Charleston County to recommend energy performance contract after ESCO bids; projects could be financed by savings
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Summary
Facilities staff briefed the committee on energy-saving projects already completed and a pending recommendation to County Council to engage an energy service company (ESCO) to finance up to $20-25 million in facility upgrades paid back through energy savings.
Charleston County facilities staff briefed the Resilience & Sustainability Advisory Committee on completed energy-efficiency projects and on a pending energy savings performance contract that would finance larger retrofits.
Phil, director of facilities, summarized completed projects across county sites and outlined the procurement process for an energy services company. "We retrofitted both garages with LED lighting... we saw 50% decrease in our energy in our light," Phil said, describing earlier lighting upgrades. Phil listed other upgrades completed at the detention center, library support center, magistrate facility, judicial center, EMS stations and public works buildings.
Facilities staff said the county solicited proposals and received five responses to an RFP for a third-party ESCO and expected a committee recommendation to County Council in June or July. Phil described the list of potential projects as roughly $20 million to $25 million in candidate measures and said the ESCO model allows financing through projected energy savings rather than asking the Council for the full capital up front.
Why it matters: If Council approves the ESCO recommendation, the county could move forward on a multi-year program to install more efficient HVAC systems, additional LED conversions, window tinting, solar on county roofs and EV charging infrastructure while using projected energy savings to pay back the financing.
Supporting details: Phil said other completed measures included variable refrigerant flow systems in new buildings, new efficient boilers, freezer and cooler replacements, and the installation of EV chargers (12 chargers in one parking lot, plus chargers for fleet vehicles). He said earlier estimates for a smaller boiler replacement project came in under budget, producing quicker savings.
Timeline and budget context: Facilities began ESCO conversations in 2023, issued the RFP in March 2025, received five responses in April 2025, and expected a committee decision in late June or July 2025 to forward a recommendation to County Council. Phil said the county currently averages about $150,000 per year from an energy conservation budget and maintains a $6 million preservation budget that could be redeployed if the ESCO is approved.
Next steps: The committee will review the recommendation and, if the council concurs, the county would finalize contract terms with the selected ESCO and begin implementation and measurement/verification processes to ensure the savings materialize.
Ending: Facilities staff asked committee members for questions and said they would return with the committee's formal recommendation to County Council.
