Ameresco to Build 2.5 Megawatt Solar System at U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Intelligence Center

The renewable energy and energy efficiency project also includes
interior and exterior LED lighting upgrades

EL PASO, Texas & FRAMINGHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#solar–Ameresco, Inc., (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy
efficiency and energy
infrastructure company, today announced the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) has entered into a contract with Ameresco
to build a 2.47 megawatt solar energy system at the El
Paso Intelligence Center located on Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
The Energy Saving Performance Contract (ESPC) was awarded to Ameresco
under the ESPC ENABLE program.

“Ameresco applauds the partnership of the El Paso Intelligence Center
and the DEA in contracting this onsite solar asset,” said Nicole A.
Bulgarino, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Federal
Solutions, Ameresco. “Together, we have successfully executed an
innovative project delivery model to construct this solar PV system.”

The ESPC
ENABLE program offers a streamlined process for small federal agency
projects to leverage third-party financed energy technologies in six
months or less. The contract with Ameresco is also uniquely structured
to capture the financial benefits of the solar investment tax credit
through an energy sales agreement within the traditional ESPC. Ameresco
will finance, build, own and operate the solar system for a period of 20
years under the contract.

The 2.47 megawatt system will be comprised of two ground-mount solar PV
systems on the site of the El Paso Intelligence Center. The site will
benefit from reduced electricity costs, long-term electric pricing
stability, and reduced carbon emissions of more than 3,400 metric tons
annually. Overall, the ESPC is expected to achieve more than $9.2
million in energy cost savings.

Ameresco will also convert more than 1,400 interior and exterior
lighting fixtures to high-efficiency LEDs. The longer life LEDs will
reduce maintenance and replacement costs while providing high-quality
illumination and individual office dimming control.

The project will be DEA's first renewable energy system and first ESPC
that will advance agency expertise in renewable energy system
installation and integration that can be used by other government
facilities. The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management
Program (FEMP) has provided technical support for project development,
including grant funding through the Assisting Federal Facilities with
Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) program.

Ameresco was competitively selected by DEA in February of 2017 to
develop the project and was awarded the contract in September of this
same year. The project is currently in construction and is expected to
be operational by fall of 2018. The building will remain fully-occupied
during construction and with regular operations.

About Ameresco, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc.
(NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services,
energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and
renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout
North America and Europe. Ameresco’s sustainability services include
upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure and the development,
construction and operation of renewable energy plants. Ameresco has
successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible
projects with Federal, state and local governments, healthcare and
educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and
industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA,
Ameresco has more than 1,000 employees providing local expertise in the
United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information,
visit www.ameresco.com.

The announcement of a customer’s entry into a project contract is not
necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such
contract, of the company’s overall revenue for any particular period or
of trends in the company’s overall total construction backlog. This
project was reported in assets in development as of September 30.

Contacts

Ameresco
CarolAnn Hibbard, 508-661-2264
[email protected]