Honeywell will upgrade building systems, and cut energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions at nine U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) locations across California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.

The improvements, which include innovative solar-powered utility metering and hot water technology, are expected to help the Coast Guard reduce its utility bills for these locations by more than 15 percent.

The 11-year, $15.1-million conservation program will impact 2.2 million square feet of space across more than 250 buildings. The work is funded by the energy savings generated by the improvements. Honeywell guarantees the savings through a performance contract so the work should not increase Coast Guard operating budgets or require additional taxpayer dollars. This is Honeywell's second performance contract with the Coast Guard since 1999.

"This program will allow us to improve facilities and reduce energy costs with no upfront capital investment," said Commander Tom Hickey with the U.S. Coast Guard. "As a result, we're able to devote more resources to mission-critical assets, such as boats and aircrafts, which allow the Coast Guard to better perform its duties."

Under the new contact, Honeywell will implement a comprehensive energy management system across most of the Coast Guard's facilities on the West Coast using Honeywell Enterprise Buildings Integrator and Honeywell Energy Manager. This will provide centralized building systems control, as well as real-time reports on energy use and cost savings, which will help the Coast Guard drive ongoing operational improvements. The management system will gather the data for the reports from a solar-powered network of wireless utility meters.

Throughout the buildings, Honeywell will put in modern boilers and chillers, high-efficiency motors for heating, ventilation and air condition systems, and almost 1,500 high-efficiency toilets and faucets. In addition, the company will: install more than 170 solar collectors for hot water generation; retrofit the Coast Guard's existing light fixtures and compressed air systems used for buoy maintenance; and add daytime lighting, such as skylights, for improved energy efficiency.