Three DMPS Schools Among Top Finishers in EPA’s Energy Star® National Building Competition
Des Moines Public Schools announced today that three of its school buildings – McCombs, Moulton and Studebaker – were top finishers in the EPA’s 2013 Energy Star National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings.
In fact, Studebaker Elementary School and McCombs Middle Schools, neighboring schools on the south-side of Des Moines, finished 7th and 8th overall out of more than 3,000 buildings from across the nation that took part in the competition.
In its fourth year, the competition featured buildings from across the country racing to improve energy efficiency, lower utility costs, and protect health and the environment. Together, competitors cut their energy costs by more than $20 million.
Studebaker Elementary School reduced its energy use by 31.9 percent and prevented 77 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the course of the year. Energy cost savings, as calculated by the EPA, totaled $14,274 at Studebaker in 2013.
McCombs Middle School reduced its energy use by 29.7 percent and prevented 139 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the course of the year. Energy cost savings, as calculated by the EPA, totaled $46,694 at McCombs in 2013.
In addition, Moulton Extended Learning Center was recognized for reducing their energy use by more than 20 percent and finished among the top 50 buildings in the competition. Moulton reduced its energy use by 23.3 percent and prevented 162 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the course of the year. Moulton’s energy cost savings, as calculated by the EPA, in 2013 totaled $23,645.
Earlier this month Des Moines Public Schools earned an Energy Star Partner of the Year Award from the EPA for the third consecutive year.
From improvements in operations and maintenance to upgrades in equipment and technology, the competitors together reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 130,000 metric tons and saved more than $20 million on utility bills annually. The competitors also prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity used by nearly 18,000 homes per year.
“EPA’s Energy Star National Building Competition helped us save energy, cut our utility bills, and protect the environment,” said Bill Good, chief operations officer for Des Moines Public Schools. “We are excited by the enthusiasm and commitment of our team here at Des Moines Public Schools and look forward to seeing more savings in the future from our efforts.”
“The impressive results of the fourth-annual National Building Competition are proof positive that any building can take simple steps to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings where we all work, play, and learn,” said Jean Lupinacci, chief of Energy Star for commercial buildings and industrial plants. “All of the participants in the Energy Star National Building Competition are finding more and more ways to cut energy use, saving thousands of dollars and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Congratulations to Des Moines Public Schools for helping lead the way.”
The 2013 Energy Star National Building Competition measured energy performance over the entire 2013 calendar year. Competitors tracked their building’s monthly energy consumption using Energy Star Portfolio Manager®, EPA’s online energy and water measurement and tracking tool. Claiborne Elementary School won the competition by demonstrating the largest percentage reduction in energy use, adjusted for weather and the size of the building. The energy use reductions for each top finisher were verified by an independently licensed professional engineer or registered architect at the conclusion of the competition. Last year, Demarest Elementary School in Bloomfield, NJ won the competition, reducing energy use by more than 52 percent.
Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year. Thousands of businesses and organizations work with EPA’s Energy Star program and are saving billions of dollars and preventing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.
Click the link below for more information about the 2013 Energy Star National Building Competition, including top overall finishers and top finishers by building category, an interactive map of competitors, and a wrap-up report: http://www.energystar.gov/battleofthebuildings.
