Dubuque Community School District Receives 12 ENERGY STAR Certifications

12 Dubuque Community School District buildings have earned the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Certification for 2023. This recognition is presented to the most energy efficient buildings in the country.

“ENERGY STAR recognition underscores our district’s commitment to energy efficiency,” said Dubuque Community School District Superintendent Amy Hawkins. “Our energy conservation efforts are saving taxpayer dollars while also helping protect the local environment and maintaining healthy, comfortable learning spaces for students and staff.”

To earn ENERGY STAR Certification, buildings must rate in the top 25 percent nationwide for energy efficiency and meet ventilation standards.

Dubuque Community School District buildings earning ENERGY STAR Certification include:

• Audubon Elementary School
• Carver Elementary School
• Dubuque Senior High School
• Eisenhower Elementary School
• Hempstead High School
• Irving Elementary School
• Kennedy Elementary School
• Marshall Elementary School
• Prescott Elementary School
• Roosevelt Middle School
• Sageville Elementary School
• Table Mound Elementary School

Since partnering with Cenergistic on a comprehensive energy conservation program, the Dubuque Community School District has saved an estimated $2,054,909, with an environmental impact equivalent to taking 1,185 cars off the street or removing the energy used from 671 homes for a year.

The cost of utilities is the second-largest operational budget line-item for Dubuque Community School District, and the prices for electricity, natural gas, water, and sewage have been steadily increasing.

To combat these rising energy and utility costs, Dubuque Community School District entered into a partnership with Cenergistic to implement a comprehensive organizational behavior-driven energy conservation program throughout all its buildings and campuses. Cenergistic guarantees the conservation program will save taxpayer dollars. Since the program was first implemented, Dubuque Community Schools has reduced its energy consumption by 22 percent.

Dubuque Community Schools’ comprehensive energy conservation program addresses energy use throughout the organization. Energy specialists track energy consumption at all campuses through state-of-the-art technology to identify and correct areas where energy is over-used.

Energy Specialist Josh Pociask works closely with district personnel as well as Cenergistic engineers and experts to continually optimize systems and schedules. Together they monitor energy use with advanced technology and shape energy-using practices through education — affecting how each person in the organization understands, uses, and saves energy for years to come. The outcome is healthier, more efficient buildings using less energy — and lower related costs.