands-on experience with the project. This innovative concept was a compelling bonus for the Washington-Holmes administration, as students will be allowed to walk through ABM’s tested and proven solutions – the process will include a field survey to challenge students to identify opportunities, note potential alterations that are code compliant, and create solutions alongside ABM to improve the campus’ efficiency.
63 HVAC units will be replaced with 15-SEER units.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to provide our students with career and technical training that can better prepare them for a competitive workplace,” says Martha Compton, director of Washington-Holmes Technical Center. “The students are an intricate part of the process and will benefit greatly from this learning experience. It is this type of outside-the-box thinking that we must promote moving forward. What could be better than finding a practical way to help our students learn while improving our facility?”
Key renovations ABM is set to provide the 15 buildings on campus include retrofitting light fixtures with new high-efficiency T-8 fluorescent lamps and ballasts; renovating exhaust systems in certain buildings for improved air circulation; installation of a campus-wide, web-based HVAC control system, allowing the school to better manage energy use as well as notify appropriate staff should any problems arise with the equipment. Sixty-three HVAC units will be replaced with high-efficiency equipment that exceeds a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of 15.
“Through our partnership with Washington-Holmes Technical Center, we are able to provide the students a unique learning experience by involving them in the energy-efficiency improvements,” says President of ABM Building & Energy Solutions, Scott Giacobbe. “By teaching the students how to make their school more efficient, safe and sustainable, we are helping to develop leaders within the next generation of field technicians.”
ABM is a leading provider of integrated facility solutions. Its capabilities include expansive facility services, energy solutions, commercial cleaning, maintenance, and repair, HVAC, electrical, and landscaping.