Louisiana Energy Partners Will Improve Campus Infrastructure
The Louisiana Energy Partners is made up of Bernhard LLC, Johnson Controls Inc, and the University of New Orleans. The goal is to *renew UNO’s campus energy infrastructure, reduce (carbon) emissions, and provide additional capital to advance UNO’s core academic and research mission.
The university predicts it will save around $2.1 million annually on utility cost and around $9 million on maintenance.
“We are thrilled to partner with LAEP to bolster our energy infrastructure and provide the most sustainable campus for future generations of Privateers. The upgrades our campus will receive are near-term solutions that embrace our goals of being made sustainable and proactive in combating climate change and simultaneously create a more comfortable and reliable environment for students and employees,” says UNO President John Nicklow.
During the partnership, within the first 2 years the campus will have around $27 million dedicated to upfront energy infrastructure and building improvements. They will include installing a new solar array, improving chilled water systems, upgrading air handling systems, efficiency improvements to lighting and building water systems, and retro commissioning of building automation systems along with other building assets.
“This partnership is a great victory not only for UNO, but for the entire UL System. We have been exploring our options to address deferred maintenance and offer the best facilities possible for our students, faculty and staff. We view this as a key differentiator in the increasingly competitive landscape in higher education. UNO is the System’s initial partner and we look forward to exploring similar agreements without other eight member institutions,” explains Dr. Jim Henderson, president and CEO of the University of Louisiana System.
Benhard will monitor the campus’ energy savings and hopes that there will be a 27% reduction of electricity consumption, 18% less water consumption and 19% less natural gas consumption. UNO has committed itself to the health and wellness of the community and to earth.
“We are incredibly pleased at the partnership we were able to develop with UNO offering significant campus upgrades with additional capital for the University’s critical academic and research mission. We fully expect these improvements to help UNO grow as a true champion of sustainability within higher education. Many people worked diligently on this partnership for the past 18 months, and this outcome was well worth the wait,” said David Amoss, Bernhard development vice president.
