Madison, Wis. – In 2017, Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS) Health Solutions made the decision to recommit to improving the energy efficiency of its facilities. Now, the health provider is a recipient of the FOCUS ON ENERGY® 2020 Energy Efficiency Excellence Awards, presented in partnership with utility provider Madison Gas and Electric Company (MGE).
“Using energy efficiently is one of the most important actions businesses and individuals can take to reduce their environmental footprint,” said MGE Senior Account Representative Jillian Page. “We’re proud to partner with WPS Health and Focus on Energy to advance shared sustainability goals.”
The Excellence Awards honor Focus on Energy participants who have shown a commitment to leading in energy efficiency. Having completed more than 25 significant energy-saving projects over the last three years, WPS Health has certainly established itself as one of those leaders.
These projects include more than 10 major LED lighting retrofits, the optimization of more than 20 air handlers and supporting equipment, and improvements to climate controls within the data center. WPS Health also implemented a complete overhaul of the company’s old steam heating system and baseboard control system, which were upgraded to a high-efficiency hot water system.
WPS Health was nominated for the Excellence Award by Alex Dodd, an Energy Advisor from Focus on Energy who helped the company decide which energy efficiency upgrades were most beneficial for the provider and offered expertise throughout each step of the implementation process.
“WPS Health Solutions is honored to earn this award for ongoing energy conservation efforts,” said Ken Roseth, vice president of facility operations at WPS Health. “Saving energy is just one of the ways we care for the environment, both today and for future generations.”
The health provider’s few remaining applications from 2019 are still in final processing, but the estimated annual energy savings from these projects ring in at 2.4 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and 23,000 therms of natural gas. These savings are equivalent to removing 393 cars off the road for an entire year. At WPS Health’s Madison location, overall energy consumption decreased by 15% as a result of the energy-efficient improvements.
In just three years, WPS Health has made strides in reducing energy use across its facilities and improving the efficiency of its operations to better serve its customers. Already having established itself as a longtime leader in the health industry, WPS Health’s ongoing commitment to incorporating energy efficiency in its business practices has now earned it designation as a leader in energy efficiency, too.
Focus on Energy is working with utility companies across the state throughout September and October to present Energy Efficiency Excellence Awards to 14 outstanding businesses.
Focus on Energy partners with 107 utilities across the state to offer energy expertise and financial incentives to residents and businesses that choose to reduce energy waste. A third-party evaluation last year revealed Wisconsin runs the most cost-effective energy efficiency programs in the nation, in terms of energy savings per dollar spent. A separate evaluation released this year found every $1 invested in Focus on Energy generates $4.80 in benefits for Wisconsin, including economic benefits, reduced energy costs and reduced pollution.
