Case Study: City of Melrose achieves $175K/year in utility savings and major CO₂ reductions with Ameresco

City of Melrose - Customer Case Study

The City of Melrose, MA sought to meet its Green Community pledge to cut energy use 20% in five years and engaged Ameresco after a MAPC RFQ to provide comprehensive energy management. Ameresco was contracted to deliver an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) and a 20‑year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) covering 21 buildings (868,252 sq ft), rooftop solar at two schools, and broad energy conservation measures.

Ameresco installed ECMs across city buildings and schools — replacing ~4,000 light fixtures, adding lighting controls, demand‑controlled ventilation, weatherization, a new boiler and chiller, an integrated EMS, and 301 kW‑DC of rooftop solar (~1,000 panels) under the PPA. The project yields 822,683 kWh (ESPC) plus 339,607 kWh (solar) and 43,508 therms saved annually, cuts utility costs by more than $175,000 per year on a budget‑neutral investment under $2.5M, and reduces CO2 emissions by about 1,785,659 pounds annually.

City of Melrose

Robert J. Dolan

Mayor