Resource Management Initiatives

DPS GOAL:

Reduce natural resource consumption and waste year-over-year.

Infographic Highlight | Total DPS Energy Usage By Type Since 2016

Explore How We’ll Get There

Energy Management

A Different Kind Of Hall Monitor

Reduce energy (MMBtu) consumption by 15% from 2021 baseline.

Water Conservation

Control The Flow!

Reduce consumption by 15% from 2021 baseline.

Waste Diversion

Stop The Trash Talk

Ensure landfill diversion rate is at least 25%.

Sourcing

Making The Right Choice

Goal: Embed sustainable practices in all procurement policies including “end of life planning.”

DPS has committed to reducing overall energy consumption by 15% by 2028 from a fiscal year 2021 baseline. The chart illustrates DPS energy consumption from fiscal year 2016 through 2021 and the progress that needs to be made in order to reach the 15% reduction goal. Energy use from each of the fuel sources used by DPS buildings have been converted into units of millions of British thermal units (MMBtus) to allow for consumption from all fuel sources to be compared.

Additionally, DPS has committed to reducing water consumption by 15% by 2028 from a fiscal year 2021 baseline. DPS water consumption includes water used at facilities and for irrigation. Water conservation strategies that target water consumption in DPS facilities and irrigation will be needed to reach the goal.

Active DPS Utilities Initiatives

Energy MGMT | Water Conservation | Waste Diversion | Sourcing

Energy Management – A Different Kind Of Hall Monitor

5-Year Goal: Reduce energy (MMBtu) consumption by 15% from 2021 baseline

Current: 1.1M MMBtu Consumed in ’21.

The first step to reducing energy consumption is to ensure building staff are trained in how to efficiently operate a DPS building. Beyond training, DPS will take multiple paths to energy management by identifying opportunities through monitoring systems. This may include switching to LED lighting, understanding impacts to carbon emissions, and planning for future energy requirements.

Munroe Elementary

Water Conservation – Control The Flow

5-Year Goal: Reduce consumption by 15% from 2021 baseline.

Current: 483,891,000 Gallons Used in ’21.

Water is an important part of the day-to-day function of DPS. The Sustainability Team is pursuing many outdoor solutions (i.e. using smart sprinkler controls, ensuring sprinklers are functioning properly, and replacing playfields with artificial turf) and indoor solutions (i.e. educating students and staff about water usage and using high-efficiency fixtures and appliances) to reach the 15% reduction in water consumption goal in 5 years. Reducing water consumption is something everyone can contribute to.

Waste Diversion – Stop The Trash Talk

5-Year Goal: Ensure landfill diversion rate is at least 25%.

Current: Estimated 17% of waste diverted.

Diverting waste from landfills and recycling and composting would-be trash is an easy way for everyone to do their part for sustainability. DPS will facilitate the process with bottle fill stations, creating ways for all students and staff to compost, educating students and staff on using compostable and recyclable materials, and creating opportunities to recycle “hard-to-recycle” products.

Sourcing – Making The Right Choice

5-Year Goal: Embed sustainable practices in all procurement policies including “end-of-life planning.”

Similar products can have vastly different environmental impacts depending on how they are made and where they are sourced. Environmentally friendly purchasing will be the driving factor behind all different types of product purchases, from copy paper to fertilizers and pesticides. Factoring in the length of products’ lifecycles will also help meet sustainability goals.

Denison Montessori

Recent Resource Management Headlines

Sometimes I Don’t Breathe

Dec 7, 2022 | Career & Curriculum, Environmental Justice, News, Resource Management, Wellness

Dec. 7th, 2022 by Mariah Rosensweig Sometimes I don’t breathe. I hold my breath, hoping that by the time I run out of oxygen, we will have figured...

Read the 2021-2022 Sustainability Annual Report

Nov 7, 2022 | Built Environment, Career & Curriculum, Environmental Justice, News, Resource Management, Transportation, Wellness

DPS Sustainability has been working hard to have an impact on our schools, community and beyond. Conserving resources, saving the district and...

DPS Board of Education Passes Student-Initiated Climate Policy

Apr 22, 2022 | News, Resource Management

For over a year, the DPS Students for Climate Action have shared with the school board the importance of making DPS more sustainable to ensure a...

Fall 2021 Sustainability Newsletter

Nov 11, 2021 | Built Environment, Career & Curriculum, Environmental Justice, Gardens, News, Resource Management, Transportation, Wellness

Welcome to the return of the DPS Sustainability Newsletter! Our team manages utilities for the district, works to reduce our resource consumption by...

Read the 2020-2021 Sustainability Annual Report

Oct 28, 2021 | Built Environment, Career & Curriculum, Environmental Justice, Gardens, News, Resource Management, Transportation, Wellness

DPS Sustainability has been working hard to have an impact on our schools, community and beyond. Conserving resources, saving the district and...

powerED: Students Leading the Charge for Energy Conservation

Oct 19, 2021 | Environmental Justice, Resource Management

by Eric Punkay – Sustainability Analyst – Oct. 19, 2021 As part of the Energy Performance Contract (EPC) that DPS is engaged in with McKinstry,...

Energy Performance Contract Launch

Jan 12, 2021 | Built Environment, Resource Management

Denver Public Schools and McKinstry Launch Energy Performance Contract Project to improve learning environments and student and staff comfort while...