Strategic Facilities Management Using Public and Private Funding for Energy Projects: A Case Study

Abstract

The Alamo Community College District (ACCD) in San Antonio, Texas has a long history of participating in public and private sector loan programs for facilities energy projects. In its most recent experience, the District has demonstrated the value of these loans beyond simple kWh savings. In 2002, The District received $3.0 million in private sector loans for projects including indoor lighting retrofits, cooling tower upgrades, and Continuous Commissioning®. Documented energy cost savings from this project exceeded the projected savings since its completion in early 2005. Now nearly a decade later, ACCD is participating in a State-funded revolving loan program for energy retrofits estimated at $10 million. A wide range of projects are proposed, including indoor and outdoor lighting retrofits, central plant upgrades, solar thermal pool heating, enhanced retrofit commissioning and installation of water based thermal storage systems. In addition, existing campus load profile analysis uncovered utility rate change options that yielded instant savings. In total, over $1 million per year in cost savings and 4 megawatts of mitigated power generation capacity are projected due to these projects. This paper presents the details of the loan procurement process as part of a state program designed for building energy efficiency retrofit projects, and how ACCD is using available resources to strategically integrate short-term systems upgrades with long-term infrastructure, energy management, and sustainability goals.