Student and military housing owner and operator Balfour Beatty Communities has completed two energy decarbonization projects at U.S. Navy sites in the eastern U.S.
The finish line of the three-year project development includes solar energy installations, energy and water efficiency works. Most of the projects are in Florida and one underway in Maine.
Balfour Beatty Communities added 10.55 MW in total rooftop solar capacity at Naval Air Station Key West and NAS bases at Jacksonville, Whiting Field and Mayport, all in Florida. Those installations are operational now and the company is breaking ground on a 1-MW rooftop solar project at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine.
“These projects not only reflect our dedication to innovative investment in military housing but also our commitment to advancing the Navy’s resiliency and energy security goals,” Ed Lopes, vice president of project development for Balfour Beatty Communities’ Navy Housing portfolio, said in a statement. “These efforts will also generate long-term value as utility savings are reinvested into our communities for renovations and other quality-of-life improvements for our service members and their families.”
An additional $31 million Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) was completed to deliver efficiency technologies such as next-gen HVAC, improved weatherization, new water fixtures and LED lighting to military housing complexes in the southeastern U.S. Balfour Beatty worked with ENGIE Services LLC on the ESPC work.
“It is important that we continue to modernize our homes and infrastructure to ensure we meet the needs of Navy families today and into the future,” said Thomas C. McKelvey, Public-Private Venture Director, AM5 Branch Head, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast. “These energy and utility projects directly align with the Navy’s unwavering commitment to energy efficiency, resilience, and sustainability and demonstrate the value of our partnership with Balfour Beatty.”
Balfour Beatty Communities works with the Department of Defense through the 28-year-old Military Housing Privatization Initiative. The projects leverage private-sector capital and expertise to update the military’s backlog of deferred maintenance on housing.
