Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) and Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today announced a $33.6-million energy efficiency and facility renewal program that will help the housing authority improve its infrastructure, reduce its impact on the environment, and save more than $3.7 million in utility costs per year. Local contractors will also complete a majority of the work for the program, one of the largest of its kind for a public housing authority, helping boost the Twin Cities job market.
MPHA will use the energy savings from the program — guaranteed by Honeywell through a 20-year performance contract — to finance most of the improvements, which will impact more than 40 highrise buildings and 700 single-family residences across the city. The work is expected to pay for itself over the course of the contract.
“This program allows MPHA to make important upgrades to our properties in a way that will benefit our residents, contribute to the long-term preservation of our affordable housing resources, make significant investments in the local economy and greatly diminish our carbon footprint ” said Cora McCorvey, MPHA executive director.
The program will reduce the housing authority’s annual electricity consumption by approximately 3.3 million kilowatt-hours, enough energy to power 310 homes per year on average. It also will cut carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 19.2 million pounds annually. According to figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this is equivalent to removing almost 1,600 cars from the road.
Local contractors will help complete more than 60 percent of the work, which ranges from replacing old, inefficient boilers that provide heat for facilities to caulking, weather-stripping and sealing building doors, windows and seams. During peak construction, MPHA and Honeywell anticipate that nearly 250 tradespeople will be employed as part of the program. In addition, the housing authority and Honeywell will provide residents with opportunities to serve as paid educators and ambassadors, helping other residents understand and utilize the energy-saving strategies tied to this initiative.
All the improvements are expected to be finished by late 2010.
“This program gives MPHA a way to address its aging infrastructure and reduce its environmental footprint — without increasing operating budgets,” said Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. “These efforts not only benefit the housing authority and its residents, but make a positive impact on the community as a whole.”
Honeywell is a global leader in energy and environmental services, working with organizations to conserve energy, optimize building operations and leverage renewable energy sources. The company has helped almost 30 public housing authorities improve their facilities while reducing energy consumption and costs. Currently, Honeywell is under contract to deliver more than $170 million in guaranteed savings to housing authorities across the United States.
MPHA, the largest affordable rental housing provider in Minnesota, hopes to achieve Energy Star® accreditation — the national mark of excellence in energy efficiency and performance — from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy as a result of the improvements. It would be one of the first in the public housing industry to receive this accreditation.
About MPHA
The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) owns and manages 5,875 public housing rental units throughout the city including 41 high-rise apartment buildings, 753 scattered-site (single-family) homes and 184 town home units in the Glendale community near the University of Minnesota. The agency administers approximately 5,000 Section 8/HCV rental assistance vouchers, and operates two home ownership programs for both public housing and Section 8 program residents. The federal government rates MPHA’s public housing and Section 8/HCV programs both as national “High Performers” for overall operational performance. The nine-member board of commissioners is appointed by the mayor and city council and the Executive Director is Cora McCorvey.
About Honeywell
Honeywell International is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell’s shares are traded on the New York, London, and Chicago Stock Exchanges. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com. Honeywell Building Solutions is part of the Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions business group, a global leader in providing product and service solutions that improve efficiency and profitability, support regulatory compliance, and maintain safe, comfortable environments in homes, buildings and industry. For more information about Building Solutions: www.honeywell.com/buildingsolutions.
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Minneapolis Public Housing authority, Honeywell launch energy retrofit program
