More Than $1 Million Saved By Energy Conservation At Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Kalamazoo Valley Community College has saved more than $1 million during the past two years by conserving energy and is on track to reduce 18.2 million gallons of storm water runoff with a water treatment system. Energy education specialist Ted Forester, trained by a firm called Cenergistic, has been working with various people, from maintenance personnel to professors, to minimize the amount of energy KVCC consumes. By implementing routines, coordinating energy-savings behaviors across campus, making building improvements and using energy-accounting software from EnergyCAP, Inc.; KVCC has saved $1,096,456 since 2010. "We have built a customized and sustainable energy conservation program that reduces consumption of electricity, natural gas, and water through changes in organization by a massive, coordinated effort between scheduling, faculties, outside events, preventative maintenance and building improvements," Forester said. "People find it hard to believe what great shape our buildings and mechanical rooms are in. I know that is due to a lot of hard work from our custodial, maintenance and grounds staff."