Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

ABM, S.C. District Partner on Energy Performance Contracting Program

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/24/22

Facility solutions provider ABM recently announced that it has initiated an Energy Performance Contracting Program with the Abbeville County School District (ACSD) in South Carolina. A news release reports that the solution will modernize facility infrastructure in all the district’s schools and save the district about $4.9 million in energy and operating costs over the next 15 years. It will also offer general fund relief necessary to invest in future learning initiatives while also allowing the district to improve learning environments and improve indoor air quality for students and staff.

“The pandemic highlighted infrastructure needs nationwide, but it also required schools to invest more in alternative learning, teachers, and technology,” said ABM Technical Solutions President Mark Hawkinson. “We can do more for schools today than save them energy costs. We deliver solutions that address the capital investment needs and operating cost challenges schools face so they can best use funds for the benefit of students and teachers.”

The project will offer all eight ACSD schools and its Adult Education and Career Centers improved lighting, HVAC, and water conservation upgrades, as well as variable refrigerant flow units, to help the district save money. The flow units are designed to increase ventilation from outdoor air and provide bipolar ionization technology to increase indoor air quality.

Other solutions provided include building controls; sensors to measure outdoor air conditions as a method of maximizing system efficiency; and seismic, wind, and vibration hardware for hurricane and earthquake protection.

ABM has implemented its Energy Performance Contracting Program in more than 500 K–12 districts around the country to allow them to invest in important facility upgrades without drawing new funds from the community.

“We didn’t have a way to equitably upgrade our schools for all our students with our current spending structure,” said ACSD Superintendent Dr. Mason Gary. “ABM was able to put together a project that helped us better allocate our ESSER funds, transform our capital budget into an investment in our community assets, and free up our general fund to invest in teachers and educational initiatives for our students.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • Haws Corporation Marks 120th Anniversary

    Haws Corporation, which provides hydration and emergency safety solutions worldwide, recently announced that the company is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, according to a news release.