Energy Works

The Energy Center’s EnergyWorks program provides technical assistance to cities, counties, nonprofit, public and private sector entities to improve the energy efficiency and operating costs of existing commercial and public buildings. It includes a low-interest loan fund to help finance improvements for nonprofit facilities. In 1995 EnergyWorks expanded to become a five-year public/ private partnership supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Rebuild America initiative. Since 2004, EnergyWorks has sustained efforts with school districts in the Kansas City Metropolitan area and rural districts throughout Missouri.

EnergyWorks Energy Efficiency Program for Missouri’s Rural School Districts

These are difficult days for budgets in the State of Missouri, and school administrators have some hard decisions in order to continue giving students the best education for the dollars available. A program, funded by the US Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), has helped save district dollars and improve the learning environment in classrooms for 10 rural school districts. The Rural Schools Initiative (RSI) was designed to bring energy efficiency and education services to underserved rural Missouri schools. The RSI is administered by the Metropolitan Energy Center’s EnergyWorks program.

EnergyWorks is helping districts with design and implementation of energy saving projects. Schools also participate in an energy education program designed by Missouri DNR staff specifically for Missouri schools and correlated to the Show-Me Standards. EnergyWorks has completed technical analyses of school buildings in all 10 districts. Some of the districts were able to apply for a low interest Missouri Energy Loan from the DNR Energy Center to implement improvements. The analyses showed that all ten schools spent a total of $1,175,300 on energy per year and a projected annual savings of $208,200 (almost 18%) would be realized if all recommendations were implemented.

Additionally, at no cost to the districts, DNR/Energy Center’s environmental education program, “Energy for Missouri: Today and Tomorrow” was provided with curriculum material and teacher training. EnergyWorks Director Don Tutko has managed this program since 2003. Don, retired President of Viron Energy Services Corporation, can be seen in the following video clip talking to a reporter about the benefits of energy efficient schools.