WESTBOROUGH, MA, Nov.18, 2009 -- NORESCO, a national leader in providing energy and water savings solutions, recently completed a conservation project for Upland Housing Authority (UHA) that is expected to reduce water consumption for landscaping by 50 percent at the Los Olivos administrative and public housing site in California, where rainfall levels have been below average. The half-million dollar project was funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and, in part, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NORESCO is a subsidiary of Carrier Corp., which is a unit of United Technologies Corp.
This is the first major conservation project for Los Olivos since it was built in 1943. The design, called xeriscaping, replaced over 150,000 square feet of existing grass turf with drought-tolerant plants and incorporates weather-based computer-controlled "smart" irrigation for the plants and the remaining 115,000 square feet of turf grass. The design for the 15-acre site minimizes water usage and features plants such as colorful grasses and flowering shrubs that are native to California.
"Our project demonstrates that public landscapes can be attractive, cost-effective and environmentally-responsible," said Don Swift, executive director, UHA. "It provides water savings to the Upland Housing Authority at a time when California needs it most."
Rick Ellis, director of construction services for the western region, NORESCO, added, "UHA leaders have responded to the call for water conservation in California. We are proud that UHA chose NORESCO and our local subcontracting partners to complete this project. UHA staff and residents will reap the benefits for many years to come."
As one of the largest U.S. energy services companies, NORESCO specializes in the development, design, construction, financing and operation of energy and environmental efficiency projects, performance contracting and central energy plants. In addition to public housing authorities, NORESCO clients include federal and state government agencies, universities, local governments, school districts and industrial and commercial businesses. NORESCO has implemented more than $2.5 billion in energy projects at more than 2,000 sites throughout the U.S. and abroad.
About Carrier Corp.
Carrier Corp., headquartered in Farmington, Conn., is the world's largest provider of heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions, with operations in more than 170 countries. Carrier is part of United Technologies Corp., a Hartford, Connecticut-based provider of products and services to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. Visit www.carrier.com for more information.
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