(ROCHESTER, MN, Oct. 30, 2019) — After just one year into a program to substantially reduce energy consumption, Rochester Public Schools announced that the district has recovered more than $500,000 in planned utility expenses since partnering with Cenergistic, a national energy conservation company.

“In just over a year, we have helped Rochester recover a significant amount of their utility budget,” said Cenergistic Vice Chairman Dr. Randy Hoff, PE, CEM. “We’re always pleased to see clients achieve this type of success so early on in the program.”

RPS personnel work closely with Cenergistic engineers, experts and the Energy Specialist to audit and optimize energy-using systems across the organization to achieve peak efficiency. The Specialist tracks energy consumption at all campuses to identify and correct areas that need immediate attention. Savings are calculated using third-party energy-accounting software.

This hand-in-hand relationship that began in August 2018 has delivered success. Carbon emissions avoided from energy program efforts equate to approximately 7.6 million miles not driven or saving the energy use of 530 houses in a year.

“We look out five years at a time to make sure we know what’s coming as best we can and plan for it,” said RPS Executive Director of Finance John Carlson in an interview with KIMT 3 News.

A primary benefit of the Cenergistic program is that all costs come out of the existing utility budget, with savings projected to more than pay for the program. Additional savings can be redirected to other budgetary needs. The environmental benefits of the program contribute to a reduced carbon footprint that will help RPS qualify for ENERGY STAR® certification with the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Everyone at RPS, from administrators to facilities staff members, has been on board with this program from the beginning,” said Dr. Hoff. “A collaborative partnership has been the key to this program’s success, and we look forward to the savings we’ll generate in the future.”

About Rochester Public Schools
Rochester Public Schools mission is to inspire, challenge, and empower all students with the knowledge and skills required to reach their full potential, to contribute to future generations, and to become involved members of a global community. We seek to inspire our students to become lifelong learners.

About Cenergistic
Since 1986 Cenergistic has helped 1,450+ K-12 districts, institutions of higher education, governments and health care facilities find $5.5 billion and counting in hidden electricity, natural gas and water savings by applying our advanced software platform and sustainability-as-a-service solutions. Organization leaders can reduce utility spending by 20–30 percent annually with no capital investment while improving the comfort and quality of building environments. For more than a decade, Cenergistic has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year or Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence. To learn more, visit www.cener2staging.wpengine.com.

See more on the early success of RPS’ program here: