Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) was recently honored by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) for extraordinary initiatives in protecting the environment.
The district was one of seven recipients of the 2022 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence, Indiana’s most prestigious environmental recognition awards.
IPS was honored in the Greening the Government category for their partnership with Cenergistic to implement a comprehensive behavioral-based energy conservation program throughout the district.
The program reduces energy use and increases energy efficiency of buildings and equipment through behavioral and operational practices. The program, which has been implemented in all IPS facilities and grounds from classrooms to auditoriums, kitchens and offices, has led to an energy reduction of nearly 100 million kilowatt-hours, a water reduction of 4 million gallons, and saved the district over $3.6 million in 2021.
The cost of utilities is the second-largest budget line item for IPS, and the prices for electricity, natural gas, heating oil, and water have been steadily increasing. Since the program was first implemented, the district has reduced its energy consumption by 26 percent.
The Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence are reserved for the most innovative, sustainable, and exemplary programs or projects that positively impact Indiana’s environment and demonstrate measurable environmental, economic, and social benefits. The selection process is highly competitive, and only one award per category is presented each year.
Any Indiana citizen, business, nonprofit organization, school, university, or government agency was eligible for the award so long as the project was:
• Located in Indiana,
• Fully implemented by 2020 or 2021; and
• Performed voluntarily and not as the result of federal or state mandates, regulations, or
enforcement decrees.
Selected awardees were required to provide quantifiable data to support the nomination, have a positive reputation for environmental health and safety, and agree to share the program or project details with others.
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