Chicago Public Schools – Tyler Browne – 2012

Goals 

Chicago Public Schools enlisted Tyler Browne to improve its district-wide energy efficiency initiatives and to investigate the potential for achieving LEED certification at its member schools. 

Solutions

Browne’s work focused on the CPS Energy Shared Savings (ESS) program. ESS provides schools – which do not pay for the energy they consume out of their own budgets – with financial incentives to reduce their energy use. To increase participation in this program, Browne developed new data sets, restructured program materials and organized existing program data. 

Browne also presented health and financial cost-benefit analyses of two proposed LEED pilot projects that CPS leaders are considering.

Potential Impact

Last year, with only 141 schools participating, ESS saved CPS over $500,000. Browne’s contributions are helping CPS leaders to double program participation in 2013. 

The two proposed LEED pilot projects could serve as models for future LEED certification efforts at CPS.