ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital Inc., a leading provider of debt and equity financing for sustainable infrastructure projects, announced that it is working with Johnson Controls to provide the underlying funding for nearly $27 million in energy efficiency upgrades to government buildings across the city of Louisville, Ky.

The city of Louisville has signed an agreement with Johnson Controls to make various improvements including replacement of outdated, inefficient HVAC equipment such as chillers and boilers.

Johnson Controls, working with Hannon Armstrong, will fund the upfront cost of the upgrades. The city of Louisville, in turn, will make payments on the project through a performance contract, in which energy savings from the building improvements are guaranteed to pay for the work over 23 years.

“This is one of the most innovative partnerships between Johnson Controls and a city government in the United States,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.

“This unique approach is a great deal for taxpayers to make much-needed improvements to our many older buildings,” Fischer said. “In addition, this project will make our city government more sustainable and help us significantly cut carbon emissions.”

Some of the planned improvements include:

• New boilers and power systems for City Hall;

• New chillers and electrical upgrades at the Youth Detention Center, new boilers at Metro Corrections;

• New boiler and cooling tower at Public Health and Wellness;

• New boilers and condensing units at the Southwest Government Center;

• Numerous electrical and other upgrades at the Louisville Zoo; and

• New HVAC system at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center.

The project is projected to:

• Result in $2 million in energy and operational savings year over year — a savings that will continue once the payments to Johnson Controls are made in full.

• Reduce yearly carbon emissions by more than 12,000 tons. That’s equivalent to the carbon impact of nearly 26,000 homes.

For more information on Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, visit www.hannonarmstrong.com. For additional information on Johnson Controls, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com.

Publication date: 10/21/2013

Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!