Cherry Creek School District And Johnson Controls Pave The Way For Colorado’s Healthy, Sustainable Future By Launching Sustainability Initiative

Cherry Creek School District (CCSD) and Johnson Controls (JCI), the globally renowned company for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, are embarking on a sustainability initiative, which is expected to reduce annual carbon emissions by 25%, water usage by 1.8 billion gallons and provide net savings to the school district of US$ 20 million, over the next 20 years – all while creating a more improved learning environment throughout Colorado's fourth-largest school district.

“Cherry Creek Schools is dedicated to excellence in all aspects of public K-12 education. A key component is aligning our facility operations with our values,” said CCSD Superintendent, Christopher Smith, adding “Our partnership with Johnson Controls will make our buildings more environmentally friendly, lower utility costs and improve the learning environment for our 60,000 students and staff members.”

Cherry Creek School District and Johnson Controls partnership

This US$ 69 million project will generate savings that will fund the entire project

This US$ 69 million project will generate savings that will fund the entire project, in addition to generating net savings of US$ 20 million over the 20-year term. While emissions reduction will be top of mind throughout the project, CCSD and Johnson Controls carefully considered how these upgrades will support the district's efforts to achieve equity within the communities the district serves.

In support of this effort, 10% Minority- and Women- Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) are contracted to work on the project.

Groundbreaking upgrades

The overall Cherry Creek School District (CCSD) initiative includes several innovative technologies and solutions integrated by Johnson Controls, including:

• LED light fixtures and controls to enhance learning environments and reduce energy consumption.
• Water plumbing and irrigation control upgrades with expected total annual cost savings of nearly 20% and 1.8 billion gallons saved over the project term.
• HVAC systems to address deferred maintenance and improve indoor air quality.
• Computer power management to reduce computer-related energy use by 25-35%

OpenBlue technology platform

This comprehensive, AI-enabled solution provides advanced data insights in a single-source dashboard

Johnson Controls’ OpenBlue technology platform is at the heart of the updates, in order to ensure operational excellence and manage utility spend. This comprehensive, AI-enabled solution provides advanced data insights in a single-source dashboard, in order to help CCSD develop an energy use intensity roadmap and optimize its operations across facilities, while providing new educational opportunities to students.

The solution also offers full transparency to the community via GreenHub, a powerful public-facing module that enables the Cherry Creek School District to showcase its energy conservation and sustainability measures.

Enhancing healthy building efforts

Jenny Stentz, the Vice President and General Manager - HVAC & Controls, at Johnson Controls, said “We're making LED lighting, water and controls upgrades the centerpiece of the project because of their immediate impact on occupant health, student productivity and utility costs.”

Jenny Stentz adds, “These enhancements, powered by the implementation of the OpenBlue technology platform, will supercharge Cherry Creek’s healthy building efforts, so it can stay on the cutting edge, even as sustainability targets shift. These are solutions with immediate impact that can grow and adapt with the district's evolving needs.”

Powerful impact

HB21-1286 establishes a building energy performance standard for buildings over 50,000 square feet

Passed by the Colorado legislature in 2021, HB21-1286 establishes a building energy performance standard for buildings over 50,000 square feet. According to the Act, building owners must collect and report on energy-use benchmarking data, and comply with energy and GHG emissions reduction requirements of 7% by 2026 and 20% by 2030, from a 2021 baseline.

This project expects to outperform these targets with an anticipated annual greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 25% from its 2021 baseline, six years earlier than the compliance date.

Building a successful sustainability program

“The key to building a successful sustainability program is to think beyond requirements,” said Scott Smith, the Chief Financial and Operating Officer at Cherry Creek School District (CCSD).

Scott Smith adds, “The steps that Cherry Creek is taking today will have long-term positive benefits, not only for its students and staff, but for the communities it serves. This project and partnership with Johnson Controls will allow CCSD to ensure that its facilities aren't just meeting new regulations, but surpassing them — and ensure that CCSD keeps its classroom environments clean, healthy and comfortable, for years to come.”