Guntersville Middle School in Guntersville, Alabama
Georgia News, News

ABM to Reduce Energy and Operating Costs of the Schools of Guntersville, Alabama, by More than $9.3 Million

October 24, 2018

ABM (NYSE: ABM), a leading provider of facility solutions, has initiated an Energy Performance Contracting program for the Schools of Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama. ABM’s customized solution is projected to save the Schools of Guntersville more than $9.3 million in energy and operating costs over a 15-year period, which will help the school system fund the construction of a new high school. The project launched in September 2018 and is scheduled for completion in May 2019.

Guntersville Middle School in Guntersville, Alabama
Guntersville Middle School

Energy and operations savings will be achieved by implementing HVAC and control, water system and transformer upgrades at each of the school system’s five facilities. The upgrades will save the Schools of Guntersville more than $500,000 in energy and operating costs in the first year, which will climb during the life of the program, resulting in more than $9.3 million in savings.

“ABM’s Energy Performance Contracting program will allow the school system to upgrade each building’s infrastructure, while dedicating funding toward building a new high school,” said Mark Newsome, President of ABM Technical Solutions. “By leveraging guaranteed energy and operational savings, ABM will help the Schools of Guntersville take steps toward addressing infrastructure needs at each of its facilities.”

The infrastructure at the Schools of Guntersville facilities is aging and inefficient, or near the end of its lifespan. The project will provide high-efficiency HVAC upgrades and state-of-the-art controls at Guntersville High, Cherokee Elementary, Guntersville Elementary and Guntersville Middle schools, and a rejuvenation of the existing HVAC system, as well as new WiFi enabled thermostats at the Guntersville Board of Education building.

The school system plans to save for the construction of a new Guntersville High School. The current facility, which was built in 1971, faces roofing issues, and is near the end of its lifespan. Along with creating savings through ABM’s Energy Performance Contracting program, school officials are currently working with Guntersville City Council to secure funding for the new school.

ABM’s project also includes a refrigeration management program at each of the schools, which will provide each school with energy-efficient refrigeration systems in the cafeterias. The new program provides school officials with instant updates of any temperature control issues in the refrigeration system.

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. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8kchVBAonQ for a video on how ABM is providing facility and financial solutions to school districts without upfront costs or tax increases.

As part of the Energy Performance Contracting program, ABM is working with SMALLab Learning to install a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) laboratory at Guntersville Middle School. Schools across Alabama and nationwide are emphasizing the importance of offering STEM programming to students to increase engagement and provide students with an opportunity to learn hands-on lessons in a laboratory setting.

“ABM’s customized solution for the Schools of Guntersville will allow us to make crucial upgrades to our facilities, which will ultimately impact our students’ by creating a more comfortable learning environment, without affecting our budget,” said Brett Stanton, Superintendent of the Schools of Guntersville. “It also provides us the ability to expand learning opportunities at Guntersville Middle School through the new STEM lab. By providing us with reliable facilities and equipment, this solution provides us with the freedom to focus on education more than our infrastructure.”

Highlights of the project include:

  • Upgrading to high-efficiency HVAC systems, which will be controlled by state-of-the-art controls at Guntersville High, Cherokee Elementary, Guntersville Elementary and Guntersville Middle schools, while rejuvenating the existing HVAC system and installing WiFi-enabled thermostats at the Guntersville Board of Education.
  • Replacing the roof at Guntersville Elementary School, and upgrading ventilation systems and sealing building envelopes at each facility.
  • Refrigeration management programs and high-efficiency transformer upgrades will be put in place at each school.
  • Upgrading water conservation systems at each facility.

For more information on ABM’s Energy Performance Contracting Program and other offerings, visit www.abm.com.

You may also connect with ABM on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

About ABM

ABM (NYSE: ABM) is a leading provider of facility solutions with revenues of approximately $5.5 billion and more than 130,000 employees in 350+ offices throughout the United States and various international locations. ABM’s comprehensive capabilities include janitorial, electrical & lighting, energy solutions, facilities engineering, HVAC & mechanical, landscape & turf, mission critical solutions and parking, provided through stand-alone or integrated solutions. ABM provides custom facility solutions in urban, suburban and rural areas to properties of all sizes – from schools and commercial buildings to hospitals, data centers, manufacturing plants and airports. ABM Industries Incorporated, which operates through its subsidiaries, was founded in 1909.
For more information, visit www.abm.com.