NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct 28, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Balfour Beatty Energy Solutions, LLC, today announced the successful results of its pilot program designed to help communities save energy and reduce costs. The program provided families with personalized coaching and rewards, coupled with the implementation of in-home energy monitors used to support and reinforce the personalized coaching. The program achieved 18% energy savings from behavior changes by participating families at Travis Air Force Base (AFB) in California. The results illustrate the program’s ability to achieve tangible benefits for residents by cutting costs, increasing resident satisfaction, and preparing military families to absorb the upcoming mandate that will require them to pay for their energy use, all while releasing excess discretionary income into local economies. The pilot project also demonstrated that the program can be rolled out to other communities in a cost-effective, self-funded manner.

Twenty-one military families completed the program, named “INgenUity: the power to change is in you.” With the goal of helping residents lower their energy consumption, the program responds to requirements from the Office of the Secretary of Defense that each military branch work with their respective privatized family housing partner to develop procedures for military members to be responsible for their energy consumption. One participating resident stated, “We were worried about energy costs in the future because we may have to pay for it ourselves. Now we are not worried about individual metering because we feel like we are doing many things right that are energy efficient…the way the program was done was great.”

Employing personalized coaching, supported by a rewards program, Balfour Beatty Energy’s study consisted of the following stages:

• Baseline period: Data was collected from participant homes to establish a baseline reference point on energy use. During this time period, residents did not have access to the data and were unable to see their current energy use.
• Coaching period: Residents received in-home coaching visits as well as personalized recommendations, based upon which each resident officially pledged his/her energy saving actions. Residents were able to see their real-time electricity use with in-home energy monitors. Every two weeks, residents received energy and rewards statements to track their progress.
• Rewards program: Throughout the project, points were awarded to residents for reaching certain energy savings standards. These points were redeemable as gift cards for use at base food outlets.

Significant findings (graphics available upon request from Balfour Beatty):

• 18% energy savings. Across the participant base, homes that received personalized coaching saved an average of 18% more energy than homes not participating in the program.
• Residents became more “energy conscious” and went beyond their initial pledge to find new ways to reduce their energy consumption.
• Even the “greenest” residents found ways to save.
• The pilot program illustrated the capability to be rolled out to other military and non-military communities in a cost-effective, self-funded manner.
• Reduced energy costs and rewards results in extra discretionary income that can in turn stimulate local economies.
• Residents, even though they do not currently pay their energy bills, reported making energy saving purchases (such as Energy Star TVs, more efficient fish pumps, CFLs, etc.).
• Independent surveys showed an increase in resident satisfaction at the conclusion of the program, as participants were excited to see that their actions and efforts successfully reduced costs and saved energy, resulting in concrete, lasting benefits.

“Education alone does not catalyze sustained energy savings from adults,” said Tabitha Crawford, President of Balfour Beatty Energy Solutions. “Long-term behavior change is achieved with a combination of relevant, personalized feedback, with proven social modeling and marketing techniques. The most vital take-away from our pilot project at Travis AFB is that it is entirely possible to significantly change energy consumption habits, even for residents who do not pay their own energy costs. The power of behavior change is as important as making basic home improvements, so this model can be rolled out at other communities to reduce emissions, save energy costs and release income into the local economy.”

“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this important pilot study at Travis AFB as it demonstrates the ability to achieve real and substantial cost savings for residents in privatized military housing,” said Bruce Robinson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Balfour Beatty Capital Group, parent company of Balfour Beatty Energy. “Energy conservation is an integral part of any conversation about the future, and we are identifying actionable programs and practices that can be implemented and readily adopted by communities throughout the US and Canada.”

Participants were recruited from Travis AFB, which is part of Balfour Beatty Communities’ Air Mobility Command West (AMC West) military housing privatization project. Balfour Beatty Energy Solutions provided the capital resources, offering the pilot program at no cost to the military housing project, and was assisted by third-party energy management companies Ennovationz and EnergyHub, Inc. in providing the technology and related resident communication services.

About Balfour Beatty Energy Solutions, LLC

Balfour Beatty Energy Solutions, LLC, a subsidiary of Balfour Beatty Capital Group, Inc., provides Energy Services that identify and execute cost-saving renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Working with P3s, communities and the commercial sector, the company offers solutions in three main categories of business: renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability initiatives.

About Balfour aria-label=”(opens in a new tab)”Beatty Capital Group, Inc.

Balfour Beatty Capital Group specializes in partnering with government entities and high performing public sector firms to implement their strategic plans through a Public-Private Partnership (P3) model. Through the Company’s four divisions, Balfour Beatty Communities, LLC, Balfour Beatty Capital, Inc., Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions, LLC and Balfour Beatty Energy Solutions, LLC, it is one of the leading providers of P3 projects in the United States with over 1,000 employees nationwide.

Balfour Beatty Capital Group is a part of Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group operating in professional services, construction services, support services and infrastructure investments, with a proud and successful history extending back 100 years.

About Balfour Beatty Communities, LLC

Balfour Beatty Communities, LLC, a subsidiary of Balfour Beatty Capital Group, Inc., is responsible for the development, renovation, operation and management of military privatization housing projects for the U.S. Departments of the Army, Navy and Air Force. The company is a leader in the military housing P3 industry, and provides services to members of the U.S. military and their families residing on or near 44 bases located in 20 states and Washington, DC.

About Ennovationz

Ennovationz is a Silicon Valley-based company that provides a platform for residential energy efficiency, carbon reduction and water conservation that delivers extraordinary results. For more information visit http://www.ennovationz.com.

Ennovationz Contact: [email protected] or 650-625-0868.

SOURCE: Balfour Beatty Energy Solutions, LLC

At Balfour Beatty

Tabitha Crawford, 615-872-1183

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Kathleen M. Grim, 610-355-8206

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Gregory FCA

Lauren Rumsey, 610-228-2132

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(General Media Contact)