The project will both support JBMDL’s goals to enhance their mission through energy assurance and advance the Climate Smart Building Initiative. The Climate Smart Buildings Initiative is a federal government program, announced earlier this month, focused on leveraging energy performance contracting to achieve emission reduction and accelerate the clean energy transition.
Ameresco has served as an energy services provider to JBMDL for more than a decade, completing an initial ESPC project at the base in 2012 and supporting operations and maintenance (O&M) on the systems since their completion. Ameresco is now kicking off implementation of a range of additional energy conservation measures (ECMs) focused on energy efficiency, additional on-site solar generation, battery storage technology, and a new microgrid controls system.
The total solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity to be deployed amounts to 32 megawatts (MW)—one of the largest solar PV installations that Ameresco has installed at a federal site. Ameresco is also installing a 2MW/4MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) and integrating the solar, storage, and backup generation assets within the new microgrid. The pairing of distributed energy generation systems with BESS and microgrid controls is designed to assure the base’s access to uninterrupted power in support of JBMDL’s critical missions.
“We are incredibly excited to expand our already robust partnership with the team at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst,” said Nicole Bulgarino, Executive Vice President of Federal Solutions at Ameresco. “We’re eager to get started on the integration of advanced clean technologies to create a more resilient and sustainable energy future for the base and deliver a project that meets the installation’s mission requirements while also advancing the Climate Smart Building Initiative.”
In addition to the integration of distributed energy resources and microgrid controls, the project is designed to achieve energy demand reductions through more than 90,000 LED fixture retrofits, wireless streetlighting controls, and advanced interior lighting controls. Overall, the Phase 2 ECMs are designed to generate more than $4.7 million in annual energy savings for JBMDL, a total energy usage reduction of 22%.
The Phase 2 construction is scheduled to begin shortly and reach completion in early 2025.
