What Plug Smart does

Plug Smart is a regional energy services company (ESCO) and wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC), headquartered in Worthington, Ohio, with additional offices in Fort Myers (FL), Louisville (KY), and Johnson City (TN). Founded in 2008 by veterans of the predecessor firm Control Solutions (originally established 1975), the company specializes in developing and implementing budget-neutral capital improvement projects for K-12 schools, universities, hospitals, government agencies, and commercial/industrial clients across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast United States.

The company delivers its services through an integrated portfolio including Energy Projects (performance contracting with guaranteed savings), Design-Build Projects, Professional Services (investment-grade energy audits, master planning), Building Automation using open-architecture BACnet protocols, Security & Access Control systems, PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing administration, and Emergency Services. The underlying technology is deliberately vendor-neutral, leveraging BACnet interoperability rather than proprietary control systems, which allows seamless integration with existing facility infrastructure and avoids lock-in.

Plug Smart operates a direct enterprise sales motion targeting institutional and public-sector buyers, with project financing structured as multi-year outcome-based contracts where future energy savings fund current project implementation — requiring no upfront capital from clients. The firm employs 70+ employee-owners and reports $250M+ in cumulative contracts sold with zero defaults. Since its December 2021 acquisition by Ameresco, Plug Smart functions as the smart buildings and controls division within Ameresco's broader cleantech platform spanning energy efficiency, solar, battery storage, and microgrids.

Name

Plug Smart

Legal name

Plug Smart

Website

https://plugsmart.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Plug Smart is a regional energy services company and Ameresco subsidiary delivering budget-neutral energy efficiency, building automation, security, and PACE financing solutions to K-12 schools, universities, hospitals, government, and commercial clients across the Midwest and Southeast US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Services (ESCO / Energy Efficiency Contracting)

NAICS

Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (23821)

SIC

Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Building Interoperability & Protocol Services (BACnet/Modbus/KNX Gateways) (BPABAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lighting Controls & Smart Lighting Systems (BPABAGAC)

Keywords

• Energy services company
• Building automation systems
• Energy efficiency projects
• PACE financing services
• Design-build construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Worthington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Energy Efficiency Project Services: Design-build energy savings projects for commercial, institutional, and government facilities. Revenue generated through project fees, engineering services, and equipment installation. Projects typically self-fund through guaranteed energy savings.
2. Building Automation Systems: Installation and servicing of building automation and controls systems for HVAC, lighting, and security integration.
3. PACE Financing Administration: Facilitating PACE financing programs for clients, administering technical assessment, design-build, and measurement and verification services.
4. Emergency Services: Emergency response services for existing building systems including indoor air quality enhancements, systems monitoring, and optimization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Plug Smart is an energy services company (ESCO) that develops and implements budget-neutral capital improvement projects, including building automation, HVAC upgrades, LED lighting retrofits, security/access control, design-build construction, and PACE financing administration. Revenue is generated through project fees, engineering services, equipment installation, and ongoing service contracts across K-12, university, healthcare, government, and commercial/industrial facilities.

Product overview

Plug Smart is an energy services company (ESCO) that offers a comprehensive portfolio of energy efficiency and building automation solutions. The core offerings include Energy Projects (performance contracting), Design-Build Projects, Professional Services, Building Automation Systems, Security & Access Control, PACE Services (Property Assessed Clean Energy financing), and Emergency Services. These services are delivered across multiple vertical markets including K-12 Education, Universities, Healthcare, Government, and Commercial/Industrial sectors. The company specializes in budget-neutral capital improvement projects where future energy savings fund the improvements, and leverages financing mechanisms like PACE programs and Ohio state legislation (HB264, HB153) to enable projects without upfront capital outlay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Energy Projects (Performance Contracting) Energy performance contracting services providing project development breadth and depth with a proven track record of delivering performance-contract energy savings. Includes comprehensive energy audits, utility rate optimization, and measurement and verification services for commercial, institutional, and government facilities.
• Design-Build Projects Design-build energy efficiency services with extensive industry experience and a proven process for managing construction projects from concept through commissioning for commercial, institutional, and government facilities.
• Professional Services (Engineering & Consulting) Engineering and consulting professional services providing specialized technical support including comprehensive energy audits, energy master planning, and investment-grade analyses for facility owners and operators.
• Building Automation Systems Building automation and controls services and technology used to optimize facility performance, including installation of BAS systems, controls upgrades, and integration with existing infrastructure using open-architecture BACnet protocols.
• Security & Access Control
• PACE Services (Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing) Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing services that enable commercial building owners to obtain long-term financing (up to 30 years) for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation projects with no capital outlay, administered through municipal and Port Authority partnerships.
• Emergency Services Emergency service response for essential solutions including indoor air quality enhancements, systems monitoring and tuning, system operation optimization, and alarm analysis and response for existing building systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings up to 35% of facility operation costs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Entriq SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Entriq Solutions, based in Miamisburg, OH, merged with Plug Smart in January 2020. The merger united talent and experience in engineering, construction management, and energy efficiency financing, expanding capabilities across Midwest and Florida regions.
• Reliable ControlscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Reliable Controls, manufacturer of sustainable building controls, for building automation system installations. Selected for Detroit Marriott project for BACnet native protocol compatibility that integrates with other building systems.
• Constellation EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstellation Energy partnered with University of Toledo and Plug Smart on solar installation project, financing the project through a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) - the first PPA by a public institution in Ohio.
• Dayton Montgomery County Port AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDayton Montgomery County Port Authority provided PACE financing for Kettering Tower project. Partnered with city mayor's office and city commission to form private-public partnership enabling Dayton's first PACE project.
• Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPennsylvania-based trade association for energy efficiency industry. Plug Smart is a member and employee Matt Mahoney previously worked with KEEA to educate businesses about energy efficiency programs including C-PACE.
• NAIOPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommercial real estate development association. Plug Smart senior project developer Matt Mahoney participated in NAIOP-hosted webinar about Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McKinstry: Employee-owned design-build and energy services firm operating in the same K-12, healthcare, government and commercial verticals across the U.S. West and Midwest. Closely comparable business model combining ESCO-style performance contracting, building automation integration and design-build construction services.
• NORESCO: United Technologies / Carrier-owned ESCO delivering energy performance contracting, building automation and renewable energy projects to institutional clients. Operates the same ESCO playbook as Plug Smart and is a frequent bidder on the same federal, state and university RFPs.
• Energy Systems Group: U.S.-based ESCO providing turnkey energy efficiency, building automation and M&V services to K-12, higher education, healthcare and government customers. Nearly identical budget-neutral, PACE-enabled, performance-contracting business model and target verticals make it one of Plug Smart's closest comparables.

Broad incumbents

• Ameresco: Plug Smart's NYSE-listed parent company (AMRC) and a leading cleantech integrator offering the same ESCO-style energy performance contracting and building automation services across the U.S., Canada and UK. Comparable business model with deeper balance sheet and broader cleantech capability set, including solar, battery storage and microgrids.
• Trane Technologies: HVAC and building controls major whose Trane / Thermo King brands dominate commercial HVAC retrofits and energy services. Competes with Plug Smart on design-build energy projects, particularly the HVAC efficiency and chiller plant optimization use cases central to Plug Smart's school and hospital portfolios.
• Honeywell Building Technologies: Honeywell's building technologies division provides HVAC, lighting controls, security and energy management systems globally. Targets the same K-12, university, healthcare and government verticals with proprietary Niagara-based building management platforms, directly competing with Plug Smart's open-architecture BACnet model in large commercial RFPs.
• Siemens Building Technologies: Building technologies division of Siemens AG delivering Desigo building automation, energy services and security. Competes head-to-head with Plug Smart in Mid-Atlantic and Midwest institutional markets; Plug Smart COO Scott Brennan previously held senior roles in this organization, indicating deep industry overlap.
• Schneider Electric: Global building automation and energy management major that acquired Plug Smart's predecessor Control Solutions in 2001. Competes in the same BACnet-based building controls space serving schools, hospitals and commercial clients, but as part of a much broader portfolio spanning electrical distribution, industrial automation and data center infrastructure.
• Johnson Controls: Global building systems specialist behind Metasys, OpenBlue and YORK HVAC. Competes with Plug Smart in energy performance contracting on K-12, university and healthcare campuses, and offers similar M&V-based guaranteed savings contracts but with globally scaled resources.

Emerging players

• Cenergistic: Specialized energy management services provider focused on K-12 school districts and higher education campuses nationwide. Implements building automation optimization and behavior-based energy programs with a guaranteed-savings model, directly overlapping Plug Smart's largest school district vertical.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plug-smart/about
• Xx.com/plug_smart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plug Smart