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Second annual ESPC workshop dialogue focuses on communication

Huntsville Center Public Affairs
Published Aug. 16, 2018
Shah Alam, Huntsville Center ESPC post-award team lead, addresses attendees at the second annual Energy Savings Performance Contracting Measurement and Verification Workshop Aug.1 at the Bevill Center on the University of Alabama Huntsville campus. More than 70 government and industry representatives shared information, experiences, and lessons learned during the event.

Shah Alam, Huntsville Center ESPC post-award team lead, addresses attendees at the second annual Energy Savings Performance Contracting Measurement and Verification Workshop Aug.1 at the Bevill Center on the University of Alabama Huntsville campus. More than 70 government and industry representatives shared information, experiences, and lessons learned during the event.

More than 70 government and industry representatives shared information, experiences, and lessons learned during the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville’s second annual Energy Savings Performance Contracting Measurement and Verification Workshop July 31-Aug.1 at the Bevill Center on the University of Alabama Huntsville campus.

An ESPC is an acquisition vehicle installations can use to meet energy and water reduction goals without upfront capital costs.

In close coordination with the agency or garrison and Huntsville Center, the energy service contractor, or ESCO, provides capital and expertise to make comprehensive energy and water efficiency improvements in exchange for a portion of the generated savings.

Jack Porter, Fort Huachuca Garrison’s energy manager, was invited to speak at the workshop to relay his perspective from the point of the installation’s department of public works. He said the workshop is a great opportunity to build relationships.

“There are many stakeholders involved in the ESPC process and often there isn’t a lot of face time. (Our success) is based on how we communicate with each other and how we stay on the same page with each other,” Porter said.

“We’re not all located in the same geographic location so a lot of times we are telecommunicating. We’re all one community and to build that community we have to see each other face-to-face.”

Representing one of the many energy services contractors in attendance, Greg Bowman, Seimens Government Technologies, Inc., agreed with Porter’s sentiment.

“This partnership approach has really made a difference for us in being able to provide greater value to the government,” Bowman said. “The more we learn together and come together as an industry and as partners, the better we can provide the resiliency and security each contract requires.”

Jason Bray, Huntsville Center’s ESPC program manager, said there is continual growth in interest in the ESPC program among other federal agencies and service branches. Bray said representatives from the Army included staff from the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, Headquarters Installation Management Command and Headquarters Corps of Engineers.

“We’re (Huntsville Center) considered the Army’s leader in executing Energy Savings Performance Contracting, but also through partnerships we execute the Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program and the Air Force ESPC program and both were represented at the workshop too.”

Les Martin, Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Program Development Division chief, said the Air Force partners with Huntsville Center because it has a specialized contracting function dedicated solely to the execution of ESPC task orders contracts.

“This specialization allows us to leverage knowledge and expertise across our entire ESPC portfolio. It works out well,” Martin said.

Bray said he’s confident the Center’s ESPC program is the best choice for any federal agency or service branch looking to reduce energy and water consumption without upfront capital costs.

“Huntsville Center is different from the other organizations that award ESPC projects because we have a centralized project management,” Bray said. “With more than 20 years of experience, our full line of capabilities include project management, contracting, engineering and legal services. Our dedicated and experienced project delivery team provides ‘one-stop-shopping’ for our customers.”

With customer savings of an average of seven percent annually from customer's consumption baseline, and a delivery cost of 1.1 percent of the average project implementation cost, Bray said the ESPC program provides unparalleled value to customers by delivering a high-quality product at an affordable rate much lower than traditionally funded programs.