The Challenge
The 2000 Census recorded a population of 1,369 for Lumpkin, Georgia, the countyseat for Stewart County. And in 2007, Stewart County School System (SCSS) had697 students in grades K-12 at its elementary, middle and high schools.
By 2004, though, this school district faced a number of challenges at these three facilities and a separate administration building.
Utility costs were high. Heating and air conditioning equipment was antiquated. The high school gym had no air conditioning, and the exhaust system of fans and dampers was not functioning properly. Systems were running 24x7. And all the schools and the administration building needed lighting retrofits.
TAC Energy Solutions proposed a performance contract that would enable SCSS to address these issues while reaping the benefits of more energy-efficient equipment and leveraging energy savings as a financial tool.
A performance contract offers a turnkey solution for making energy-saving improvements within an existing budget by financing them with money saved through reduced utility expenditures. With this contract TAC agreed to guarantee annual energy savings for 15 years and to pay the difference if SCCS did not realize that amount during the term of the contract.
SCSS selected TAC Energy Solutions over another vendor, because TAC had demonstrated its expertise and integrity, offered the district the personal attention it wanted, and proposed a comprehensive solution with guaranteed savings.
