Willdan Group, Inc. has been selected to deliver a $3.8 million energy savings performance contract for The Evergreen State College. As part of this 16-month contract to upgrade Lab II, Willdan will design, provide, and install new laboratory-grade HVAC control valves, direct digital control platform integration with advanced energy-saving strategies, and will refurbish 50-year-old HVAC systems. Willdan will also improve fume hood safety and operation, helping avoid classroom disruptions related to indoor air quality. To provide maximum benefit while meeting the college’s budget requirements, the improvements prioritize the repair and rebuilding of existing equipment and use electric and gas bill savings to offset some costs.
This is Willdan’s third project with Evergreen. Most recently, Willdan implemented upgrades to Lab I and the Central Steam Plant, successfully reducing gas consumption by 25%. The goal of reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions with every facilities improvement project demonstrates Evergreen’s commitment to social responsibility. This level of commitment extends to Evergreen’s students and was formally recognized this year when the college was ranked number one in the nation for master’s universities contributing to public good by Washington Monthly.
“Our labs act as a training ground for tomorrow’s chemists, biologists, doctors, and engineers,” said William Ward, Chief Administrative Officer at Evergreen. “These upgrades help us avoid costly mechanical failures while also ensuring our students’ continued safety as they learn and pursue their futures. We look forward to working with Willdan again, as their engineering and project management made the upgrades at our other laboratory go smoothly.”