As inflation soars, driven by rising energy prices, energy conservation company Cenergistic helps manage and contain energy costs

By Jordan Shearer

ROCHESTER — Rochester Public Schools has accumulated more than $3 million in energy savings over the last four years.

Adam Hanson, an energy specialist from the firm Cenergistic, spoke about the savings with the school board Tuesday night. Overall, the district has avoided $3.17 million of energy costs, representing 17% in savings.

“It would be equivalent to removing almost 3,500 cars off the road,” Hanson said about the environmental impact of the savings. “Or planting and growing 262,000 trees for 10 years.”

Looking at the situation another way, he said the energy the district has avoided using over the last four years “would be enough to run all the elementary and middle schools for 16 months.”

Rochester Public Schools began working with Cenergistic in 2018.

Hanson said Cenergistic performed nearly 1,300 audits of the school district’s energy system in the last year alone to make sure the buildings were using energy efficiently.

There are 15 buildings in the district that are ENERGY STAR certified. According to the program’s website, ENERGY STAR certification is “the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.”

The schools that have received the designation include Bamber Valley Elementary, Hoover Elementary, Elton Hills Elementary, Folwell Elementary, Franklin Elementary, Gage Elementary, Gibbs Elementary, Churchill Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, John Adams Middle School, John Marshall High School, Lincoln K-8, Pinewood Elementary, Sunset Terrace Elementary, and Willow Creek Middle School.

“Rochester Public Schools has the most ENERGY STAR certified K-12 buildings of any school district in Minnesota,” Hanson said. “That’s impressive.”