Minneapolis Buildings Successfully Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas may seem like a daunting task, but 10 commercial buildings throughout Minneapolis were up to the challenge.

As a part of the Minneapolis Building Energy Challenge, buildings tried to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent from 2014.

Over 75 percent of participating buildings achieved or surpassed the goal, saving over 19,000 tons of emissions annually-- about the same amount of pollution created by 2,000 homes a year.

Here's how the challenge turned out:

DeLaSalle High School and the Forensic Science Building both reduced 17 percent.

City Hall reduced 18 percent.

Royalston Maintenance Facility reduced 22 percent.

Calhoun Square and Hennepin County Government Center both reduced 25 percent.

Butler Square reduced 28 percent.

Hospital Parking Ramp reduced 35 percent.

Minneapolis Convention Center reduced 61 percent.

And the ultimate energy-saver award goes to Wells Fargo, whose building reduced 85 percent of their emissions.

Included in Wells Fargo's changes were new LED parking ramp lights, restructured central heating and cooling, and a switch to 100 percent renewable electricity.

You can see each of the 10 businesses changes at the Awards website.

The City of Minneapolis says climate change is a serious problem, heavily contributed by human activities.

Nearly half of all citywide greenhouse gas emissions in 2016 pointed back to the commercial-industrial sector. The city says building energy was the main source.

To learn how to reduce your building's energy use, contact Xcel Energy or CenterPoint Energy.