Case Study: Des Moines Public Schools achieves $20M+ in savings and 31% reduced energy intensity with Brightly Software's Energy Manager

9-Year ENERGY STAR Award Winner Des Moines Public Schools Uses Energy Manager for $20M+ in Savings

Des Moines Public Schools, Iowa’s largest district with about 31,000 students, manages energy across 70 facilities and 6.1 million sq. ft., many of which average 65 years old. The district’s core challenge was consistently tracking and optimizing energy use across dozens of buildings to control costs and support aging‑building renovations rather than new construction.

DMPS created an energy team and uses Brightly’s Energy Manager to centralize data, benchmark buildings (68 are tracked, 60 ENERGY STAR‑eligible) and communicate progress with report cards and newsletters. The program helped drive a 31% drop in energy intensity (2009–2020), $20M+ in savings since 2008, prevention of ~40,600 metric tons of CO2, a 100% LED portfolio, and a nine‑year ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year streak.

Des Moines Public Schools

Tyler Puls

Energy & Environmental Specialist