Multiple benefits accrue to cities that embrace sustainability

You can count the ways that adopting green policies aid cities and counties, says Lisa Brown, senior director, Local Government, Sustainable Infrastructure for Johnson Controls. The firm produces fire, HVAC and security equipment for buildings. The company focuses on efficiency, controls and automation to help make the globe more sustainable.

“Investing in sustainability offers local governments the opportunity to not only create healthier and safer spaces, but also drive critical business outcomes while being fiscally responsible to taxpayers,” Brown tells Co-op Solutions. She urges public sector administrators to collaborate with capable and competent organizations as they opt in to green programs.

“One of the most beneficial strategies for local government leaders who are looking to invest in sustainable infrastructure is to leverage an experienced third-party partner through a procurement method such as a private-public partnerships (P3).” She explains that a P3 setup features an agreement that allows publicly funded organizations to collaborate with a partner and maintain a fixed cost.

Another potential method to get the sustainability ball rolling is to rely on performance contracting. Brown says that this method uses guaranteed energy savings to fund infrastructure improvement projects over a set period.

Both mechanisms, Brown explains, can help deliver good results. “Through these strategies, municipalities can retain much-needed capital and resources to make resiliency, sustainability and social equity improvements while making critical infrastructure updates.”

She lists some of the positive outcomes that are a result of these methods of partnering with experienced organizations. They include reduced costs, better performance, community alignment and more. In addition, these capital projects can be completed while simultaneously reducing carbon footprints through energy-efficient infrastructure.

Brown cites her firm’s work in southern Colorado as an example of how a local government can achieve sustainability targets. The Pueblo Housing Authority leveraged a performance contract with Johnson Controls to finance, operate and maintain a two-megawatt community solar garden that generates enough energy to power 200 households annually, as well as five additional public housing sites with onsite solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

“By working with a third-party partner, the city of Pueblo was able to improve sustainability while also reducing costs for residents,” Brown explains. She notes that Pueblo benefitted from Johnson Control’s expertise at the local level and was able to transfer the risk and responsibility so that they could continue to focus on other pressing projects on hand for their constituents.

Brown’s conclusion: “By collaborating with a third party, local leaders can gain access to world-class technology and expertise, allowing them to reach their sustainability goals without impacting budgets.”

A Johnson Controls case study outlines how the company is helping to transform the Pueblo community. The firm has assisted the county, city and its housing authority improve the comfort and livability of their buildings while reducing the expenses of operating them. The collaboration has enabled each public entity to deliver their important services more economically.

According to the case study, all three entities independently selected Johnson Controls after issuing requests for proposals for a range of facility improvements geared to lower utility bills for each government. “For the county, city and housing authority, Johnson Controls is guaranteeing energy and operational savings generated by the new technology improvements that have been installed,” reports the case study summary.

Brown suggests there’s a procurement tool that can aid communities on their green and infrastructure initiatives. “Cooperative purchasing agreements play a crucial role in achieving sustainability goals in two ways. The first is that these types of agreements give local leaders access to world-class technology and expertise that can help them reach their sustainability goals. By working with a third-party partner, local government leaders can transfer risk to the partner, and lean on the partner to help them identify the most pressing issues and improvements that can be made to tackle both sustainability and infrastructure goals head-on.”

She adds that administrators can benefit in one more way by transferring a project to a partner: “Government leaders also have the opportunity to take a hands-off approach that allows them to continue to focus on other priorities like resiliency and social equity improvements.”

Cooperative deals, adds Brown, help local governments identify the most cost-effective methods to make their sustainability goals a reality. “The partner they have an agreement with can ensure that they are using their funds in the most strategic way possible so that they get the most out of them. When it comes to sustainability, these agreements can also pay for themselves through energy- and cost-savings as well as the retained capital.”

A search of the OMNIA Partners Public Sector cooperative contracts site shows almost 20 vendors offer contracts in the sustainability category. Grainger, HON, Toter and Schneider Electric are a few of the suppliers in the category.

Michael Keating is senior editor for American City & County. Contact him at [email protected].