From a children’s home, to churches, schools, homebuilders and an employee-owned grocery chain, the nominees for SRP’s “Champions of Energy Efficiency Awards” are diverse, yet similar in their commitment to reduce, conserve and save.

During the second annual awards luncheon on Oct. 29, which featured six-time Olympic Gold Medal swimmer and paraplegic Amy Van Dyken as the keynote, SRP honored 19 innovative businesses and organizations for being champions of energy conservation. Eight customers took home “the gold” during the celebration.

The awards are part of SRP’s efforts to encourage commercial customers to take advantage of the SRP Business Solutions rebates or the SRP ENERGY STAR® Homes program to reduce energy use and save money.

“Saving money and energy is beneficial to the bottom line of any business. SRP helps companies reduce utility costs and conserve precious resources,” said Dan Dreiling, SRP director of Market Research and Customer Programs. “The customers we recognized today are to be commended for their dedication and innovation by implementing new technologies, as well as making behavioral changes within their organizations.”

Through its Business Solutions programs, SRP partners with commercial customers to help them decrease their energy use, which defers the need for future energy generation, reduces emissions and helps control costs. As a result of these efforts, SRP last year surpassed its energy-efficiency goals with commercial customers providing a combined annual energy savings of more than 175 million kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is equivalent to avoiding greenhouse gas emissions from 25,000 cars per year.

Complete profiles of all 19 finalists can be found at srpnet.com/awards. The 2015 winners and runners-up include:

CHARITABLE AND NONPROFIT: 

Winner:

  • Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa: The 125-acre facility provides a safe, loving place for children who are separated from their parents, and does so in an eco-conscious environment. To win top honors in its category, Sunshine Acres participated in SRP’s Standard Business Solutions lighting rebate. In every home and building, the children’s home looks for ways to lower energy costs. It installed occupancy sensors in each room that turn off lights when children leave the room. Savings are always beneficial for the nonprofit, which was established in 1954.

Runners-up:

  • St. Theresa Parish in Phoenix: According to the parish, Pope Francis issued a challenge that all parishes connect energy efficiency, sustainability and green practices to parish missions. St. Theresa had already adopted energy-efficiency and conservation practices. The church is first runner-up in this category for its campus-wide lighting replacement. St. Theresa also has added new energy-efficient windows, appliances and HVAC systems and integrated a more water-saving landscape.
  • Dayspring United Methodist Church in Tempe: To receive second runner-up accolades, the church participated in two SRP rebate programs and installed new programmable thermostats as well as energy-efficient lighting to the interior and exterior of the church campus. Sustainability and conservation messages are also shared from the pulpit and through church newsletters.

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES:

Winner:

  • Apollo Education Group: The “pioneers in higher education” made an educated decision to reduce energy usage and associated costs by taking advantage of SRP’s Standard and Custom rebate programs. The parent company of the University of Phoenix implemented expansive lighting retrofits, installed occupancy sensors, programmable thermostats, touch-free low-flow faucets and improved waste-diversion rates, among many other improvements. Among its employees, Apollo routinely promotes sustainability and energy and resource conservation. Apollo also hosts an Eco‐Fair twice a year.

LARGE BUSINESS:

Winner:

  • WinCo Foods: The employee-owned Supermarket Low Price Leader® is committed to the environment and consistently looks for opportunities to incorporate energy-efficient, sustainable practices. WinCo took advantage of discounts through the SRP Business Solutions rebate program to install lighting, refrigeration and HVAC measures, which totaled nearly 3.5 million kWh in annual energy savings — enough to power 190 homes for one year.

Runners-up:

  • JSH Time LLC, Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club: To receive the first runner-up nod, the award-winning, 36-hole course installed energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units. The recent lighting retrofit in the clubhouse teed up a 21 percent year-over-year savings on electric use in July.
  • Dignity Health: The health-care provider is second runner-up in the large business category for its focused efforts to reduce energy and water consumption and increase its renewable portfolio. Dignity Health has leveraged SRP rebates to install energy-efficient lighting and variable frequency drive pumps throughout its buildings.

LOCAL HOMEBUILDER:

Winner:

  • Fulton Homes: Arizona’s largest family-owned and operated homebuilder demonstrates its commitment to energy-efficiency companywide as exemplified by winning the 2015 ENERGY STAR®Partner of the Year award — one of only six homebuilders in the country to do so. Through its participation in the SRP ENERGY STAR® Homes program, Fulton built 294 homes in SRP territory last year, resulting in saving customers up to $700 per year on their utility bills.

MIDSIZE BUSINESS:

Winner:

  • Berge Auto Group: By making a commitment to do what’s right for the environment, the Berge Auto Group saved more than 635,000 kWh of electricity last year by participating in the SRP Commercial rebate program. Over the past seven years the company invested well over $3 million in sustainability products and processes, which include updated lighting systems, energy-management systems, gold level LEED facilities, HVAC control systems and voltage and current controls.

Runners-up:

  • FireRock Golf and Country Club in Fountain Hills: The world-class golf facility is first runner-up for installing upgraded air conditioner units and programmable thermostats, which have contributed to high energy savings. Last year, through a lighting retrofit from the SRP Commercial rebate program, FireRock saved more than one-quarter million kWh of electricity and plans to continue to add energy-efficient equipment to its facilities.
  • Faist GreenTeck: Through the SRP Standard Business Solutions program, Faist GreenTek installed new heating, ventilation and HVAC units, which will result in more than 150,000 kWh of electricity savings per year.

NATIONAL HOMEBUILDER:

Winner:

  • Meritage Homes: As an ENERGY STAR® partner since 2001, Meritage has designed and built more than 85,000 homes in its 30-year history and is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding. Meritage built 400 homes last year through its participation in the SRP ENERGY STAR® Homes program, saving Meritage customers up to $700 per year on their electric bills.

Runners-up:

  • Shea Homes: Shea Homes Active Lifestyle Communities built 196 homes in SRP territory last year as part of the SRP ENERGY STAR® Homes program. Shea Homes is first runner-up for its commitment to follow best practices in energy solutions for its homeowners and carrying out the philosophies companywide. Shea homeowners save up to $700 per year on their electric bills.
  • David Weekley Homes: The residential homebuilder is awarded second runner-up for its commitment to build 100 percent of new construction homes within Arizona to the ENERGY STAR®standards. By participating in the SRP ENERGY STAR® Homes program, David Weekley built 58 homes in SRP territory, saving customers up to $700 per year on their electric bills.

SMALL BUSINESS:

Winner:

  • Joe A. Bailey Rentals in Peoria: The locally owned and operated company completed a lighting retrofit project last year utilizing the SRP Small Business Solutions program. The family-based business is now saving more than 78,000 kWh of electricity per year.

Runner-up:

  • Harper’s Landscape & Gardening Centre in Scottsdale: The third generation, locally owned and operated landscape design and installation company receives second runner-up for its water conservation efforts. Last year, Harper’s also completed a lighting retrofit with the help of SRP rebates and is in the process of converting all of its landscape lighting to energy and cost-saving LEDs.

SCHOOLS K-12:

Winner:

  • Kyrene School District: The district gets high marks for its creativity and commitment to reduce energy consumption. For two consecutive years, Kyrene has been recognized by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and the U.S. Green Building Council for having the most energy efficient and most improved K-12 facility in the state. In the classroom, 25 schools competed in the “Kyrene Power Challenge” to reduce the greatest amount of energy consumption. Through participation in the SRP Standard Business Solutions program, Kyrene reduced its energy usage by more than 2.5 million kWh, which is enough to power three elementary schools for an entire year.

Runners-up:

  • Peoria Unified School District: Saving money on utility costs means more money for children and classrooms for the third-largest school district in the state. With help from SRP’s Standard Commercial rebate program PUSD has work diligently to create a robust energy-management program, which includes high-efficiency mechanical systems, lighting controls, occupancy sensors, and Co2 controls. Over the past three years, the district has upgraded more than 60 percent of its energy-control systems and more changes are in store, such as improved energy-efficient lighting and low-flow water fixtures at all sites.
  • Washington Elementary School District: In 2008, the largest elementary school district in Arizona launched an energy-behavior management program to encourage staff and students to change habits and reduce energy use in buildings. The vast efforts have resulted in “astounding” cost and energy-saving results, according to WESD.