HOUSTON – Austin County, located just west of Houston, and not to be confused with the city of Austin, unanimously voted to move forward with an infrastructure renewal program performed by The Way Companies. The program co-authored by the Commissioners Court and Way, will capture thirty-five percent of the owning and operating budget to reinvest into their facilities.
Comfort issues were at the top of the list for Judge Lapham, County Commissioners and staff. Studies have shown a clear link between comfort and productivity, and this project announcement means that county employees will find much needed relief. At the completion of the program, staff will be able to remove all the supplemental heaters and fans, as they will no longer be necessary.
County officials decided that this was the best recourse, as they have been dealing with aging infrastructure, most of which—around sixty percent—was obsolete. The antiquated air conditioning, lighting and controls were causing various issues, but the most pressing was the higher than average operational costs. Austin County was expensing many resources on “Band-Aid” fixes that were not addressing the root of the problem.
The Way Companies, an established facility service company based in Houston, will retrofit and commission the county’s buildings. Way Cos. will tackle the air conditioning, countywide building automation controls, lighting, and manage the new assets as part of the program. The company projects an annual energy and operations savings of over $100K.
“We really need these upgrades and I believe we would’ve chosen to partner with Way due to the sheer necessity,” said Judge Tim Lapham about the collaboration. “The energy and repair savings are extra gravy.”
The program began in December. The countywide renewal project will also remain entirely self-funded and save Austin County over $1.1 million over the life of the program.
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