DukeSolutions, the energy services subsidiary of Duke Energy,was awarded as contract by the Veterans Integrated Services Network6 (VISN-6) to provide energy efficiency products and services ateight Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in Virginia, West Virginiaand North Carolina.

Under an energy savings performance contracting (ESPC) programadministered by the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center inHuntsville, AL, DukeSolutions will initially invest $28 million inbuilding systems improvements during the next year. Also includedin the contract are services to ensure the energy efficient statusof the new equipment for the life of the 18-year performanceperiod.

The project is entirely funded from energy and energy-relatedsavings resulting from DukeSolutions’ investments. The VAMid-Atlantic Health Care Network will repay DukeSolutions from theresultant energy savings, which otherwise would have paid the costof inefficient utility usage. Upgrades will span every major energycost reduction opportunity from boilers and chillers to laundriesand water systems.

With this project, VISN-6 has now surged forward in meeting theenergy reduction goals of President Clinton’s Executive Order13123, said Gary Husson, acting director of VISN-6. The order,issued in July 1999, sets energy consumption reduction targets forfederal agencies at 35% of 1985 consumption by 2010.

The award follows more than 27 months of evaluation of energysystems at the medical centers by DukeSolutions engineers inpartnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntsville Centerand the facilities and engineering teams at each location.

One of 22 health care networks within the Department VeteransAffairs, VISN-6 serves the state of North Carolina, 106 counties inVirginia, 11 counties in West Virginia and two counties in SouthCarolina.

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