NORTH LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, Arkansas Energy Office (AEO) announced recent Arkansas Energy Performance Contracting (AEPC) projects with excess savings totaling more than $1 million.

AEPC is a program that helps public entities contract energy efficiency projects that are paid for by the savings the upgrades produce. Three recent success stories include the Hope School District, University of Arkansas Hope – Texarkana, and the Farmington School District. These schools completed their projects with Entegrity Energy Partners, one of the qualified energy service companies (ESCO) in the AEPC.

“The AEPC program’s success in modernizing public facilities and cutting utility costs relies on the strong partnership between the AEO, ESCOs like Entegrity, and dedicated public institutions,” AEO Director Mitchell Simpson said. “The AEO’s guidance, the ESCOs’ expertise, and the vision and commitment of public clients are critical to the AEPC program’s effectiveness in advancing energy efficiency.”

The Hope School District (HSD) had savings in excess of $538,796 through the construction period and the first year of measurement and verification review, according to Entegrity Energy Partners. Partnering with AEO in 2019, HSD installed a 1.125 megawatt solar array, retrofitted existing lighting with LEDs, implemented water conservation efforts, and conducted various HVAC upgrades to improve energy efficiency and lower utility costs.

The University of Arkansas Hope – Texarkana (UAHT) had similar energy conservation measures which resulted in an excess savings of $321,689 during the construction period and first year of measurement and verification review. UAHT partnered with AEO in 2019 to retrofit lighting fixtures, install a solar array, implement water conservation efforts, and replace and service HVAC units. UAHT also had an existing Power Technologies Program in which students received hands-on training in the installation, removal, and monitoring of a solar array in both residential and commercial settings.

The Farmington School District (FSD) reached out to AEO in 2020 and identified several energy conservation measures, including updating the lighting to LEDs, upgrading water conservation measures in all district-owned buildings, upgrading HVAC systems in four FSD schools, and installing a solar array on district grounds to further offset energy costs. The school board approved the project in 2022 and Entegrity reported savings in excess of $290,451 over the construction period through the first year of measurement and verification review.

Since its launch in 2013, AEO has used AEPC to support over $400 million in projects with state agencies, colleges and universities, school districts, municipalities, and counties. By leveraging savings to pay for improvements, AEPC provides a streamlined, cost-effective path to modernizing public facilities while reducing utility expenses and energy burden.

For more information, visit the AEPC website or email Lauren McHenry, policy manager, at [email protected].

Pictured is the Farmington School District solar array. (Credit: Entegrity Energy Partners)