Des Moines Public Schools

Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) is the largest public school district in Iowa. DMPS was established more than 100 years ago and educates a diverse student body of more than 32,000 students. DMPS partners with ENERGY STAR® to promote energy efficiency awareness and education to students, faculty and staff members, and the greater community. DMPS is receiving ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence recognition for its commitment to demonstrating environmental and financial stewardship through comprehensive energy management, based on ENERGY STAR best practices. Key 2014 accomplishments include:

• Publishing a monthly Energy Report Card that educates staff members, students, and the community about energy performance, conservation tips, classroom opportunities, and ENERGY STAR materials. Additionally, DMPS sends the monthly Energy Report Card to the entire district, highlighting ENERGY STAR scores, top-performing schools, energy conservation efforts, energy tips, and information on energy-related activities.
• Modeling responsible energy behavior by participating in initiatives such as the ENERGY STAR Challenge. Additionally, several schools in the district have participated in EPA’s ENERGY STAR National Building Competition, with two buildings finishing in the top 10.
• Implementing the relighting of 28 of the District’s more than 60 facilities that will result in an estimated annual savings in excess of $135,000.
• Earning ENERGY STAR certification for 46 out of the 61 DMPS buildings that are benchmarked in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®.
• Switching to geothermal heating and cooling systems in 39 schools, helping to nearly double the ENERGY STAR score of some school buildings.