(Credit: Canva Pro)Ameresco, a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, has recently partnered with St. John's College Santa Fe campus to undertake a comprehensive, multi-phase solar and energy efficiency project. The initiative aims to reduce the college's carbon footprint and save costs through the installation of various sustainable energy solutions.
Additionally, Ameresco has teamed up with Sunel Group to bid on renewable energy projects across Europe that will generate clean electricity and provide grid stabilization services, ultimately contributing to reducing carbon emissions and increasing the share of renewable energy in Europe's electricity grid.
As part of the multi-phase solar and energy efficiency project, St. John's College Santa Fe campus will benefit from the installation of 1,670 solar panels and 20 electric vehicle charging stations across four campus parking lots. The solar panels will use a cutting-edge grid-connected photovoltaic design, allowing the college to store and utilize the energy generated as needed while also linking to the local utility grid.
The project involves LED lighting retrofits indoors and outdoors, HVAC retrofits on three buildings, boiler and air handling unit replacements, and water infrastructure upgrades in dormitories. These changes aim to reduce the college's carbon footprint by 858 metric tons, similar to the yearly electricity consumption of 167 homes or 96,530 gallons of gasoline. Providing more than $100,000 in annual cost savings.
Mark Roosevelt, President of St. John’s College Santa Fe, said, “I’m thrilled that we’re incorporating innovative technologies into our campus design and entering into a new era of environmental responsibility.” This project was catalyzed thanks to St. John’s College Santa Fe’s Class of 2019 senior gift, which provided funding for an energy audit of the campus.
Bob Georgeoff, Executive Vice President of Ameresco, said, “Partnering with the team at St. John’s College has been a true pleasure. It’s always a rewarding experience to work with an organization that has a vested interest in upgrading existing infrastructure in a truly collaborative way.”
In addition to the project with St. John’s College Santa Fe, Ameresco has partnered with Sunel Group, an international developer and EPC contractor for energy projects, to bid on projects exceeding 1,5 GWp in the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Romania.
The partnership combines Ameresco and Sunel’s extensive experience in engineering, procurement, construction, operation, and maintenance of large-scale photovoltaic and battery energy storage projects. Together, they aim to offer comprehensive solutions that will generate added value for project investors.
These upcoming projects are anticipated to have a contract value surpassing $500 million and will have a substantial impact on decreasing carbon emissions and boosting the proportion of renewable energy in Europe's electricity grid. The solar aspect of the projects will generate green electricity, and the battery energy storage systems will enhance the grid's dependability and resilience.
George P. Sakellaris, Ameresco’s Chairman and CEO, said, “As a leading provider of clean energy solutions, we are committed to supporting our customers in achieving their sustainability goals. As we continue to accelerate our European growth strategy, these projects are a testament to our capabilities in delivering large-scale renewable energy projects.”
Konstantinos Zygouras, Sunel’s CEO, said, “We are delighted to join forces with Ameresco on these projects. We share the same commitment to sustainability and the transition to a low-carbon economy, and we look forward to working together to deliver world-class renewable energy projects that will benefit the local community and the environment.”
