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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Montana City and County Utilize Performance Contracts with Johnson Controls
Projects improve infrastructure while creating energy and cost savings
MILWAUKEE - (September 20, 2007) - The City of Laurel has recently completed,
and Flathead County has recently begun making infrastructure improvements enabled by
energy savings performance contracts with Johnson Controls, Inc. These projects benefit
both businesses and residents by saving the city and county more than 25 percent of their
existing energy budget.
The City of Laurel and Flathead County are the first city and county in Montana to
use Montana performance contracting legislation. This legislation, passed in 2005, enables
cities and counties to enter into contracts with qualified energy services companies to audit
buildings and other infrastructures, install energy and operational improvements, and use
the energy and operational savings to fund the entire cost of the project.
"We are pleased to see this legislation being used to make environmental and
building improvements possible in Laurel and Flathead, and we encourage other
organizations in Montana to consider what performance contracting can do for them," said
Georgia Brensdal, section supervisor, State Department of Environmental Quality.
"Energy performance contracting may be new to Montana, but it is a proven and
innovative method for achieving guaranteed energy savings while making facility
improvements possible for cities, counties and schools that might otherwise not have
funding for these important improvements."
In the City of Laurel, Johnson Controls has replaced 2,353 water meters with more
precise equipment, allowing the city to more accurately bill residents and businesses for
actual water usage. A new automated meter reading system improves operations by
Montana City and County Utilize PeoCormance Contracts with Johnson Controls
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decreasing reading errors, avoiding trips to homes for readings, and catching anomalies far
in advance of billing. By recognizing issues in real-time, thc city will be able to identify
water leaks at residences or businesses more quickly, resulting in d~reased response time
and associated costs along with water savings. Additional updates were made to heating,
v~ntilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems in 12 city buildings.
Thc $1.7 million contract will save the city more than $97,000 in annual utility and
operational expenses.
"In our association with Johnson Controls, Laurel is getting a more accurate billing
for sorvicas provided, and the savings in manpower is a plus," said Mayor Kenneth Olson.
In Flathead County, Johnson Controls will update HVAC, lighting and plumbing
systems throughout 13 of thc county's facilities, including the justice center, juvenile
detention center, historic courthouse, expo building, administration buildings and more.
Other upgrades include the addition of building insulation, power management stratcgias
for personal computer use and improved building automation systems.
The $3.9 million contract will save the county more than $161,000 in annual utility
and operational costs while avoiding the annual gcocration of more than two million
pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Thc amount of energy saved is enough to power 63
average-sized homes each year.
"This project allows Flathcad County to significantly reduce our costs and apply
those savings to fund needed capital improvements to many of our facilitias," said Mike
Pence, administrative officer, Flathcad County. "These enhancements will rosult in
improved scrvicas for citizens and better working conditions for star while helping us do
our part to preserve the environment."
"We are excited to se~ thas¢ projects come to fruition aider working with thc local
government for thc last several months," said Mike McCourt, public soctor solutions
account executive, Johnson Controls in Missoula. "Even better, we can provide similar
value to many more Montana citias and counties in years to come."
Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) is thc global leader that brings ingenuity to the
places where people live, work and travel. By integrating t~hnologics, products and
sorviccs, we create smart ~nvironments that redefine the relationships betw~n p~ople and
their surroundings. Our team of 140,000 employes creates a more comfortable, safe and
sustainable world through our products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12
Johnson Controls, NEF and USEA announce energy contest winners
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million homes and one million commercial buildings. For additional information, please
visit http://www, johnsoncont rols.com/.