Published: April 20, 2018

CU Athletic's Indoor Practice Facility features solar panels on its roofCU Boulder 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 Boulder received the Energy Design Assistance Achievement Award for its practices in building energy-efficient buildings, particularly around electricity savings. Specifically, CU Boulder 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 Boulder’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)