Energy Services Group - ESG

CASE STUDIES

ESG has worked extensively throughout the upper Midwest with many K-12 school districts, higher education facilities and various branches of governments.  The driving force many times is a desire to lower operational expenses by reducing their utility spend – but typical challenges include meeting newly mandated codes, addressing capital replacement of major equipment, correcting comfort complaint issues and rectifying long standing deferred maintenance.  In most all cases, funding is a major concern and must be a key component to any recommendation.

Our typical solutions involve a comprehensive analysis of the facilities and a detailed engineering study of all their needs.  Our funding alternatives are equally comprehensive and by combining aspects of many different programs we can tailor a package that typically includes 3 to 5 funding vehicles.  In most all cases, our solutions are budget neutral to the customer (no increased operational costs) and of negligible impact to the tax payers (minimal levy increase required).  Our turn-key implementation of your custom Comprehensive Facility Management Plan guarantees a project that is delivered on budget and with quality work that will exceed your expectations.

The following case studies provide an overview of some previous ESG solutions:

Eden Prairie Public Schools - Eden Prairie, Minnesota

$3.4 Million In Energy And Operational Savings Helps School District Upgrade Learning Environments

Eden Prairie Public School District is a growing district that serves approximately 8,600 students. Eden Prairie initiated a Comprehensive Energy Management Project with Energy Services Group at eight district buildings (over 1,244,000 square feet) to curb increasing utility costs.

Challenges:

Solutions:

Results:

Conclusion:

Eden Prairie School District is on track to save more than $162,331 in energy-related costs in the first year of its Comprehensive Energy Services partnership with ESG. In the process, the district also has significantly improved the learning environment of its classrooms. The district will also reap the financial benefits of improved facility maintenance practices and decreased operational expenditures.

Eden Prairie Public Schools like many schools today, were encountering rising utility bills as a result of our out-of-date, inefficient equipment. In addition, public concern over the quality of the air children and teachers were breathing prompted finding a cost-effective, long-term solution that would improve classroom environments and simultaneously decrease operating costs. Performance Contracting with ESG was the answer.

The ESG Comprehensive Energy Services program has allowed Eden Prairie School District to cut operating costs while improving the quality of its students' learning environments. The district will save a minimum of $162,331 on energy consumption the first year, as well as increase its savings in subsequent years. In addition, the agreement will save the district a minimum of $124,578 in operating costs per year for 10 years, for a combined estimated savings of $2.86 million that will pay for equipment improvements.

We are very proud of our relationship with Eden Prairie Public Schools and their confidence to partner with ESG in implementing programs of this magnitude.

 

North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton, North Dakota

NDSCS Improves Facilities, Saves Energy with Energy Services Group

The campus of NDSCS encompasses twenty-eight facilities, with over 1.15 million
square feet of educational space. NDSCS is a Performance Contracting pilot project
for the State of North Dakota's College and University system. ESG was selected by NDSCS and the State of North Dakota over numerous other Performance Contracting firms.

Challenges:

Solutions:

Results:

Conclusion:

Despite the dramatic increase in costs of heating (natural gas and oil) during the 2000-2001 heating season, North Dakota State College of Science's anticipated additional cost of $400,000 could have been much larger.

As it turns out, NDSCS's $1.9 million energy savings project was a blessing in disguise as a reduction of electrical energy consumption held down that portion of NDSCS's energy costs. Wayne Flack, director of the college's Physical Plant, said "the Energy Service Groups Performance Contracting project has given us the opportunity to make over due capital improvements to our facilities. ESG has given us a solution to nagging problems we couldn't address due to budget shortfalls."

NDSCS and ESG staff worked as a team to bundle as many of the goals and objectives of the college. "One of the objectives of this partnership was to improve the campus learning and working environment" states Flack. An example of this being accomplished includes the new energy efficient lighting that will maintain or in many cases increase light levels while improving the light quality and color. Other improvements include steam system efficiency improvements and implementation of campus-wide temperature control and energy management system. "The steam system improvements will reduce the heat being wasted in unoccupied areas such as the mechanical rooms and penthouse areas. Tighter HVAC system control and better monitoring of facilities with the installation of campus-wide energy management system has really helped us reduce heating and air conditioning costs."

"ESG has met all of our expectations in fulfilling their contract obligations with NDSCS. As you can imagine, a project this size was bound to have some surprises and problems not covered under the original agreement. When that did happen, ESG would step forward with solutions to the issue of the day. Finger pointing of who missed what in the original agreement never occurred. The college has been very satisfied with both the management approach and the engineering aspects of the project," states Michael F. Renk, Vice President for Administrative Affairs, NDSCS.

The project has also had a positive impact on the environment. The project included recycling hazardous mercury found in the "old technology" fluorescent lamps and ballasts, which also contained PCB hazardous waste. In addition, the reduced energy consumption will cut air pollution because less energy will be needed. Finally, the campus-wide water conservation measures implemented with the ESG energy savings project will also reduce water consumption.

 

Anoka County Government Facilities, Anoka, MN

Public-Private Partnership Saves Taxpayer Dollars

The Anoka County Comprehensive Energy Services project included facility improvement measures in ten buildings totaling over 880,000 square feet. Anoka
County entered into a Comprehensive Energy Services contract with ESG in an effort to generate savings to reinvest in their government buildings and building systems. This project is unique in that retrofits will be carefully implemented in phases while other planned facility improvement projects and traditional remodeling projects are being implemented in tandem in the future.

Challenges:

Solutions:

Results:

Guaranteed annual utility savings of $230,000.

Environmental savings of over 460,000 gallon of water annually, and over 2.3 million kWh of electricity.

Implemented projects with minimal interruptions to county staff working environments.

Improved comfort levels, operating efficiency, and taxpayer image.

Conclusion:

By initiating the $6.5 million contract with ESG, Anoka County subsidized the project with savings generated by decreased energy consumption.

"We wanted to see savings in our utility bills," says Dale Winch, director of property management of Anoka County. "But we didn't want the emphasis only on energy. When we analyzed the lighting retrofit, ESG recommended lighting options that would save energy and also recommended and installed additional lighting to improve the light levels in the work environment. We also combined energy conservation measures with needed deferred maintenance improvements."

 

Owatonna Public Schools - Owatonna, Minnesota

$3.4 Million In Energy And Operational Savings Helps School District Upgrade Learning Environments

Owatonna Public School District serves approximately 5,000 students with eleven
district buildings and over 840,000 square feet. They initiated a Comprehensive Performance Contracting Project with Energy Services Group to curb increasing
utility costs.

Challenges:

Solutions:

Results:

Conclusion:

Owatonna Public Schools like many schools today, were encountering rising utility bills as a result of our out-of-date, inefficient equipment. In addition, public concern over the quality of the air children and teachers were breathing prompted finding a cost-effective, long-term solution that would improve classroom environments and simultaneously decrease operating costs. Performance Contracting with ESG was the answer.

The ESG Comprehensive Energy Services program has allowed Owatonna School District to cut operating costs while improving the quality of its students' learning environments. The district will save a minimum of $210,000 on energy consumption the first year, as well as increase its savings in subsequent years. In addition, the agreement will save the district a minimum of $69,000 in operating costs per year for 10 years, for a combined estimated savings of $3.4 million that will pay for equipment improvements.

We are very proud of our relationship with Owatonna Public Schools and their confidence to partner with ESG in implementing programs of this magnitude.

 

Northeast Metro District 916, Roseville, Minnesota

Minnesota school uses utility savings to improve learning environment

The Northeast Metro District 916 Comprehensive Energy Services project was initiated because of a lack of funding and growing deferred maintenance needs within the
district. Annual energy savings of over $34,000 were guaranteed. The actual first
year energy savings were over $46,000. In addition to the significant savings being generated, staff and student comfort has been dramatically improved throughout the district.

Challenges:

Solutions:

Results:

Conclusion:

Northeast Metro District 916 has saved more than $46,000 in energy-related costs in the first year of its Performance Contracting partnership with ESG. In the process, the district also has significantly improved the learning environment of its classrooms. The district will also reap the financial benefits of decreased operational expenditures.

The Energy Services Group Comprehensive Energy Services program has allowed Northeast Metro District 916 to cut operating costs while improving the quality of its students' learning environments. The district has been guaranteed by Energy Services Group to save $34,948 annually on energy consumption, $4,313 annually on water consumption, and a minimum of $6,900 in "hard dollar" operating costs annually. These savings will help the district to pay for the facility improvement project.

 

Energy Services Group
Phone: (952) 473-3309
Toll-Free: (866) 224-1ESG (1374)
Fax: (952) 473-3318