The city of Houston has signed a contract worth $23 million to retrofit 19 city buildings to increase their energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, reports Triple Pundit. Contractor Schneider Electric guarantees the city will save $1.8 million annually over the 15-year contract or it will pay the difference.
These improvements include adding or updating building management systems, installing new and upgraded heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment, retrofitting existing lighting fixtures, adding lighting controls, and installing water-saving plumbing fixtures. The contract also includes training building operators on how to operate their buildings more efficiently. The project is expected to be completed in August 2011.
This contract is in addition to a smaller $9.6 million project started last year by Schneider, which will yield nearly $800,000 in annual savings. The contract will be completed in spring 2010.
Buildings slated for renovation include Houston's city hall building, municipal courts, police headquarters and academy, a water purification plant, and two branch libraries. The projects are expected to cut the city's annual CO2 emissions by 5,831 tons.
Houston is the first C40 city in the U.S. to announce a comprehensive retrofit program, according to Triple Pundit. The group partnered with the Clinton Climate Initiative in 2006 to drive members to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency.
