CARLSBAD, N.M. — Southeast New Mexico College (SENMC) has completed a wide-ranging campus modernization project in partnership with energy solutions provider Ameresco, Inc., aiming to enhance energy efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. The upgrades are expected to save the college more than $141,000 annually in utility costs and support long-term energy resilience through a 20-year operations and maintenance contract.
The project, completed in June 2025, followed an investment-grade audit of SENMC’s facilities and involved numerous improvements across campus. Upgrades include LED lighting retrofits, new rooftop units, high-efficiency heat pumps, upgraded building controls, improved building envelopes, high-efficiency transformers, and nearly 1 megawatt of solar photovoltaic panels integrated into covered parking structures.
“As a newly independent college, SENMC recently finalized its first campus master plan and five-year strategic plan. As a foundation to those plans, we needed to create the best possible environment for our students, faculty and staff,” said SENMC President Dr. Kevin Beardmore. “What started as a distant dream… has become a reality thanks to our partnership with Ameresco.”
Dr. Beardmore added that the improvements will help the college meet its strategic goals for energy efficiency, student success, and operational excellence.
Ameresco, headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, provided SENMC with a 20-year energy performance guarantee covering both efficiency and renewable energy components. According to Lou Maltezos, President of Central & Western USA and Canada Regions at Ameresco, the project reflects a broader commitment to equipping the next generation with sustainable energy solutions.
“We commend SENMC’s leadership for prioritizing a project that will increase energy conservation, reduce energy and utility costs and address campus deferred maintenance, all in an economically responsible manner,” Maltezos said. (Source: IANS)
