AFICA selects energy company for fence-to-fence ESPC

  • Published
  • By Jessica Echerri
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The Air Force Installation Contracting Agency recently released a down selection decision document identifying NORESCO as the energy services company, or ESCO, chosen to provide services for an energy savings performance contract, or ESPC, at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee.

The scope of this ESPC is to reduce the facility and process energy intensity of over 350 facilities on the installation. The ESCO will examine all potential energy conservation measures, or ECMs, to maximize energy savings base-wide.

"This ESPC received a lot of competitive proposals from ESCOs," said Tech. Sgt. Michael Kilbourne, AFICA contracting officer at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. "With a fence-to-fence ESPC, the possibilities are endless. NORESCO was able to show a good balance among the criteria."

Arnold AFB is home to the Arnold Engineering Development Complex, or AEDC, a flight simulation test facility and one of the Air Force's largest energy consumers due to the specialized testing requirements.

NORESCO will perform an investment-grade audit, or IGA, to provide sufficient information for the Air Force to make a decision on proceeding with the ESPC project. The IGA is based on an in-depth walk-through audit of the facilities plus a review of site energy and facility data provided by the base. The PA will provide a narrative summary, description of energy conservation measures, proposed energy and cost savings, and other information for decision-making.

"NORESCO has already identified some great potential ECMs at Arnold, including the AEDC," said Morgan Hurst, Air Force Civil Engineer Center project manager. "I'm looking forward to seeing how they build on that in the IGA."
The IGA is scheduled to begin March 8.

Under the ESPC model, ESCOs compete to finance, design, construct and manage energy projects, and maintain the systems long-term. ESPCs range from 10 years to a maximum of 25 years, with the Air Force paying the ESCO back over the term of the contract from cost savings garnered by the energy efficiency improvements they make.