SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City’s Department of Sustainability is pleased to announce Trolley Square Ventures has won the 2020 Energy Project of the Year as part of the City’s annual Elevate Buildings Award.

The Elevate Buildings Awards is the Sustainability Department’s public recognition campaign honoring organizations that have gone above and beyond to reduce their emissions through innovative programs and efficiency upgrades. One of the key priorities of Mayor Mendenhall’s administration is to lead the way on environmental resilience and sustainability and improving the impact that our buildings have on air quality is a major part of the City’s environmental goals.

Trolley Square Ventures was selected for the suite of energy efficiency upgrades conducted this year. Cooling equipment upgrades were paired with the implementation of advanced controls within the building management system to realize better building performance and energy savings on the Trolley Square campus for years to come.

“Improved energy efficiency reduces local air pollution, as well as overall greenhouse gas emissions, making it an important component of the City’s work to achieve our Climate Positive goals,” said Peter Nelson, Sustainable Business Program Coordinator, Sustainability Department.

Trolley Square’s efficiency measures are currently on track to save the campus $35,115 annually. The addition of advanced control measures is also a win for Trolley Square’s tenants, as the energy savings in the facilities result in a decrease of their common area maintenance costs.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates 30 percent of the average commercial building’s energy consumption is attributed to inefficient building operation. That makes energy efficiency an immediate opportunity to improve air quality and reduce Salt Lake City’s community carbon footprint.

“Buildings represent one of the greatest opportunities to minimize emissions and implementing energy efficiency measures is the first simple step organizations can take to contribute to our community-wide air quality goals,” Nelson said.

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