Summerville, SC – As Hannah Solar Government Services (HSGS) settles into its new Joint Venture partnership with Ameresco, we look back on the past year with pride.
HSGS-Ameresco is a joint venture (JV) between the two clean energy companies, Hannah Solar Government Services (HSGS) and Ameresco, Inc. The JV has been certified by the Small Business Association and Department of Veterans Affairs as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). The partnership was created as part of the SBA Mentor Protégé Program, which helps eligible small businesses, known as protégés, gain exposure and win government contracts through partnerships with more experienced companies, referred to as mentors. By entering into a joint venture, HSGS has the unique opportunity to grow as an energy provider by learning from the Ameresco team, which is comprised of an experienced group of government contractors.
Formed in late 2021, the JV won its first contract at Tooele Army Depot the same year. In 2022, it was awarded another federal project at White Sands Missile Range. This third year, our dedicated teams have continued collaboration and seen great success, being awarded two additional contracts with the Federal government.
The Joint Venture has begun its work for two Federal Government contracts. First, HSGS-Ameresco was awarded an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) for Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The contract specifically references Grand Junction and Salt Lake City locations within VISN 19. The ESPC is a federal contract that allows both VA facilities to reap the benefits of a renewable energy system with no upfront costs. Then, we were awarded a contract at the Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO) as part of an Energy Resilience Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP), a Department of Defense funded initiative to improve energy resilience. MOTCO, located in Concord, California, is a logistical site for transporting military equipment.
As these projects are larger in scale than HSGS’ typical projects, there’s a learning curve in the way they are executed, which was the goal of the SBA mentor-Protégé program that HSGS and Ameresco were a part of. For the MOTCO project, the Department of Defense asked companies to write a proposal and price options explaining how their various facilities could be improved with a specific set of parameters in mind. These parameters include the main project—a 6.25-megawatt generation plant—along with energy generation, underground electrical construction, and integration into existing electrical systems.
The VISN 19 projects will follow a similar path. Now that HSGS-Ameresco has been awarded the project, we will conduct an Investment Grade Audit (IGA) and price the different options that would best serve the two locations. Then, we will enter a negotiation phase. Once everyone is in agreement, we will move forward with construction. The process is longer than typical projects, but, just like MOTCO, there is immense potential. We are greatly looking forward to working on these projects.
ABOUT HSGS-AMERESCO
HSGS-Ameresco, LLC, a joint venture certified as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) by the Small Business Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), delivers energy generation, smart controls, and building efficiency solutions to the VA and other Federal agencies nationwide. The joint venture was facilitated as part of the SBA Mentor Protégé Program, which helps eligible small businesses, known as protégés, gain exposure and win government contracts through partnerships with more experienced companies, referred to as mentors. By entering into a joint venture, HSGS will have the unique opportunity to grow as an energy provider by learning from the Ameresco team, which is comprised of an experienced group of government contractors.
Another newsletter will be published next month, and it will cover HSGS’ own projects and awards of 2023. Please visit our contact page to inquire about our work.
