Published: April 20, 2018

CU Athletic's Indoor Practice Facility features solar panels on its roofCU Â鶹¹ÙÍø was one of 13 Colorado organizations recognized this month by Xcel Energy for their outstanding efforts to save energy.

Xcel’s 2018 Energy Efficiency Awards honored commercial, industrial and small-business customers in Colorado for participating in the company’s energy efficiency programs in an effort to lower their energy costs and reduce their impacts on the environment.

CU Â鶹¹ÙÍø received the Energy Design Assistance Achievement Award for its practices in building energy-efficient buildings, particularly around electricity savings. Specifically, CU Â鶹¹ÙÍø was noted for sustainable design practices in recent new construction and major renovations that will avoid 2.8 gigawatt-hours of electricity consumption annually.

The recent Ketchum Arts and Sciences renovation, the Village Dining Center and Community Commons and the new Athletics complex, including the Champions Center and net-zero energy Indoor Practice Facility, were all highlighted in CU Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s nomination. The Athletics complex project achieved LEED Platinum certification for green building from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The other 12 award recipients were a mix of businesses, municipalities and educational institutions. They included:

  • City and county of Denver, Motors Efficiency Achievement Award
  • Colorado State University, Heating Efficiency Achievement Award
  • Denver Public Schools, Highest Savings for Multiple Program Participation
  • Groove Toyota, Small Business Lighting Efficiency Achievement Award
  • JBS USA Food Co., Highest Energy Savings by a Single Premises (Electric)
  • King Soopers, Cumulative Lighting Efficiency Award
  • Latitude 40, Multifamily Building Efficiency Achievement Award
  • Lineage Logistics, Self-Direct Achievement Award
  • Littleton/Englewood WWTP, Process Efficiency Achievement Award
  • Proximity Malt, Highest Energy Savings by a Single Premises (Gas)
  • Sports Stable at Superior, Highest Energy Savings – Business Solutions Center
  • Veterans Administration Medical Center FMS, Energy Design Assistance Achievement Award (Gas)