EPA Recognizes Two Des Moines, Iowa, Organizations as ENERGY STAR Award Winners

Des Moines Public Schools and Principal Real Estate Investors earn recognition

Contact Information: Ben Washburn, 816-518-4154, washburn.ben@epa.gov

LENEXA, KAN. (MAY 5, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are announcing the winners of the 2022 ENERGY STAR Awards.  In the state of Iowa, EPA recognizes Des Moines Public Schools and Principal Real Estate Investors in the Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence category.

“We know it’s going to take all of us working together to tackle the climate crisis, and the 2022 ENERGY STAR award-winning partners are demonstrating what it takes to build a more sustainable future,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “These companies are showing once again that taking action in support of a clean energy economy can be good not only for the environment, but also for business and customers.”

This is the ninth year of sustained excellence for Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS), whose key 2021 accomplishments include:

• Saving over $21.7 million since 2008, including $1.4 million in 2021 alone, as well as reducing site energy use by more than 30% when compared to baseline.
• Benchmarking 100% of DMPS facilities, totaling over 5.8 million square feet, in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® and achieving ENERGY STAR certification at 21 schools.
• Leading the city of Des Moines to become the third-ranked mid-sized city on EPA’s 2021 ENERGY STAR Top Mid-Sized Cities listing.
• Completing the first solar array within the district at Jefferson Elementary, which is expected to generate approximately 80% of the school’s energy.
• Spending an average of $139 per student on energy costs, significantly lower than the national average of $205 per student.
• Promoting energy practices and ENERGY STAR to the community through Energy Report Cards delivered to nearly 5,000 staff and interested parties across the country.

This is the fifth year of sustained excellence for Principal Real Estate Investors (PRPI), whose key 2021 accomplishments include:

• Achieving ENERGY STAR certification for 20 buildings.
• Benchmarking 100% of its portfolio in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®.
• Committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2035 at a portfolio level through its PRPI initiative, which requires all participating assets to complete monthly benchmarking of energy, water and waste through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®.
• Completing the third year of its PRPI Cornerstone Awards program and recognizing three properties for their sustainability leadership, with special emphasis on energy efficiency and ENERGY STAR, by sharing their accomplishments with stakeholders via property team newsletters, Twitter posts, web articles, and award packets to the winning teams.
• Continuing to integrate industrial properties into its PRPI initiative by benchmarking industrial properties in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®, training accompanying property managers, and including industrial properties in its bimonthly property manager PRPI Newsletter and quarterly Portfolio Performance Report.

Nationally, EPA has recognized 210 organizations as 2022 ENERGY STAR Award winners. These organizations, which represent the top ENERGY STAR partners, are making important contributions in support of America’s clean energy transition. They come from 37 states and span nearly every sector of the economy, including Fortune 500 companies, schools, retailers, manufacturers, home builders, and commercial building owners and operators across the United States.

For 30 years, ENERGY STAR has been America’s resource for saving energy and protecting the environment. In 2020, energy savings from ENERGY STAR and its partners helped reduce U.S. electricity consumption by the equivalent of over 10% of total U.S. demand, while delivering emissions reductions equivalent to 5% of U.S. total greenhouse gas emissions.

Leading the way in delivering these results are award-winning partners that have demonstrated a commitment to energy efficiency through ENERGY STAR. Over 150 of these award winners are being recognized for their continued commitment, year after year, to energy efficiency through the program’s highest honor: ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award.

Read more about the 2022 ENERGY STAR Award Winners' achievements.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR^® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations – including more than 40% of the Fortune 500® – rely on their partnership with EPA to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped American families and businesses avoid over $500 billion in energy costs and achieve over 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR’s impacts can be found online at Impacts, and state-level information can be found at State Facts.

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Learn more about EPA Region 7: www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-7-midwest