First GreenerMass contract signed to provide energy savings to William James College with no upfront costs

For immediate release
Contact: Jennifer Haugh, 612-240-4641

(Waltham, Mass.) — As institutions of all stripes are tightening their belts in the wake of the covid-19 shutdown, William James College is taking advantage of an energy-savings program that will reduce their short- and long-term energy bills.

Under the GreenerMass program, which is designed to help nonprofit institutions in Massachusetts get around the hurdle of needing upfront capital, GreenerU will replace an obsolete energy management system for William James College. This control system will enable the College to centralize control of their energy-using equipment, including establishing temperature setpoints, scheduling equipment operations, and a variety of other advanced control strategies. The system will also enable remotely controlled operations.

These measures are customized recommendations based on an assessment of the College’s current building conditions, historical energy usage, and additional plans to implement complementary energy savings. Implementation will take approximately 16 weeks, after which time the College will begin to see an immediate reduction in energy bills of about $20,000 annually; after the seven-year repayment period, the College will see annual savings of roughly $100,000.

“GreenerU has been a great partner in understanding our needs and crafting solutions specifically designed to address them. We’re very excited to participate in the GreenerMass program,” says Dan Brent, Vice President for Finance and Operations at William James College.

According to GreenerU CEO David Adamian, this project will not only save the College money; it will significantly advance the school’s facilities management systems to help manage indoor comfort. “Dan and Director of Facilities Kevin Costello were quick to recognize how this program was a good fit to meet the College’s needs and have been critical to moving this process forward expeditiously.”

GreenerMass is an innovative program where participating institutions pay only for verified energy savings. The program is structured to provide positive cash flow to participants throughout the entire process. Funding is still available for nonprofit institutions throughout Massachusetts. To find out if your institution is eligible, contact us. Not located in Massachusetts? Talk to us about options available in your state.

About

Following a successful pilot program that began in 2013, GreenerU initiated GreenerMass, an efficiency-as-a-service program aimed at accelerating the adoption of energy-efficiency measures in private schools, community health centers, and nonprofits across Massachusetts. This project was made possible by the support of Massachusetts Development Finance Agency.

Such entities in the Commonwealth are invited to take advantage of this opportunity to make energy efficiency improvements to their facilities with no upfront cost. Program participants pay only a portion of the verified delivered energy savings over a performance period of up to seven years.

After the performance period, the participating institution keeps 100% of the savings. Not only do participating institutions see positive cash flow throughout the project lifecycle, they will get that cash flow with no risk of a savings shortfall. If savings are less than anticipated, participants pay less.

Past program participants are saving upwards of $100,000 annually on energy costs following payback period. To find out if your institution is eligible, contact us.

Background

In 2013, GreenerU, Inc. collaborated with the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (AICUM) and MassDevelopment to create a program called Mass College Green. The goals were to provide an affordable option for a select group of Massachusetts colleges and universities to reduce energy consumption and fuel costs without requiring the schools to provide upfront capital, and without risk to the school.

The program covered the costs associated with implementing energy conservation measures, as well as all project development costs, engineering, project management, commissioning, and five years of maintenance, performance monitoring, and verification. Participants pay only for delivered energy efficiency for the duration of the five-year contract. After the performance period, all savings will accrue directly to the participant.

The first round of Mass College Green programming kicked off in 2013. Five Massachusetts institutions participated in the program: Dean College, Hampshire College, Lesley University, Mount Holyoke College, and Nichols College.

GreenerU launched GreenerMass in 2019, modeled on the Mass College Green program, but with eligibility expanded to include all nonprofits in Massachusetts.

Types of projects

A range of energy-efficiency projects can be implemented under GreenerMass. Some of the most common projects, or combination of projects, include installing efficient LED lighting, occupancy sensors and controls, building automation system improvements, boiler economizers, laboratory efficiency measures, and more.

Participating institutions are expected to continue seeing significant cost savings resulting from reduced energy use well beyond the seven-year performative and payment period of the program.

If you are interested in having a conversation to determine their institution’s eligibility to receive funding for energy-efficiency projects, contact GreenerU.

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About GreenerU

GreenerU believes that educational institutions are uniquely positioned to lead the world in mitigating climate change. Our mission is to help them. Balancing energy efficiency with comfort and cost, we have become a vital and active partner with more than 50 educational institutions and nonprofits looking to see significant progress in the fight against climate change. Learn more at www.GreenerU.com.

About William James College

Founded in 1974, William James College is an independent, non-profit institution and a leader in educating mental health professionals to support the growing and diverse needs of the communities they serve. Integrating field work with academics, the College prepares students for careers as organizational leaders and behavioral health professionals who are committed to helping the underserved, multicultural populations, children and families, and veterans. William James College alumni can be found making an impact in a variety of settings, including schools, the courts, clinical care facilities, hospitals, the community and the workplace.

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