ABM, a leading provider of facility solutions, has initiated an Energy Performance Contracting program for Lowndes County Schools in Valdosta, Georgia. ABM's customized solution is projected to save Lowndes County Schools more than $13.6 million in energy and operating costs over a 15-year period, which the school system will utilize to make facility upgrades and put more funding toward building a new high school. The project launched in June 2018, and is scheduled for completion in June 2019.

Energy and operations savings will be achieved by implementing lighting, HVAC and control upgrades at each of the school system’s facilities. The upgrades will save Lowndes County Schools approximately $800,000 in energy and operating costs in the first year, which will climb during the life of the program, resulting in over $13.6 million savings.

"ABM’s Energy Performance Contracting program will help Lowndes County School System recognize its facilities can be functioning more efficiently and create a significant savings, while improving their students’ educational environment," said Mark Newsome, President of ABM Technical Solutions. "By leveraging guaranteed energy and operational savings of ABM’s program, Lowndes County School System will be able to put more funding toward new construction, while upgrading their existing facilities."

The infrastructure at seven of Lowndes County School System’s facilities is aging or near the end of its lifespan. In addition, the school system plans to demolish and rebuild half of Lowndes High School. The project allows the school system to dedicate more funding to the high school project, while using the guaranteed energy savings to fund the other facilities’ upgrades.

While Lowndes County School System will use the energy upgrades to invest in its facilities, ABM plans to use the project to invest in the community by using local contractors to handle the majority of the school system’s equipment installations.

“This entire project provides a positive financial investment in the community,” Newsome said.

ABM's Energy Performance Contracting program will enable the school system 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 mission critical facility needs. Click here for a video on how ABM is providing facility and financial solutions to school districts without upfront costs or tax increases.

“ABM’s customized solution for Lowndes County School System will allow us to upgrade our existing facilities through energy and operational savings, while committing additional funding to new construction,” said Wes Taylor, Superintendent of Lowndes County School System. "ABM provides our school system with facility and financial solutions that are keeping with our commitment to being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us by the taxpayers of Lowndes County."

Click here for a complete listing of the energy-efficiency improvements at Lowndes County School System’s facilities. Highlights of the project include:

• Retrofitting lighting systems to energy-efficient LED lighting at five schools, the Parker Mathis Learning Center, the Board of Education and the bus shop and maintenance buildings

• Rejuvenating HVAC units at seven facilities, which will be controlled by state-of-the-art HVAC control systems to maximize energy and operational efficiency

• Refrigeration management programs and high-efficiency hand dryers will be put in place at six of the school system’s buildings

• Upgrading ventilation systems at Lowndes County High School and Hahira Middle School, and sealing building envelopes at nine facilities