Santa Barbara Unified School District Commits to Proposition 39 Energy Improvements with NORESCO

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Through its work with NORESCO, a national leader in energy efficiency and energy infrastructure solutions, the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) has received state approval of its five-year energy expenditure plan and Proposition 39 funding to upgrade building systems at 13 schools. NORESCO will serve as the owner's representative for SBUSD to deliver $2.7 million in improvements through the multi-year project. NORESCO specializes in the development, design, construction, financing and operation of energy- and environmental-efficiency projects and is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. UTX.

Development of projects under the California Clean Energy Jobs Act, also known as Proposition 39, is a structured multi-step process. The district began the process by selecting NORESCO to perform energy audits at its schools to identify lighting, controls, heating, ventilating and air conditioning, building weatherization and renewable energy projects to benefit students, generate savings and fit its energy expenditure plan.

Following the screening to meet the Proposition 39 requirements, a comprehensive lighting upgrade is scheduled for implementation across multiple years. NORESCO's design strategy will be the foundation for successful implementation. As the owner's representative for SBUSD during construction, NORESCO will also develop bid specifications, evaluate bids, coordinate communication on SBUSD's behalf, provide commissioning services and perform administrative tasks for utility rebates and Proposition 39. Work at the majority of SBUSD schools, funded by Proposition 39 grants for 2014 and 2015, is underway, with three annual cycles to follow.

"Students spend most of each school day in classrooms, libraries and labs, so it is extremely important that our facilities support the daily learning environment," said David E. Cash, Ed.D. and superintendent, SBUSD. "Energy-efficient building systems and operations make sense from an economic and educational standpoint, and support our goal of providing high-quality instruction so that every child has every chance, every day."

The California Clean Energy Jobs Act, or Proposition 39, made up to $550 million available annually until 2018 for appropriation by the legislature for eligible projects to improve energy efficiency and expand clean energy generation in schools.

"With this comprehensive upgrade, SBUSD has made a strong commitment to enhancing the learning environment while reducing energy and operating costs," said Derek James, director, energy and sustainability services, NORESCO. "Not only is this a great win for the district, teachers and students, but also the local economy, with an estimated 15 jobs supported over four years to install the upgrades."

Additionally, NORESCO will provide Web-based energy dashboard reporting for each school, generating the information required by Proposition 39 for overall project reporting. NORESCO will also develop a detailed commission plan to help the district verify that upgrades are installed properly and calibrated to perform to project requirements.

For more information about NORESCO and its services, visit www.noresco.com.

About NORESCO
As one of the largest energy services companies in the U.S., NORESCO utilizes design-build, performance-based contracting vehicles and asset monetization solutions to deliver energy and maintenance savings and significant infrastructure upgrades to existing facilities. NORESCO has guaranteed more than $3 billion in energy and operating cost savings at more than 7,000 facilities throughout the U.S. and abroad. NORESCO also offers a full suite of consulting services to integrate sustainable design strategies into new construction and existing buildings. NORESCO is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.noresco.com.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/santa-barbara-unified-school-district-commits-to-proposition-39-energy-improvements-with-noresco-300115812.html

SOURCE NORESCO