Minnesota State Mankato Earns Minnesota Clean Energy Community Award

University is one of seven Minnesota communities to receive 2018 award.

April 12, 2018 |

a group of people posing for a photo

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Minnesota State University, Mankato was one of seven Minnesota communities that received 2018 Clean Energy Community Awards on March 28 at the Community Driven Clean Energy Conference in St. Cloud, Minn.

The awards were sponsored and presented by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, with financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The awards recognize communities that contribute to the state’s clean energy goals by planning and implementing programs, policies and technologies that encourage energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy generation.

Minnesota State Mankato earned its award for a project at the University titled "Campus-wide Energy Savings-Sustainability Project." This $8.1 million guaranteed energy savings performance contract included 31 campus buildings and various parking lots, sidewalks and roadways.

Those available to receive the award (pictured above right) included (from left to right): Commissioner Jessica Looman; Todd Kadoun, Ameresco project development engineer; Corry Freeman, Ameresco project development engineer; Greg Borchert, Minnesota State Mankato project manager; Paul Corcoran, Minnesota State Mankato assistant vice president, Facilities Management; Dawn Dilbeck, manager of engineering; Bob Long, sales consultant from Larkin and Hoffman; Louis Schwartzkopf, Minnesota State Mankato professor emeritus and Sustainability Committee co-chair; John Neville, Ameresco regional director; and Bill Grant, deputy commissioner.

The following individuals were not available for the photo above, but were important participants in the project: Rick Straka, Minnesota State Mankato vice president of finance and administration; Marc Frank, Ameresco senior project manager; Nathan Cazee, Ameresco senior project development engineer; and Wendy Anderson, Ameresco proposal coordinator.

Annual energy savings and avoided operational & maintenance costs are guaranteed at $404,000 annually over the 18-year contract period. Guaranteed annual energy savings amounts equal 5,983,084 kilowatt hours and 2,048 therms (a measurement of a unit of natural gas heat energy). The University will be saving 4,161 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year or 74,898 metric tons over the 18-year contract.

a group of men posing for a photo

For more information, contact Paul Corcoran, assistant vice president for facilities management at Minnesota State Mankato, by phone at 507-389-6802 or by email at paul.corcoran@mnsu.edu.

Ameresco, a nationally recognized energy efficiency and sustainability company, with an office in Eden Prairie, Minn., was the awarded contractor for this project.

The award winners were honored as part of the clean energy resource teams clean energy conference at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center on March 28.

Minnesota State Mankato's project team is pictured in the bottom photo on this page. It includes (back row, left to right): Terry Lewis, physical plant director; Kevin Morgan, electrical supervisor; Paul Corcoran, assistant vice president, Facilities Management; and (front row, left to right): Steve Ardolf, chief engineer; Greg Borchert, project manager; and Rick Straka, vice president of finance and administration.

Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,712 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.

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