JUNO BEACH, Fla. – FPL Services has won a contract with the Lee County School Board to dramatically improve energy efficiency at 25 schools, saving the district $8.2 million over 10 years. Under the contract, FPL Services will design, build and help finance comprehensive energy conservation upgrades at the schools. The conservation measures are projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 64,000 tons over 10 years, which is the equivalent of taking more than 10,000 cars off the road for a year or planting roughly 1.5 million trees.
Lee County Schools will not have to spend any current capital budget dollars to fund these energy and water resource conservation improvements. Through a mechanism called performance contracting (as provided for in Chapter 1013 of the Florida Statutes), 100 percent of the capital improvements will be funded by savings in energy and water reduction usage and operating and maintenance costs—guaranteed by FPL Services so the school can invest more in its core education mission. The Lee County Schools will take advantage of the future savings resulting from the energy-efficiency improvements to leverage third-party financing of the infrastructure upgrades and energy conservation measures.
This new program represents the Lee County School Board’s second round of energy upgrades with FPL Services. In 2006, 14 schools underwent infrastructure overhauls to utilize less energy and water resources. Together with this new phase, all 39 upgraded schools are expected to save Lee County Schools an average of $1.3 million per year, every year, for the next 10 years or more.
Of the 113 schools in Lee County, the 25 selected consumed the most energy per square foot, a measure known as energy intensity. The goal of the project is to help the county advance its operational efficiencies and access the latest energy-saving technologies.
“We are very excited about the comprehensive energy and water conservation solutions we have planned for Lee County Schools,” said Greg Hanlon, vice president and general manager of FPL Services. “We will assume all of the responsibility for the cost effectiveness of the equipment and systems so Lee County Schools can enjoy the benefits of operating more efficiently, reducing their expenses and carbon footprint. School leaders will have more time to focus on fulfilling their important mission of educating students.”
“The $5.9 million contract for the second phase of the construction program with FPL Services demonstrates the county’s continued commitment to upgrading schools to conserve energy, save money, and serve as a role model for future generations as thoughtful stewards of our environment,” said Hanlon.
“The idea of this concept is to make our buildings more efficient, and in doing so enjoy cost savings. Certainly in many instances it will also improve our learning environment with lighting that is more conducive to students’ being able to do their studies and read their materials,” said Dr. Jane E. Kuckel, vice chairman of the Lee County School Board. “FPL Services has a proven track record for success with us, and we are confident their team of experts will help us save money even as we cut our carbon footprint in our county.”
About FPL Services
FPL Services, LLC is a qualified general contractor, license number CGC1505762, that provides innovative energy efficiency and water conservation solutions to government, education, healthcare, commercial, and industrial customers. With a strong commitment to excellence in delivery, FPL Services helps clients save energy and money to increase productivity while becoming better stewards of the environment. FPL Services is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL), nationally known as a high quality, efficient, and customer-driven organization focused on energy-related products and services. More information about FPL Services is available at www.fpl.com/services.